Digital library
Textbooks, references and open learning resources.
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Environmental Justice
Deron Carter; Colleen Sanders · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2023
This book presents the original works of Environmental Justice students from Linn-Benton Community College. Students select and design projects based on their experiences and interests to contribute to this living anthology each term. The goal of this publication is to increase the impact of student scholarship, research, creativity, and activism to work for environmental and social justice in our communities. These openly-licensed works span multiple formats and genres based on student interest.
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Understanding Organisms: An Evolutionary, Ecological and Comparative Approach
Thea Popolizio · ROTEL · 2024
Understanding organisms—their evolution, ecology and body systems— is at the heart of this free and open resource geared toward introductory-level college biology majors. This text has been adapted and curated with a lens toward representation and inclusivity. Student engagement is encouraged through ample graphics, embedded media and linked supplementary resources throughout, as well as interactive, responsive H5P practice activities.
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Plant Breeding Methods
Walter Fehr; Walter Suza · Iowa State University Digital Press · 2024
This text has been compiled to provide an overview of how plant breeders develop cultivars of plant species. The methods that breeders use depend directly on the type of cultivar used to produce a commercial crop. The four most common types of cultivars are (a) clonal cultivars (b) synthetic cultivars (c) pure-line cultivars and (d) hybrid cultivars. These types of cultivars will be discussed throughout the book, alongside review questions for self-study.
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Human Evolutionary Demography
Oskar Burger; Ronald Lee; Rebecca Sear · Open Book Publishers · 2024
Human evolutionary demography is an emerging field blending natural science with social science. This edited volume provides a much-needed, interdisciplinary introduction to the field and highlights cutting-edge research for interested readers and researchers in demography, the evolutionary behavioural sciences, biology, and related disciplines. By bridging the boundaries between social and biological sciences, the volume stresses the importance of a unified understanding of both in order to grasp past and current demographic patterns. Demographic traits, and traits related to demographic outcomes, including fertility and mortality rates, marriage, parental care, menopause, and cooperative behavior are subject to evolutionary processes. Bringing an understanding of evolution into demography therefore incorporates valuable insights into this field; just as knowledge of demography is key to understanding evolutionary processes. By asking questions about old patterns from a new perspective, the volume—composed of contributions from established and early-career academics—demonstrates that a combination of social science research and evolutionary theory offers holistic understandings and approaches that benefit both fields. Human Evolutionary Demography introduces an emerging field in an accessible style. It is suitable for graduate courses in demography, as well as upper-level undergraduates. Its range of research is sure to be of interest to academics working on demographic topics (anthropologists, sociologists, demographers), natural scientists working on evolutionary processes, and disciplines which cross-cut natural and social science, such as evolutionary psychology, human behavioral ecology, cultural evolution, and evolutionary medicine. As an accessible introduction, it should interest readers whether or not they are currently familiar with human evolutionary demography.
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Introduction to Environmental Sciences and Sustainability
Emily Harris · University of West Florida Pressbooks · 2023
Introduction to Environmental Sciences and Sustainability is a college-level Open Educational Resource (OER) that focuses on the most relevant environmental science issues and addresses ways to incorporate sustainable practices. The text is designed for an introductory-level college science course. Topics include the fundamentals of ecology, biodiversity, pollution, climate change, food production, human population growth, and incorporating sustainable approaches in our communities, economies, and environments. This resource is targeted at environmental science students.
![Chromosomes, Genes, and Traits: An Introduction to Genetics [Revised Edition]](/api/files/covers/otl-1671.webp)
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Chromosomes, Genes, and Traits: An Introduction to Genetics [Revised Edition]
Amanda Simons · ROTEL · 2024
This resource is intended for an introductory or intermediate-level college genetics course. It begins with an exploration of DNA and genome structure and continues with a study of the molecular mechanisms that drive gene expression. Concepts of classical transmission genetics are linked to the molecular mechanisms that underlie observable phenotypes. It concludes with specific topics that synthesize information from both molecular and transmission genetics, including consideration of topics like epigenetics, cancer biology, and evolution. Examples of both historical and current problems in genetics are presented, along with conversations of the relationship between genetics and society.
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Neuroscience, Psychology and Conflict Management
Judith Rafferty · James Cook University · 2024
This peer reviewed eBook introduces readers to foundational concepts in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, personality psychology and social psychology to help explain why conflict occurs, how it develops and how it may be managed and/or resolved.
![Biological Psychology [Revised Edition]](/api/files/covers/otl-1626.webp)
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Biological Psychology [Revised Edition]
Michael Hove; Steven Martinez · ROTEL · 2024
Biological psychology is the study of the biological bases of behavior and mental processes. It explores how biological factors like genes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and brain structures influence psychological components like thoughts, emotions, memories, and actions. This free and open textbook provides a wide ranging and up-to-date introduction to the main topics and methods of biological psychology.
