Ecologists are increasingly being drawn into the task of addressing problems of environmental degradation. They are expected to find solutions that will lead to sustainable resource use throughout the world. In doing so, the robustness of the science becomes increasingly important, and the problem of extrapolating the results of research conducted within what is usually a relatively limited geographical scope is increasingly highlighted. One approach to developing a globally robust ecology involves more or less formal intercontinental comparative studies, usually focused on the question of...
Ecologists are increasingly being drawn into the task of addressing problems of environmental degradation. They are expected to find solutions that wi...
The results, published in this book, present the outcome of a cooperative research between plant ecologists, physiologists and population geneticists. The project received generous financial support from the Foundation for Bio- logical Research, which is subsidized by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. During the course of the Project the value of the in- tegrative approach on a limited number of Plantago species and populations became evident and it was decided that the results should be published as a book. The start of the preparation of the "plantago" book was done by...
The results, published in this book, present the outcome of a cooperative research between plant ecologists, physiologists and population geneticists....
El Nino is a meteorological and oceanographic phenomenon, which occurs at irregular intervals in the eastern tropical Pacific. Its most obvious characteristic is the warming of surface waters, which causes enormous disturbances of the marine environment. A severe Nino may also affect continental systems worldwide. This book gathers in a comprehensive way the information available on the effects of the exceptionally strong 1982-83 Nino on a group of marine mammals, the pinnipeds. It presents an analysis of the effects of environmental stress on the populations of top predators. Data and...
El Nino is a meteorological and oceanographic phenomenon, which occurs at irregular intervals in the eastern tropical Pacific. Its most obvious charac...
This book draws a picture of the palm communities in the main forest ecosystems of Amazonia, taking into account their geographical variability. In particular, the major trends of adaptive radiation of palms as well as their role in forest functioning are analysed and answers to the following questions are given: - How many palm species are there in Amazonian forest ecosystems? - Is palm species richness equal throughout the basin? - Which are the palm-richest ecosystems? - What about density and life forms, structure of the com- munities, palm productivity, relationship with animals, and...
This book draws a picture of the palm communities in the main forest ecosystems of Amazonia, taking into account their geographical variability. In pa...
Aquatic hyphomycetes were discovered 50 years ago by C.T. Ingold. They remained a relatively obscure group until their role as intermediaries between deciduous leaves and stream invertebrates was established some 20 years ago. This book, for the first time, provides a comprehensive summary and critical evaluation of the biology and ecology of these organisms. Aspecial effort was made to evaluate the potential and actual insight that have been or will be derived from work in related disciplines such as the ecology of other fungal groups, stream ecology, or population ecology. The topics...
Aquatic hyphomycetes were discovered 50 years ago by C.T. Ingold. They remained a relatively obscure group until their role as intermediaries between ...
Continuous cultures, i.e. chemostats with an continuous dilution rate, are model ecosystems for the study of general regulation principles in plankton communities. Further to an introduction, general continuous culture methods and especially the characteristics of rotifer continuousculture systems are presented. Sections on metabolism and energetics in chemostats, growth models, competition and predator-prey interactions, as well as the application of rotifer continuous cultures to ecotoxicology and their use in aquaculture are included.
Continuous cultures, i.e. chemostats with an continuous dilution rate, are model ecosystems for the study of general regulation principles in plankton...
The use of marine organisms as food by man is almost as old as man himself. Treated here are ecological and socio-economic aspects of the human exploitation of nearshore and intertidal resources on rocky shores, excluding fish, in South Africa and Chile. Impacts both on target species and ecosystem functioning are considered. The subsistence and commercial benefits of exploitation are discussed, and management options are reviewed in the contexts of conservation biology and socioeconomics. An important feature of the book is the intercontinental comparison, which highlights both the...
The use of marine organisms as food by man is almost as old as man himself. Treated here are ecological and socio-economic aspects of the human exploi...
Human activities are causing species extinctions at a rate and magnitude rivaling those of past geologic extinction events. Exploring mediterranean-type ecosystems - the Mediterranean Basin, California, Chile, Australia, and South Africa - this volume addresses the question whether biological diversity plays a significant role in the functioning of natural ecosystems, and to what extent that diversity can be reduced without causing system malfunction. Comparative studies in ecosystems that are similar in certain respects, but differ in others, offer considerable scope for gaining new...
Human activities are causing species extinctions at a rate and magnitude rivaling those of past geologic extinction events. Exploring mediterranea...
Oceanic islands represent a set of systems in which biological diversity varies as a consequence of remoteness or size, not environment; they are also generally simpler than continental ecosystems. Islands therefore provide an opportunity to determine the direct effects of biological diversity on ecosystem function. The volume addresses the components of biological diversity on islands and their patterns of variation; the modern threats to the maintenance of biological diversity on islands; the consequences of island biology and its modification by humanity regarding aspects of ecosystem...
Oceanic islands represent a set of systems in which biological diversity varies as a consequence of remoteness or size, not environment; they are also...
As human populations expand and have increasing access to technol- ogy, two general environmental concerns have arisen. First, human pop- ulations are having increasing impact on the earth system, such that we are altering the biospheric carbon pools, basic processes of elemental cycling and the climate system of the earth. Because of time lags and feedbacks, these processes are not easily reversed. These alterations are occurring now more rapidly than at any time in the last several million years. Secondly, human activities are causing changes in the earth's biota that lead to species...
As human populations expand and have increasing access to technol- ogy, two general environmental concerns have arisen. First, human pop- ulations are...
