Applied ecology Books

Book Synopsis* Provides up-to-date summaries of the latest molecular approaches in this rapidly expanding field. * Gives guidance on the appropriate choice of methods for particular problems in ecology, and their strengths and limitations.Table of Contents1. Molecular Ecology (A J Baker). 2. General Molecular Biology (R E Carter). 3. Polymerase Chain Reaction (T P Birt & A J Baker). 4. Protein Electrophoresis (A J Baker). 5. Solution DNA-DNA Hybridisation (A H Bledsoe & F H Sheldon). 6. DNA Fingerprinting using minisatellite probes (R E Carter). 7. Mitochondrial DNA (E Randi). 8. Characterization and Evolution of Major Histocompatibility Complex (Mhc) Geners in Non-Model Organisms, with Examples from Birds (S V Edwards, J Nusser & J Gasper). 9. DNA-fragment markers in plants (C Ritland & K Ritland). 10. Microsatellites: Evolutionary and Methodological Background and Empirical Applications at individual, population and phylogenetic levels (K T Scribner & J M Pearce). 11. Introns (V Friesen). 12. Sex Identification using DNA markers (R Griffiths)

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Book SynopsisWorldwide, Population Ecology is the leading textbook on this titled subject. Written primarily for students, it describes the present state of population ecology in terms that can be readily understood by undergraduates with little or no background in the subject. Carefully chosen experimental examples illustrate each topic, and studies of plants and animals are combined to show how fundamental principles can be derived that apply to both species. Use of complex mathematics ia avoided throughout the book, and what math is necessary is dealt with by examination of real experimental data rather than dull theory. The latest edition of this leading textbook. Adopted as an Open University set text. Trade ReviewOn the second edition. ‘To those familiar with the first addition of Begon & Mortimer’s short text on population ecology, it will come as no surprise to learn that the second addition, like the first addition, is a gem. What may surprise is that the second addition represents a significant improvement of what was already an excellent textbook…It is difficult to criticize a book that has achieved such admirable balance between empiricism vs. theory and unitary vs. modular organisms, all within a compact, inexpensive volume.’ Ecology ‘I doubt that there are many texts that portray the whole field of population ecology as successfully or concisely as does this book. It can be warmly recommended’ Australian Journal of Ecology ‘A zoologist and botanist have made an extremely well coordinated effort in presenting the population ecology of both animals and plants under one title. This textbook reads so smoothly that the reader soon forgets that it was written by two authors instead of one. The concise writing style and liberal use of graphs, tables, and diagrams make this textbook pleasurable to read and easy to understand. This book is accessible reading to anyone interested in population ecology.’ Canadian Field- NaturalistTable of ContentsPreface. Part 1: Single-Species Populations. 1. Describing Populations. 2. Intraspecific Competition. 3. Models of Single-Species Populations. Part 2: Interpecific Interactions. 4. Interspecific Competition. 5. Predation. Part 3: Synthesis. 6. Population Regulation. 7. Beyond Population Ecology. References. Author Index. Organism Index. Subject Index.

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Book SynopsisPresents information to help environmental scientists further understand the relationships between ecosystem health and human health by exploring preventative, diagnostic and prognostic aspects of ecosystem management. The book uses case study examples to explain both theory and practiceTable of ContentsNeed For A New Paradigm. Pressures On The Environment. Ecosystem Pathology. Shortcomings Of Present Approaches To Environmental Management. Limitations Of Economic Approaches. Limitations Of The Ecological Approaches. Limitations Of The Engineering Model. The Need For Integrative Knowledge. Defining Ecosystem Health. Ecosystem Health As A Metaphor. What Is Implied By The Health Metaphor At The Ecosystem Level. What Is Not Implied By The Health Metaphor At The Ecosystem Level. Ecosystem Health As A Societal Goal. Ecosystem Health As A Transdisciplinary Science. Criteria For Ecosystem Health. Vigor. Resilience. Organization. Maintenance Of Ecological Services. Management Options. Reduced Subsidy. Damage To Neighbouring Systems. Human Health Effects. Dimensions Of Ecosystem Health. Introduction. Biophysical Dimension. Socioeconomic Dimension. Human Health Dimension. Spatial/Temporal Dimension. Stress And Response. Single Stressors. Multiple Stressors. Answering The Critics. Interfacing Societal Values And Science. Distinguishing Between Health, Integrity And Sustainable Development. Ecosystem Health The Last Frontier Of Medicine. References. Part II: Approaches To