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Principles of Mechanics: Fundamental University Physics
Salma Alrasheed · Springer · 2019
This open access textbook takes the reader step-by-step through the concepts of mechanics in a clear and detailed manner. Mechanics is considered to be the core of physics, where a deep understanding of the concepts is essential in understanding all branches of physics. Many proofs and examples are included to help the reader grasp the fundamentals fully, paving the way to deal with more advanced topics. After solving all of the examples, the reader will have gained a solid foundation in mechanics and the skills to apply the concepts in a variety of situations. The book is useful for undergraduate students majoring in physics and other science and engineering disciplines. It can also be used as a reference for more advanced levels.
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Crop Adaptation and Improvement for Drought-Prone Environments
Ndjido Kane; Daniel Foncéka; Timothy Dalton · New Prairie Press · 2022
This book focuses on three important elements in the development of cereal and legume crops in semi-arid West Africa. The first section illustrates the socioeconomic factors that affect the food system for these crops and contains an overview of crop production and consumption in the region. Then, important inputs that affect system productivity are presented: preferences for new seed varieties, yield response to fertilizer, counterfeit herbicides, climate information, and the way farmers develop expectations about the weather events that shape cropping outcomes. The final chapter of section one is dedicated to understanding urban consumer preferences for processed food products derived from pearl millet. The second section addresses the state of the art of phenotyping and the modeling of crop adaptation to dryland farming systems. Chapters in section two focus on the regional network for phenotyping, high throughput phenotyping in field situations, root architectures, and crop ideotypes. In addition, empirical evidence is presented on root and soil interactions and the effectiveness of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs to assess sorghum physiology. Finally, the third section investigates the genetic diversity and improvement of dryland crops. Chapters in this section focus on biodiversity and agricultural system sustainability, orphan crops such as fonio, and the utilization of a regional germplasm collection in the improvement of cowpea, groundnut, pearl millet, and sorghum.
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Microbiology for Earth Scientists
Matthew Kirk · New Prairie Press · 2023
Microorganisms are the most abundant form of life on Earth and in recent decades it has become increasingly clear that their collective activities are one of the dominant forces shaping the Earth. This book provides earth scientists with an introduction to microbiology and a look at the ways microorganisms are important to their area of expertise. The first part of this book summarizes some basic information about microorganisms, including a discussion of their diversity, physical properties, and metabolisms. From there, the second and third portions of the book are organized around the two-way interactions between microorganisms and their environments. The second portion of the book considers the ways that environmental conditions help determine distributions of microbial activity, including chapters focused on thermodynamic, kinetic, and biological factors. The third and final portion of the book examines the impacts of microbes on their environments. These impacts are placed within the context of earth system science, with chapters focused on impacts to the lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. In these chapters, emphasis is placed on microbial impacts to greenhouse gas levels and the quality of water resources, underscoring the relevance of microbiology to environmental concerns of keen interest in the earth science community and beyond. This book is specifically designed for earth science students and can provide a helpful free resource for students in Geomicrobiology courses. However, portions of the book can also have value for students and professionals from any field who are interested in environmental microbiology.
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Experiences in Biodiversity Research: A Field Course
Thea Gessler · Iowa State University Digital Press · 2024
This handbook was developed to support the course, Experiences in Biodiversity Research, which exists to provide early undergraduates with experience in the practice of biodiversity research and demystify the path to careers in this field. Although this course is situated within Iowa State University, guidance for educators is provided throughout the handbook to support those interested in teaching similar courses at other universities.
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Fundamentals of Cell Biology
Lauren Dalton; Robin Young; Heather Ng-Cornish · Oregon State University · 2024
This textbook is focused specifically on the principles and concepts of a foundational Cell Biology course. The book takes a more conceptual approach that highlights how scientists study cells, and how to analyze and interpret experimental results. Rather than focusing primarily on historical experiments that were key to our understanding of cells, the book explores a range of more modern experimental techniques so that students can begin to understand how cells are studied now, in the 21st century. The book includes over 200 newly created illustrations and animations, that were specifically designed for this book, as well as review questions at the end of each chapter, to help students explore and understand the material.
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Introduction to Soil Science
Amber Anderson; Rivka Fidel · Iowa State University Digital Press · 2025
This textbook introduces readers to introductory soil science topics including the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils; soil formation, classification, and global distribution; soil health, soils and humanity, and sustainable land management. The second edition brings forward new information about soil water and soil chemistry alongside updates to the core chapters.
