Acknowledgement

First of all, I thank my students whose commitment to learning persuaded me to develop a textbook that is not only freely available but provides opportunities for them to practice applying their knowledge.

From Michigan State University Libraries, I thank Regina Gong, the OER and Student Success Librarian, for her encouragement and helpfulness, and Heidi Schroeder, the Accessibility Coordinator, and her assistants for suggestions on how to improve the book. I also thank Jodi Coalter, Life Sciences Librarian, for her feedback on the Bibliographies chapter. This textbook was also made possible by MSU Libraries’ OER Award Program and MSU’s Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology Catalyst Innovation Program.

I thank Dr. Renee’ Schwartz from Georgia State University for her feedback on unit 1, Clinton Jenkins from Florida International University for permission to use the maps from “Biodiversity Mapping” for the Biodiversity chapter, and Steven Barone from Henry Ford College for permission to convert his published activity on carbon cycles to an interactive in the Systems Thinking and the Carbon Cycle chapter.

Finally, I thank my husband, Brad Bierema, for his continual encouragement as I spent countless hours developing and modifying this textbook.