Assessing The Health Of Ecosystems; Assessment By Whom, For Who, To What Ends?; The Ecosocial Dynamics Of Rural Systems:. Introduction. Pre-Modern Social Systems. The Emergence Of A Crisis Of Rural Life. The Dynamics Of Rural Poverty. The Dual Economy: A Modern Alternative For Sustainable Development. Assessing Ecosystem Health Across Spatial Scales. Introduction. Defining The Context: Ecosystem Health And Ecosocial Scale. Spatial Scalilng Of Ecosocial Complexes. The Range Of Scales: The Taiga As An Example. Criteria Of Ecosystem Health. Concluding Remarks: An Emphatic "No!" To Shallow Anthropocentrism. The Efforts Of Community Volunteers In Assessing Watershed Ecosystem Health. Introduction. Empowering Community Groups. River Watch Network; Watershed Ecosystem Health. Indicators Of Watershed Ecosystem Health. Physical Indicators. Chemical Indicators. Biological Indicators. Human Health Indicators. Human Use And Perception Indicators. Selecting Indicators. Volunteer Water Monitoring. Case Studies. Southwest: Isleta Pueblow And The Rio Grande. The US Mexico Border: The Rio Bravo River Watchers. New England: The Connecticut River Watch Program. New England: The Mystic River Watch. The Merrimack River Voluneer Environmental Monitoring Network. Case Conclusions. Conclusions. References. Assessing Cumulative Health Effects In Ecosystems. Cumulative Effects: Background And Definition. Understanding Casualty And Feedback In Assessing Cumulative Effects. Diagnostic Approaches; Loop Analysis Methodology. Core Loop Models From Data Sets. Core Models Of Marine Communities. Cumulative Effects Assessment For The Northumberland Strait. Fish Landings. Loop Analysis Models Of Key Relationships. Combined Fisheries Foodwebs Illustrating Benthic-Pelagic Coupling. Summary Of Results. Integrating Health Surveillance And Environmental Monitoring. Emerging Infectious Disease And Global Change. Introduction. Climate Change And Disease. Montane Regions. Marine Ecosystems. Global Change, Biodiversity And Marine-Related Disease. Climate Variability And Epidemics. Minimum Temperatures. Biodiversity And Emerging Infectious Diseases. Evolutionary Biology: The Environment And Disease Emergence; Ecology, Pests And Terrestrial Ecosystems. R-Selected And K-Selected Species. Cumulative Ecological Impacts Of Global Change. Synergies And Pests. Ocean Warming. Decadal Variability. Discontinuities. Costs Of Epidemics. Integrated Assessment And Monitoring. Integrated Ecological Risk Assessment. Biological Indicators For Integrated Monitoring. New Methodologies For Surveillance And Integrated Monitoring. An Historical Note On Infectious Disease Pandemics. Conclusions. Qualitative Mathematics For Understanding, Prediction And Intervention In Complex Systems. Some Methods Of Qualitative Analysis. The Indicators Of Qualitative Dynamics. Local Stability. Signed Digraphs. Resistance. Osillations. Correlation Patterns. Time Averaging. Validation Of Indicators. Inroduction. Benchmark Sites. Field Measurements. Computing Indicator Metrics. Paleoecology: A Diagnostic Approach To Assessing Ecosysem Health. Introduction. Paleolimnology. Paleolimnological Approach. Interpreting Information In Sediment Cores. Quantitative Inference. References. Ecological Risk Assessment, A Predictive Approach To Assessing Ecosystem Health. Introduction. Stages In Ecological Risk Assessment. Uncertainty In Risk Assessments. Uncertainty And Scale. Ecosystem Health And Self-Interest. Conclusions. References. Part III: Ecosystem Health And Sustainability; What Is Sustainability?. Introduction. Defining And Predicting Sustainability. When?. What System?. How Long?. Conclusions. Predictors Of Ecosystem Health. Measuring Vigor. Measuring Organization. Measuring Resilience. Social Decision Making. Using Models To Build Consensus. A Three-Step Modeling Process. Scoping And Consensus-Building Models. Research Models. Management Models. Toward Global Ecosystem Health And Sustainability: The Importance Of Envisioning. Part IV: Case Studies; The Chesapeake Bay And Its Watershed: A Model For Sustainable Ecosystem Management?. Introduction. A Summary Of The Problem. The Chesapeake Bay And Its Watershed. History Of The Bay And Its Watershed; Principal Uses And Problems Of The Chesapeake Bay. The Bay And Its Watershed As A System. Summary. Evolution Of Chesapeake Bay Management. Barriers And Bridges To Improved Management. Social Traps. Building Bridges With Incentives. Summary And Synthesis. References. Paleolimnological Assessments Of Ecosystem Health: Lake Acidification In Adirondack Park Introduction. The Acidification Of Deep Lake Regional Changes In Lake Acidification. Regional Changes In Lake Acidification. References. The Desert Grasslands. Characteristics Of The Ecosystem. History Of Degradation. Rangeland Rehavilitation. References. Health Of Some Cuban Forest Ecosystems. Introduction. Current Condition And Pressures On Cuban Ecosystems. Socio-Historical Stresses. Natural And Anthropogenic Perturbations Affecting Existing Cumban Ecosystems. Meteorological Perturbations. Ecosystem Research And Monitoring. The Sierra Del Rosario Biosphere Reserve. Methodology. Results. Conclusions. The Island Group Sabana-Camaguey Mangroves. Description And Observations. Conclusions. Summary. Critical Regions, A Profile Of The Honduras. Introduction. Deforestation And Natural Disasters. Increases In Infectious Disease. Water-Borne Infections. Vector-Borne Disease. Leishmaniasis. La Mosca Blanca. Clinical Impacts. Conclusions. Who Framed The Kyronjoki?. The Facts. The Suspects. The Options. The Decision Problems. The Future. References

