Arranged by continent, Endangered Places introduces the reader to many of the most stunning natural locations from around the world that are currently under threat. Endangered Places celebrates the beauty of our planet while reminding us of how easily this can be lost through human behavior and climate change. Learn about the magnificent Bornean rainforest, home to threatened species such as orangutans, proboscis monkeys, and the Sumatran rhinoceros; marvel at the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef, stretching along Australia's east coast and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps; explore the Aral Sea, formerly the fourth-largest lake in the world and today less than 10 percent of its original size after the rivers that fed it were diverted by Soviet irrigation projects; and understand the process of desertification, which has led to the huge expansion of the Sahara Desert and the dramatic shrinkage of Lake Chad.