Biogeography and Ecology in South America

ISBN-13: 9789401197335 / Angielski / Miękka / 2012 / 447 str.

E. J. Fittkau; J. Illies; H. Klinge

Opis

With 'Biogeography and Ecology in South America' as the general theme, a total of twenty-nine contributions by thirty authors is offered here in two volumes, being volumes 18 and 19 of the Monographiae Biologicae. Most of these discussions deal with decidedly specialist themes and the editors have been particularly concerned to ensure that the authors enjoyed the greatest possible freedom in the preparation of their work in order that different points of view and interpretations, together with some questions of controversy, may be clarified. This also applies, of course, to the several chapters in which general themes (geographical substance, climate, geology, vegetation, amongst others) are discussed. Since the amount of material available is too great to enable one to aspire to a presentation of the complete biogeographical and ecological picture, this procedure seems expedient. However, these two volumes could well be regarded as being a preparatory work for just such a complete description. Each of the separate technical contributions refers to the continent as a whole, in order to characterise it as such from the viewpoint of the specialist. For this reason it was necessary to forgo special discussions of particular regions or types of landscape, although South America of all places is remarkably rich in unique regional phenom- ena, the altiplano of Peru and Bolivia, the relict forests of Fray Jorge, the shrub formations of Tierra del Fuego, the lakes of the High Andes, for example.

Spis treści

Überblick Über Die Geologische Entwicklung Südamerikas.- I. Geotektonische Einheiten.- Der Brasilianische Schild.- Epikontinentale Becken.- Neso-Kratone.- Gürtel der perikratonen Becken.- Andine Geosynklinale.- II. Geologischer Werdegang.- Präkambrium.- Kambrium.- Ordoviz.- Gotland.- Devon.- Karbon.- Perm.- Trias.- Jura.- Kreide.- Tertiär.- Pleistozän.- Summary.- Resumo.- Literatur.- A Critical Review of the Evidence for a Former Direct Connection of South America with Africa.- The Fit of the Continents.- The Precambrian Structures.- The Lower Paleozoic Systems.- The Upper Paleozoic.- The Mesozoic Record.- The Problem of the Age of the Atlantic Ocean.- The Paleomagnetic Evidence.- Conclusions.- Summary.- Sumario.- The Climatology of South America.- Astronomical Location.- General Circulation: Pressure Cells.- Surface Features: Landforms.- Surface Features: Ocean Currents.- Altitude and Exposure.- Major Climatic Regions.- C Climates.- B Climates.- E Climates.- Summary.- Resumen.- Nature and Geography of South American Soils.- Soil Regions of the Lowlands.- Soil Regions of the Uplands.- Andean Mountain Ranges.- Conclusions.- Towards an Ecological Characterisation of the South American Continent.- The Major Ecological Subdivisions.- Climatological Aspects.- Demineralisation.- Human Ecology.- Literature.- Zur Ökologie Des Amazonas-Gebietes.- Summary.- Resumo.- Literatur.- Die Ökosysteme Südamerikas.- Montane Biome.- Steppenbiome.- Savannen-Biome.- Wald-Biome.- Summary.- Resumen.- Literatur.- Protección y Conservación de la Naturaleza En Sudamériga.- Introducción.- Nomenclatura.- Breve historia de la protección y conservación en Latinoamérica.- Parques Nacionalesy Reservas equivalentes de Sudamérica.- La protección de Galapagos y el mar territorial.- Summary.- Südamerika Als Herkunftsraum von Nutzpflanzen.- Südamerikanische Nachtschattengewächse (Solanaceen).- Wurzel- und Knollenfrüchte aus Indianerkulturen.- Südamerikanische Kürbisgewächse (Cucurbitaceen).- Südamerikanische Getreide.- Mate—Ilex Baraguariensis St. Hil.- Kakao—Theobroma Cacao L..- Kautschukbäume—Hevea.- Ölmadi—Madia Sativa Mol.- Hülsenfrüchte südamerikanischen Ursprungs.- Baumwolle—Gossypium L.- Erdbeere—Fragaria.- Ananas—Ananas comosus (Stickm,) Mer.- Summary.- Resumen.- Literatur.- Agrigultura na Ameriga do Sul.- Penodo Pré-Golombiano.- Agricultura na América do Sul com Espécies Nativas.- Batata—Solanum tuberosum.- Milho—Zea mays L.- Cacau—Theobroma cacao L.- Mandioca—Manihot utilissima M, esculenta.- Algodão—Gossypium hirsutum L.- Borracha—Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.- A Agricultura na América do Sul com a introdução de espécies exóticas.- Cana de açúcar—clones híbridos interespecíficos de S. officinarum.- Café—Coffea arabica L.- Bananas—Clones híbridos partenocárpicos do gêmro Musa, grupo Eumusa.- Dendê.- Pecuaria bovina na América do Sul.- Gado bovino—Bos taurus L.- Resumo.- Summary.- Bibliografia.- The South American Indians and their Culture.- The Beginnings: Prehistoric Hunters and Food Gatherers.- Prehistoric Fishermen and the Beginning of Agriculture.- The Central Andean High Culture.- The Inca Empire.- The Pre-Columbian Cultures of the South and North Andes.- The Archaeology of the Tropical Forest Regions.- Anthropological and Racial Divisions.- Language and Origins.- Summary.- Zusammenfassung.- Some Aspects of Human Ecology in South America.- Ecology.- Adaptation.- Summary.- Sumário.- Man and Environmental Change in South America.- Antiquity and Magnitude of Aboriginal Population.- Tierra del Fuego.- The Receding and Despoiled Woodlands.- Wildlife Dispersal and Destruction.- Livestock and Rangelands.- Environmental Pollution.- Rearrangement of Hydrological Patterns.- Changes in Weather and Climate.- Conclusion.- Zusammenfassung.- Resumo.