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Book SynopsisFishing is a major form of ecological disturbance to marine communities throughout the world. In the past, fisheries biologists have concentrated on the studying of the direct effects of fishing on stocks of target species and understanding the processes of recruitment. There is now a growing appreciation of the ecological implications of the wider effects of fishing activities on marine organisms and their habitats. Contributions include articles that consider the physical effects of fishing gears on the seabed; distribution of, and trends in fishing effort; ecological effects on benthic fauna; long-term community changes; the effects of food subsidies in the marine environment; interactions between fisheries and marine mammals; technical measures to reduce impacts of fisheries; conservation issues and priorities; socio-economic implications of wider fisheries impacts.Trade Review"This book is an important contribution to fishery science and management, as it clearly demonstrates the impacts of fishing on habitats and non-target organisms." Fish and FisheriesTable of ContentsIntroduction. Acknowledgements. Contributors.. PART 1: Distribution of Fishing Effort and Physical Interaction with the Seabed. 1. Spatial and temporal patterns in North Sea fishing effort (S. Jennings, K.J. Warr, S.P.R. Greenstreet and A.J. R. Cotter). 2. Physical impact of beam trawls on seabed sediments (R. Fonteyne). 3. Is bottom traw3ling partly responsible for the regression of Posidonia oceanica meadows in the Mediterranean Sea (G.D. Ardizzone, P. Tucci, A. Somaschini and A. Belluscio). PART 2: Effects of Fishing on Benthic Fauna and Habitats. 4. Fishing mortality of populations of megafauna in sandy sediments (M.J.N. Bergman and J.W. van Santbrink). 5. Effects of otter trawling on the benthos and environment in muddy sediments (B.Ball, B. Munday and I. Tuck). 6. The effects of scallop dredging on gravelly seabed communities (C. Bradsaw, L.O. Veale, A.S. Hill and A.R. Brand). 7. Impact of scallop dredging on maerl grounds (J.M. Hall-Spencer and P.G. Moore). PART 3: Fishing As A Source of Energy Subsidies. 8. The behavioural response of benthic scavengers to otter-trawling disturbance in the Mediterranean (M. Demestre, P. Sanchez and M.J. Kaiser). 9. Food subsidies generated by the beam-trawl fisher in the southern North Sea (M. Fonds and S. Groenewold). 10. Impact of trawling on populations of the invertebrate scavenger Asterias rubens (K. Ramsay, M.J. Kaiser, A.D. Rijnsdorp, J.A. Craeymeersch and J. Ellis). 11. Seabirds and commercial fisheries: population trends of piscivorous seabirds explained (C.J. Camphysen and S. Garthe). PART 4: Long-Term Changes Associated with Fishing. 12. Distribution of macrofauna in relation to the micro-distribution of trawling effort (J.A. Craeymeersch, G.J. Piet, A.D. Rijnsdorp and J. Buijs). 13. Long-term changes in North Sea Benthos: Discerning the role of fisheries (C.L. J. Frid and R.A. Clark). 14. Effects of fishing on non-target fish species (S.P.R. Greenstreet and S.I. Rogers). 15. Impacts of fishing on diversity: from pattern to process (S. Jennings and J.D. Reynolds). PART 5: Conservation Methods, Issues and Implications for Biodiversity. 16. Technical modifications to reduce the by-catches and impacts of bottom-fishing gears (B.van Marlen). 17. Fishing and cetacean by-catches (N.J.C. Tregenza). 18. Effects of fishing on non-targeted species and habitats: identifying key nature conservation issues (M.L. Tasker, P.A. Knapman and D. Laffoley). 19. The need for closed areas as conservation tools (H.J. Lindeboom). 20. No-take zones: a management context (J.W. Horwood). PART 6: Socio-Economic Implications and Mechanisms for Reducing the Impacts of Fisheries. 21. Economic incentives to discard by-catch in unregulated and individual transferable quotas fisheries (S. Pascoe). 22. Options for the reduction of by-catches of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the North Sea (J.M. McGlade and K.I. Metuzals). 23. Economic and sociocultural priorities for marine conservation (P.J. S. Jones). 24. Integrated management: the implications of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management (D. Dymes). PART 7: Workshop Conclusions. 25. The implications of the effects of fishing on non-targeted species and habitats (M.J. Kaiser). Glossary. Index.