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Organic Chemistry
John McMurry · OpenStax · 2023
John McMurry's Organic Chemistry is renowned as the most clearly written book available for organic chemistry. In John McMurry's words, "I wrote this book because I love writing. I get great pleasure and satisfaction from taking a complicated subject, turning it around until I see it clearly from a new angle, and then explaining it in simple words." In Organic Chemistry: A Tenth Edition from OpenStax, McMurry continues this tradition while updating scientific discoveries, highlighting new applications, scrutinizing every piece of art, and providing example problems to assist students. Organic Chemistry: A Tenth Edition continues to meet the scope and sequence of a two-semester organic chemistry course that follows a functional group approach. A highlighted list of changes along with a detailed table of contents and ancillary descriptions can be found on the Instructor and Student resources sections of this page. John McMurry decided to publish Organic Chemistry: A Tenth Edition under an open license as a tribute to his son, Peter McMurry, who passed away from cystic fibrosis in December 2019. Please click here to learn more about Peter's legacy and to support the fight against cystic fibrosis.
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Chemistry Techniques and Explorations: An Introductory Chemistry Laboratory Manual
Daniel Albert · The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT) · 2023
Chemistry Techniques and Explorations (2023) by Dr. Daniel R. Albert is an eTextbook laboratory manual for first semester introductory chemistry courses. The manual includes two different types of experiments (Technique and Exploration) designed to engage students in chemistry laboratory practices. Technique laboratories are designed for students to learn and practice chemistry laboratory skills that are utilized in a wide variety of disciplines. Exploration laboratories provide freedom and time for students to use previously acquired skills toward answering a new application focused question. Exploration laboratories help build the scientific thinking skills necessary to approach novel problems. The goal of this lab manual is to build both fundamental techniques and problem-solving skills that aid students in becoming practicing scientists.
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Laboratory Manual: General Chemistry I Honors
Adedoyin Adeyiga · The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT) · 2023
General Chemistry I Honors Laboratory Manual (2023) is an eTextbook designed to provide a practical, hands-on approach to learning chemistry for students taking General Chemistry I Honors courses. The manual covers fundamental principles of chemistry, including atomic structure, chemical bonding, stoichiometry, gas laws, and thermodynamics. The book is divided into chapters, each focusing on a specific topic. Each experiment in the manual is accompanied by step-by-step instructions, pre-lab questions, and post-lab questions, helping students to develop their analytical and problem-solving skills.
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Climate Justice in Your Classroom
Alexandra Anderson-Frey; Brittany Johnson; Mikelle Nuwer; Luanne Thompson · University of Washington · 2023
As the inequitable impacts of climate change become more evident and destructive, it is essential for climate and environmental justice, as well as methods of civic engagement, to be taught at a high-level to college-level students. This book provides real examples of how professors at the University of Washington integrated these critical issues into their teachings, both in targeted lessons and as throughlines across an entire course. These samples of how environmental and climate justice have been successfully integrated into higher-level education can serve as both a record of the UW's progress towards centering JEDI at the heart of all students, and as a model for future instructors to use as they work to incorporate more aspects of justice and engagement into their own material.
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Crop Improvement
Walter Suza; Kendall Lamkey · Iowa State University Digital Press · 2023
This textbook covers basic principles in the genetic improvement of crop plants. Emphasis is placed on methods of cultivar development in self-pollinating, cross-pollinating, and asexually propagating crops. Relevant examples of crop improvement research in Africa are utilized to cover factors affecting cultivar release, multiplication, and distribution of high-quality seed.
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Fish, Fishing, and Conservation
Donald Orth · Virginia Tech Publishing · 2023
Fish, Fishing, and Conservation is a 389-page, peer-reviewed open textbook intended for undergraduate students who are exploring majors in Fish & Wildlife. It is also relevant to a general audience or for use in courses which explore social and ethical aspects of fish, fishing and conservation. People, places, and approaches to fishing are as varied as the diverse fish fauna that exist on the planet. As conservation planners recognize the value of substantial engagement of stakeholders in decision making and ineffectiveness of rigid top-down management approaches, Fish, Fishing, and Conservation asserts that all peoples must play a role in conservation. Through case studies, engaging narrative and graphics, and exercises, the text explores major motivations for fishing and non-fishing related values, responsible fisheries practices, the rights of all people to decide how to manage and conserve fish, their habitats, and how they are utilized in the context of overfishing as a pressing global problem for which appropriate solutions are not easily found nor implemented. Introductory chapters examine fish, fishing, and why fish matter and examine the role of values in driving conservation initiatives. Fish and their unique sensory capabilities are described along with a review of recent studies to examine issues of pain, sentience, and learning in fishes living in a foreign, underwater world. The text incorporates these new findings in conservation and management leading readers to evaluate and adopt suitable approaches to ethical reasoning which consider the welfare needs of wild and cultured fishes. Later chapters focus on the role of gender in fishing, conservation organizations, recreational fishing, and a focus on specific fisheries that reveal the principles of conservation and management as they play out in major controversies. Additionally, the textbook contains audio recordings of professional profiles by Virginia Tech students. These are linked at the beginnin