The Ecology of Sandy Shores, Fourth Edition provides both a holistic and conceptual introduction for the beginner, yet at the same time gives an in-depth and cutting-edge analysis for the researcher interested in sandy shores. There is no other book covering the ecology of sandy beaches, despite the extent and economic importance of these systems. This guide is designed to both introduce students to the basic principles of sandy shore ecology, to serve as a ready reference for doctoral stu...

The Ecology of Sandy Shores, Third Edition, provides both a holistic and conceptual introduction for beginners, while also presenting an in-depth and cutting-edge analysis for researchers interested in sandy shores. This new edition focuses on resource use, and has also been updated to include recent findings, enhanced illustrations, and additional coverage on beach fisheries and global/climate change. In addition, this release presents insights on food webs, greater coverage on global bio...

This full-color illustrated textbook offers the first comprehensive introduction to all major aspects of tropical ecology. It explains why the world's tropical rain forests are so universally rich in species, what factors may contribute to high species richness, how nutrient cycles affect rain forest ecology, and how ecologists investigate the complex interrelationships among flora and fauna. It covers tropical montane ecology, riverine ecosystems, savanna, dry forest--and more.

Climate change biology is a new discipline, born of the recognition that human-induced climate change is resulting in wholesale shifts in the distributions of species and the timing of biological events. The evidence for biological upheaval in response to climate change is immense. Migratory species are arriving earlier in the year. Flowers are blooming earlier. Ranges of plants, mammals and insects are moving. Food chains are being disrupted. And, unfortunately, the first extinctions link...

For decades, conservation and research initiatives in tropical forests have focused almost exclusively on old-growth forests because scientists believed that these “pristine” ecosystems housed superior levels of biodiversity. With Second Growth, Robin L. Chazdon reveals those assumptions to be largely false, bringing to the fore the previously overlooked counterpart to old-growth forest: second growth.Even as human activities result in extensive fragmentation and deforesta...

The successful conservation of bird species relies upon our understanding of their habitat use and requirements. In the coming decades the importance of such knowledge will only grow as climate change, the development of new energy sources and the needs of a growing human population intensify the, already significant, pressure on the habitats that birds depend on. Drawing on valuable recent advances in our understanding of bird-habitat relationships, this book provides the first major revi...

There are more coral species in deep, cold-waters than in tropical coral reefs. This broad-ranging treatment is the first to synthesise current understanding of all types of cold-water coral, covering their ecology, biology, palaeontology and geology. Beginning with a history of research in the field, the authors describe the approaches needed to study corals in the deep sea. They consider coral habitats created by stony scleractinian as well as octocoral species. The importance of corals ...

Tropical Stream Ecology describes the main features of tropical streams and their ecology. It covers the major physico-chemical features, important processes such as primary production and organic-matter transformation, as well as the main groups of consumers: invertebrates, fishes and other vertebrates. Information on concepts and paradigms developed in north-temperate latitudes and how they do not match the reality of ecosystems further south is expertly addressed. The pressing matter of...

The Ecology of the Indonesian Seas distills for the first time the information found in thousands of scholarly works relevant to an understanding of the sustainable use of marine and coastal resources in these islands&8212;many of them available up to now only in Dutch, German or Indonesian. It is an invaluable tool for government planners, resource managers, ecologists, university students, scuba divers, and all those with an interest in the sea.The second volume discusse...

This book presents both state-of-the art knowledge from Recent coral reefs (1.8 million to a few centuries old) gained since the eighties, and introduces geologists, oceanographers and environmentalists to sedimentological and paleoecological studies of an ecosystem encompassing some of the world's richest biodiversity. Scleractinian reefs first appeared about 300 million years ago. Today coral reef systems provide some of the most sensitive gauges of environmental change, expressing the c...

Freshwater fish are one of the most diverse groups of vertebrates, but are also amongst the most threatened. With contributions from leaders in the field, this is the first assessment of the global state of freshwater fish diversity, synthesising the opportunities, challenges and barriers facing the conservation of freshwater fish biodiversity. The book includes the first global assessment of the number, type and distribution of threatened freshwater fish species, discussing the features o...

Shorebirds are model organisms for illustrating the principles of ecology and excellent subjects for research. Their mating systems are as diverse as any avian group, their migrations push the limits of endurance, and their foraging is easily studied in the open habitats of estuaries and freshwater wetlands. This comprehensive text explores the ecology, conservation, and management of these fascinating birds. Beginning chapters examine phylogenetic relationships between shorebirds and othe...