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Book SynopsisExplaining how the principles of population dynamics and ecosystem functioning can be merged, this title addresses key issues in the study of biodiversity and ecosystems, such as functional complementarity, food webs, stability and complexity, material cycling, and metacommunities.Trade Review"This reviewer was particularly intrigued by the author's resurrection of the hypothesis that ecosystem complexity and biodiversity supports ecosystem stability, an early romantic notion that turned out to be extremely difficult to demonstrate. He makes a convincing case that this hypothesis may have merit after all."--Choice "This is a superbly written book about a very important challenge, namely that the theories of population, community and ecosystem ecology, and of evolution, have developed separately and are not entirely compatible. We need a synthesis of theories of population dynamics and ecosystem function and, faced with a global environmental crisis, we need it badly. This book is an excellent start... I strongly recommend this book to researchers in any branch of ecology."--Alan J. Butler, Austral Ecology "I found the text both informative and interesting, and certainly relied upon my background in population ecology and genetics in reviewing this text. In the classroom environment, I could see this text being used in a graduate seminar or perhaps a senior-level honors class in biology, ecology, environmental science, or any of the related disciplines (as a paleontologist, I would certainly recommend it!)."--Ryan F. Morgan, PriscumTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii Preface: On Unifying Approaches in Ecology ix Chapter 1: Population and Ecosystem Approaches in Ecology 1 Chapter 2: The Maintenance and Functional Consequences of Species Diversity 19 Chapter 3: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning 56 Chapter 4: Food Webs, Interaction Webs, and Ecosystem Functioning 79 Chapter 5: Stability and Complexity of Ecosystems: New Perspectives on an Old Debate 123 Chapter 6: Material Cycling and the Overall Functioning of Ecosystems 164 Chapter 7: Spatial Dynamics of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: Metacommunities and Metaecosystems 196 Chapter 8: Evolution of Ecosystems and Ecosystem Properties 225 Chapter 9: Postface: Toward an Integrated, Predictive Ecology 260 References 269 Index 291

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Book SynopsisShows how insects dominated life on the planet and played a significant role in the life and death of the dinosaurs. Analyzing exotic insects fossilized in Cretaceous amber at three major deposits in Lebanon, Burma, and Canada, this work reconstructs the complex ecology of a hostile prehistoric world inhabited by voracious swarms of insects.Trade Review"[An] ambitious foray... The excellent colour pictures of fossil insects in Cretaceous amber are spectacular and evocative. This book shows that bloodsucking insects were well-established in the age of dinosaurs ... it is in the area of parasites and pathogens that this book startles. This book ... opens doors and invites questions ... and the accounts of the scientific endeavours cannot fail to impress."--Gaden Robinson, Times Literary Supplement "[A] detailed study of insects' role in the life and extinction of Cretaceous plants and animals. In scientific but straightforward language, the Poinars advance convincingly the thesis that insects acted as vectors for pathogens, spreading bacteria, fungi and viruses to plants as well as dinosaurs, who then passed it on to others. Using current examples like Dutch elm disease, speculative scenarios of Cretaceous life and plenty of research data, the authors add an intriguing new dimension to the dinosaur apocalypse narrative: periods of temperature change, marine regression, volcanic eruptions, and one or more meteor impacts... A perfect setting for the spread of diseases."--Publishers Weekly "Dinosaurs are usually portrayed as the pristine masters of the Cretaceous. George and Roberta Poinar's new book presents a different view--dinosaurs besieged by swarms of insects; dinosaurs with oozing, infected bites; dinosaurs weakened by parasite-induced illnesses. What Bugged the Dinosaurs? draws on the Poinars' many studies of fossils in amber to show how dinosaurs interacted with their more abundant invertebrate contemporaries. Reconstructing ancient ecosystems is an ambitious undertaking. Integrative approaches such as those in What Bugged the Dinosaurs? help us build up more sophisticated visions of the past."--Karen Chin, Nature "Whether or not you accept the authors' conclusion, they make a strong case that the true rulers of the Cretaceous were not the big lizards that towered over the landscape, but the tiny buggers that pervaded it."--Laurence A. Marschall, Natural History "What Bugged the Dinosaurs tells the story of insects' tremendous impact on Cretaceous ecosystems...There are fascinating chapters on the evolution of pathogens, what makes insects 'the ultimate survivors,' and the nature of extinctions...The scientific and, at times, technical, subject of this book is complemented by an often colorful narrative style...worthwhile for lay readers as well as experts."--Aaron Brooks, ForeWord Magazine "The Poinars graphically detail the probably diseases, debilitations, and deaths of dinosaurs from the life-cycle perspective of insects that infested them. The Poinars directly encourage younger readers by emphasizing how wide open paleoentomology is to future researchers. They impart enthusiasm in recounting their own discoveries...a mood supported by this book's several dozen photographs and drawings. Showing dinosaurs beleaguered, the Poinars temper the popular image of their dominance."--Gilbert Taylor, Booklist "Thanks to the astonishingly detailed evidence provided by insects trapped in amber, we know that insects competed with dinosaurs for food preyed on them, scavenged their corpses and cleared away their droppings. Most importantly perhaps, they infected them with thousands of different diseases and parasites. The authors...even go so far as to argue that these diseases may have been the killing blow that finally pushed the dinosaurs into extinction. [What Bugged the Dinosaurs?] does an excellent job of bringing to life the mini-beasts of the Mesozoic."--Luis Villazon, BBC Focus Magazine "The book deftly guides readers through the science essential to understanding...that it is impossible to describe life in the Cretaceous Period without paying particular attention to insects. Chapter by chapter, the authors introduce a wide range of insect species that bite, swarm, irritate, and even take up residence within and on the dinosaurs. They draw their stories from the fossil record, especially the amber of their expertise, comparing Cretaceous insects with their present-day descendents. Readers follow the authors into the laboratory where they analyze delicate evidence in the form of magnificent color images. Readers who love paleontology will feel the same way about this remarkable book, savoring its fascinating trove of questions and knowledge."--Fred Bortz, Philadelphia Inquirer "The Poinars bring the age of the dinosaurs incredibly to life. Analyzing exotic insects fossilized in Cretaceous amber ... they reconstruct the complex ecology of a hostile prehistoric world inhabited by voracious swarms of insects. The Poinars draw upon tantalizing new evidence ... to provide a unique view of how insects infected with malaria, leishmania, and other pathogens ... could have devastated dinosaur populations. This is a scientific adventure story from the authors whose research inspired Jurassic Park... A fine book full of information found nowhere else."--Prehistoric Times "The reader...will come away from this volume fully accepting of its premise. We will certainly add this thesis to our own compendium because of the evidence presented by the Poinars. What Bugged the Dinosaurs? is positioned to be a definitive treatise that should be a part of any serious paleontologist's library."--Greg Sweatt, Fossil News "There are many theories about what factors ultimately caused the mass extinction of non-avian dinosaurs at the close of the Cretaceous period 65.5 million years ago... Using amber-preserved fossils from the Cretaceous period, George Poinar and Roberta Poinar focus on insects and other invertebrates. The brief, well-written chapters each discuss certain arthopods (or parasitic worms)... Some accounts are not for the squeamish, but they all fascinate... Valuable for all ecology students."--J. C. Kricher, Wheaton College, for CHOICE "This is an assiduously written book for entomologists and parasitologists who would like to learn more on the time-encapsulated data from the Cretaceous, and perhaps stimulate the search for more 'paleoparasites.'"--Raymond L. Jacobson, Parasites and Vectors "This is an enlightening read."--Wildlife Activist "This volume is not simply a dry exposition of an interesting theory. Good descriptive writing makes the ancient landscape the authors explore come alive. The book is highly recommended for undergraduate and graduate collections and public libraries."--Bruce E. Fleury, Science Books & Film "I would certainly recommend this book to anyone interested in dinosaurs and prehistoric life in general. It has changed the way I imagine the Cretaceous and the extinction of the dinosaurs and I am sure it will open up new avenues of thought in this area."--Lucy Goodchild, Microbiology TodayTable of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Fossils: A Time Capsule 7 Chapter 2: The Cretaceous: A Time of Change 17 Chapter 3: Herbivory 37 Chapter 4: Dinosaurs Competing with Insects 50 Chapter 5: Did Dinosaurs or Insects "Invent" Flowering Plants? 55 Chapter 6: Pollination 57 Chapter 7: Blights and Diseases of Cretaceous Plants 63 Chapter 8: The Cretaceous: Age of Chimeras and Other Oddities 72 Chapter 9: Sanitary Engineers of the Cretaceous 79 Chapter 10: The Case for Entomophagy among Dinosaurs 91 Chapter 11: Gorging on Dinosaurs 102 Chapter 12: Biting Midges 110 Chapter 13: Sand Flies 116 Chapter 14: Mosquitoes 122 Chapter 15: Blackflies 127 Chapter 16: Horseflies and Deerflies 131 Chapter 17: Fleas and Lice 135 Chapter 18: Ticks and Mites 141 Chapter 19: Parasitic Worms 147 Chapter 20: The Discovery of Cretaceous Diseases 157 Chapter 21: Diseases and the Evolution of Pathogens 171 Chapter 22: Insects: The Ultimate Survivors 185 Chapter 23: Extinctions and the K/T Boundary 192 APPENDIX A: Cretaceous Hexapoda 203 APPENDIX B: Key Factors Contributing to the Survival of Terrestrial Animals 219 APPENDIX C: Problems with Evaluating the Fossil Record and Extinctions 221 References 225 Index 253

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Book SynopsisOffers an individual-based theory of the effects of the plastic ontogenetic development on the dynamics of populations and communities. This title shows how the effects of ontogenetic development on ecological dynamics critically depend on the efficiency with which differently sized individuals convert food into biomass.Trade Review"[T]horough and in-depth analysis of a stage-structured model... The results ... have important implications for anyone doing empirical work on juvenile-adult systems. And the authors make a compelling case that population models should explore juvenile-adult structure because it can result in qualitatively different outcomes."--Chad E. Brassil, Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsPreface ix Part I - SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION 1. Summary: A Bird's-Eye View of Community and Population Effects of Ontogenetic Development 3 * Historical Background 3 * Biomass Overcompensation 7 * Ontogenetic (A)Symmetry in Energetics 8 * Emergent Community Effects of Biomass Overcompensation 11 * Ontogenetic Niche Shifts in Consumer Life History 14 * Ontogenetic Niche Shifts in Predator Life History 15 * Competition between Consumers with and without Ontogenetic Niche Shifts 17 * Ontogenetic (A)Symmetry in Energetics and Population Dynamics 19 * Generalization 22 2. Life History Processes, Ontogenetic Development, and Density Dependence 24 * Back to Darwin 24 * Individual- versus Population-Level Assumptions 28 * The Population Dynamical Triad 32 * Growth Patterns and the Ecology of Ontogenetic Development 34 * Body-Size Scaling and Magnitude of Body-Size Changes 40 * Changes in Ecological Roles over Ontogeny 44 * Stepping Back--Some Perspectives 45 Part II - ONTOGENETIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY STRUCTURE 3. Biomass Overcompensation 49 * A Stage-Structured, Bioenergetics Model 50 * Equal Ingestion Rates 64 * Unequal Ingestion Rates 69 * Empirical Evidence 86 * Asymmetry and Life History Effects 90 * More Complicated Life Histories 93 * Ontogenetic Symmetry and Biomass Overcompensation 107 4. Emergent Allee Effects through Biomass Overcompensation 115 * Emergent Allee Effects in Stage-Structured Biomass Models 116 * Emergent Allee Effects in the Kooijman-Metz Model 136 * Size-Structured Predators Foraging on Size-Structured Prey 145 * Empirical Evidence for Emergent Allee Effects 159 5. Emergent Facilitation among Predators on Size-Structured Prey 165 * Generalists Facilitating Specialist Predators 169 * Facilitation between Specialist Predators 175 * Multiple Predators and a Single Prey 186 * Experimental Evidence 188 6. Ontogenetic Niche Shifts 196 * Consumer-Resource Systems 198 * Consequences for Higher Trophic Levels 209 * Ontogenetic Niche Shifts in Predator Life History 226 7. Mixed Interactions 253 * Niche Overlap between Stage-Structured Prey and Predators 256 * Niche Overlap between Size-Structured Prey and Predators 281 * Empirical Studies 292 8. Ontogenetic Niche Shifts, Predators, and Coexistence among Consumer Species 296 * Ontogenetic Niche Shifts and Interspecific Competition 297 * Ontogenetic Niche Shifts in Both Consumers 311 * Effects of Predators on Coexistence of Consumers 317 Part III - ONTOGENETIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY DYNAMICS 9. Dynamics of Consumer-Resource Systems 329 * A Size-Structured Population Model 330 * Other Size-Dependent Consumer-Resource Dynamics 354 *Daphnia-Algae as a Model System for the Study of Stage-Structured Dynamics 357 10. Dynamics of Consumer-Resource Systems with Discrete Reproduction: Multiple Resources and Confronting Model Predictions with Empirical Data 361 * Overall Model Characteristics 362 * Derivation of Individual-Level Model 363 * The Model at the Population Level 369 * Critical Resource Density and Cohort Dynamics 373 * Multiple Resources and Ontogenetic Niche Shifts 378 * Model Predictions and Empirical Data 384 11. Cannibalism in Size-Structured Systems 391 * Background Overview 392 * A Discrete-Continuous Model for Cannibalism 396 * Effects of Harvesting Cannibalistic Populations 412 * Giant Individuals: Theory and Observation 416 Part IV - EXTENSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES 12. Demand-Driven Systems, Model Hierarchies, and Ontogenetic Asymmetry 425 * Demand-Driven Systems 426 * Unicellular Organisms 437 * Model Hierarchies, Model Simplifications, and Model Testing 439 * Development versus Reproduction Control: Ontogenetic Asymmetry 448 Technical Appendices *1 Basic Size-Structured Population Model 451 *2 Derivation of the Yodzis and Innes Model 454 *3 Derivation of the Stage-Structured Biomass Model 456< *4 Equilibrium Computations for Physiologically Structured Models 462 * 5 Computing Parameter Bounds to Overcompensation in the Stage-Structured Bioenergetics Model 472 *6 Ontogenetic Symmetry and Asymmetry in Energetics 475 *7 Mechanisms Leading to Biomass Overcompensation 483 *8 Discrete-Continuous Consumer-Resource Models 491 *9 A Demand-Driven Energy Budget Model 496 References 505 Index 525

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Book SynopsisOffers comprehensive account of research on avian reproduction. This book investigates the physiological, metabolic, energetic, and hormonal mechanisms that underpin individual variation in the key female-specific reproductive traits and the trade-offs between these traits that determine variation in fitness.Trade Review"This important book comes from one of the leaders in the field of reproductive physiology. It will be of value to anyone interested in the physiology of birds from an evolutionary perspective."--Joseph B. Williams, Ohio State University "With exceptional writing, this timely and well-researched book thoroughly synthesizes what is known about the reproduction of birds. It will be required reading for students of the field for a long time to come."--Ignacio Moore, Virginia Tech "The book is clearly written, if highly technical, and is extremely detailed and painstakingly referenced. Those interested in reproductive biology will find it an invaluable resource."--Choice "[T]his book provides an engaging and wide-ranging discussion of physiological mechanisms of life-history traits, all the more invaluable in that no other work covers this subject in such detail."--Sacha Haywood, Ibis "I am considering buying six copies of Physiological Adaptations for Breeding in Birds--one for each of my graduate students and one for my post-doc--for their forthcoming birthdays. That way they will all have their copies for next fall's discussion class, 'Topics in physiology,' when we will read and discuss Tony Williams' excellent contribution to the field."--Stephan J. Schoech, EcologyTable of ContentsIllustrations ix Abbreviations xv Acknowledgments xvii Chapter 1. Introduction 1 1.1. Structure of the chapters 1 1.2. A primer on reproduction in female birds 3 1.3. Individual variation 4 1.4. What is not in this book? 5 1.5. Avian reproduction in a changing world 6 Chapter 2. The Hormonal and Physiological Control of Egg Production 8 2.1. Overview of the female reproductive system 9 2.1.1. Pre-vitellogenic follicle development 11 2.1.2. Rapid follicle growth (RFG) or rapid yolk development (RYD) 14 2.1.3. Vitellogenesis and lipoprotein metabolism 18 2.1.4. Mechanisms of receptor-mediated yolk uptake 23 2.2. Oviduct structure and function 25 2.3. Regulation of the timing of egg-laying (oviposition) 28 2.3.1. Follicle atresia and laying skips 32 2.4. Hormonal control of ovarian and oviduct function 33 2.4.1. The ovary 34 2.4.2. The oviduct 39 2.5. Hypothalamic and pituitary regulation of gonadal function 40 2.6. Hormonal integration of environmental information 43 2.6.1. Photoperiodic control of gonadal function 44 2.6.2. Supplemental, non-photoperiodic cues and ovarian function 48 2.7. Future research questions 50 Chapter 3. Timing of Breeding 52 3.1. Early-season events are critical in determining timing of breeding 54 3.2. Fitness consequences of timing decisions 56 3.3. Selection on timing of breeding 60 3.4. Constraint, individual optimization, and the search for mechanism 64 3.5. Sex-specific response mechanisms for timing of breeding 66 3.6. Physiological mechanisms associated with photoperiod (day length) as a proximate factor 71 3.6.1. Individual variation in photoperiodic response 72 3.6.2. Where would sex-specific photoperiodic response mechanisms reside? 76 3.7. Physiological mechanisms associated with temperature as a proximate factor 78 3.7.1. Temperature as a long-term "information" cue 78 3.7.2. Correlates of temperature as information cues 82 3.7.3. Possible "direct" effects of temperature on timing 83 3.7.4. Where would temperature response mechanisms reside? 87 3.8. Physiological mechanisms associated with food availability as a "proximate" factor 88 3.8.1. Argument 1: Food availability is a constraint because supplemental food advances the timing of laying 89 3.8.2. Argument 2: Food availability must be a constraint because egg production is energetically expensive 90 3.8.3. Argument 3: Food availability is a constraint because pre-breeding "body condition" determines laying date 91 3.8.4. Where would food (resource) response mechanisms reside? 92 3.9. Conclusion 97 3.10. Future research questions 99 Chapter 4. Egg Size and Egg Quality 100 4.1. Individual variation in egg size 100 4.2. Fitness consequences of variation in egg size 106 4.2.1. Egg-size-clutch- size trade-offs and fecundity costs of large egg size 113 4.3. Selection on egg size 117 4.4. Variation in egg composition or egg quality 118 4.4.1. Egg macronutrient composition 118 4.4.2. Yolk hormones 121 4.4.3. Egg immunoglobulins and antimicrobial proteins 127 4.4.4. Egg antioxidants 130 4.5. Physiological mechanisms underlying individual variation in egg size and egg quality 133 4.5.1. Mechanisms regulating egg size and egg-size- dependent egg quality 133 4.5.2. Mechanisms underlying egg-size-independent variation in egg quality 143 4.6. Variation in the primary sex ratio and sex-specific follicle development 146 4.7. Extreme flexibility in reproductive investment: The house finch 150 4.8. Conclusions 151 4.9. Future research questions 153 Chapter 5. Clutch Size 155 5.1. Individual variation in clutch size and clutch number 155 5.2. Why does clutch size vary among individuals? 160 5.2.1. Chick-rearing ability and individual optimization of clutch size 161 5.2.2. Nest predation and clutch size 165 5.2.3. Embryo viability, incubation capacity, and clutch size 167 5.2.4. Constraints on egg production 170 5.3. Selection on clutch size 172 5.4. Physiological mechanisms of clutch-size determination 175 5.4.1. Determinate versus indeterminate laying 176 5.4.2. A general mechanistic model for control of clutch size in birds 177 5.4.3. Potential mechanisms for individual and date-independent variation in clutch size 185 5.4.5. Proximate constraints on clutch size: food availability and nutrient reserves 187 5.5. Conclusion 194 5.6. Future research questions 196 Chapter 6. Parental Care: Incubation and Chick-Rearing 198 6.1. Comparative aspects of variation in parental care 198 6.2. Individual variation in parental care 201 6.2.1. Incubation 201 6.2.2. Chick-rearing 204 6.3. Fitness consequences of individual variation in parental care 207 6.3.1. Incubation effort, constancy, and duration 208 6.3.2. Short-term effects of incubation effort 209 6.3.3. Long-term effects of incubation effort 210 6.3.4. Chick-rearing, provisioning effort, and nestling productivity 212 6.3.5. Short-term effects of variation in chick-rearing effort 213 6.3.6. Long-term effects of variation in chick-rearing effort 214 6.4. Physiological mechanisms underlying individual variation in parental care 217 6.4.1. Energetic costs of incubation 220 6.4.2. Energetic demands of chick-rearing 224 6.4.3. Nutritional demands of incubation and chick-rearing 224 6.4.4. Are there resource-allocation trade-offs during parental care? 228 6.5. Hormonal mechanisms underlying individual variation in parental care 231 6.5.1. Prolactin and parental care 232 6.5.2. Prolactin and individual variation in parental care 235 6.5.3. Corticosterone and breeding failure 237 6.5.4. Corticosterone and individual variation in parental care 238 6.6. Conclusions 243 6.7. Future research questions 245 Chapter 7. Trade-Offs and Carry-Over Effects 247 7.1. Carry-over effects between winter, the pre-breeding period, and reproduction 249 7.2. Costs of reproduction 251 7.3. Carry-over effects between reproduction and post-breeding life stages 254 7.3.1. Post-fledging parental care 254 7.3.2. Breeding-molt overlap 255 7.4. Physiological mechanisms underlying trade-offs and carry-over effects 260 7.5. Resources and resource-allocation mechanisms 263 7.6. Mechanisms arising from direct physiological or hormonal "conflict" between overlapping functions 268 7.7. "Integrated" physiological mechanisms and individual quality 273 7.7.1. Stress, allostasis, and reactive scope 274 7.7.2. Oxidative stress 277 7.7.3. Oxygen-transport systems, hematology, and anemia 281 7.8. Conclusion 290 7.9. Future research questions 291 Chapter 8. Conclusions 293 Bibliography 299 Index 361

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Featuring novel ideas communicated clearly, this book is likely to have broad appeal... The book proposes that humans integrate themselves and their activity into a natural ecological niche, striving to control their impact on the natural environment by understanding and engineering their place in it... The New Ecology is persuasive in its argument that conscientious stewardship is more productive than an attempt to separate humans from the environment completely... Conversational in tone, non-ecologists will comprehend the book easily, and ecologists will be interested in the fresh concepts."--Foreword "The New Ecology underlines the essential role that humans can play in shaping what the Earth will look like in the coming century. Ecologists can no longer act alone and Schmitz acknowledges that... This book is an excellent introduction to the new ecology. It helps us understand that we humans--and all of nature--are intertwined and that we have to work with nature for a sustainable world. And it offers hope that change is possible."--Arab News "I recommend [The New Ecology] for high school students in an ecology or environmental science class, or for college students. It was easy to read, but, unlike a textbook, interwove examples through several chapters. I found it a great resource, especially for teachers."--NSTA RecommendsTable of ContentsPreface vii 1 The Challenge of Sustainability 1 2 Valuing Species and Ecosystems 19 3 Biological Diversity and Ecosystem Functions 40 4 Domesticated Nature 69 5 Socio-ecological Systems Thinking 106 6 Hubris to Humility 136 7 Ecologies by Humans for Humans 162 8 The Ecologist and the New Ecology 193 Bibliography 205 Index 225

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"In 1986, Thomas W. Schoener wrote a thought-provoking book chapter describing ecological communities along five organismal and five environmental axes. It was thought-provoking in the sense that Schoener attempted to unify community ecology using a minimal set of variables at a time when ecologists were doubtful of any unifying principle in community ecology. After three decades of Schoener's chapter, community ecologists are still divided about whether there could be a general theory of community... Mark Vellend elegantly attempts to bridge this divide by introducing the theory of high-level processes in ecological communities in his Princeton Population Monograph entitled The Theory of Ecological Communities."--Madhav P. Thakur, Trends in Ecology and Evolution "Vellend (biology, Univ. de Sherbrooke, Canada) provides a useful historical account of the wide variety of methods used in the field to lay the foundation for his proposed resolution of the resulting 'mess.' The book is well written, profusely referenced, and a worthy addition to the distinguished 'Monographs in Population Biology' series from Princeton University Press."--ChoiceTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii 1. Introduction 1 PART I APPROACHES, IDEAS, AND THEORIES IN COMMUNITY ECOLOGY 2. How Ecologists Study Communities 9 3. A Brief History of Ideas in Community Ecology 20 PART II THE THEORY OF ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES 4. The Pursuit of Generality in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 39 5. High-Level Processes in Ecological Communities 49 6. Simulating Dynamics in Ecological Communities 69 PART III EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE 7. The Nature of Empirical Evidence 93 8. Empirical Evidence: Selection 107 9. Empirical Evidence: Ecological Drift and Dispersal 138 10. Empirical Evidence: Speciation and Species Pools 158 PART IV CONCLUSIONS, REFLECTIONS, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS 11. From Process to Pattern and Back Again 175 12. The Future of Community Ecology 182 References 193 Index 225

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"I believe that over time this book will come to be seen as redefining much of fisheries science and I recommend it wholeheartedly."---Robert Thorpe, Fish and Fisheries"Any scientist working on fish and with a basic background in numerical approach may find interest in this book."---Pierre Cresson, Cybium

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewSlim, highly readable, and well-written. . . . [In The New Ecology] Schmitz has done a remarkable job weaving together threads drawn from classical ecology, economics, and environmental studies and science into a wide-ranging yet coherent whole that should serve as a blueprint for 21st century research and praxis in ecology.—Aaron M. Ellison, Ecology Featuring novel ideas communicated clearly, [The New Ecology] is likely to have broad appeal. . . . [N]on-ecologists will comprehend the book easily, and ecologists will be interested in the fresh concepts.—Anna Call, ForewordReviews.com The New Ecology underlines the essential role that humans can play in shaping what the Earth will look like in the coming century. . . This book is an excellent introduction to the new ecology. It helps us understand that we humans—and all of nature—are intertwined and that we have to work with nature for a sustainable world. And it offers hope that change is possible.—Lisa Kaaki, Arab News Engaging, informative, easy to read, and filled with good examples that explained the interdependence between natural systems and human systems.—Lisa Pike, NSTA Recommends

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"I believe that over time this book will come to be seen as redefining much of fisheries science and I recommend it wholeheartedly."---Robert Thorpe, Fish and Fisheries"Any scientist working on fish and with a basic background in numerical approach may find interest in this book."---Pierre Cresson, Cybium

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A very well-constructed reference book."---April Marie Wright, Trends in Ecology & Evolution"A very good and thorough overview of methods and applications to infer evolutionary relationship between recently diverged taxa." * Conservation Biology *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A work full of surprises. . . . Immensely rewarding."---Tim Flannery, New York Review of Books"Entertaining, easy-to-read and historically rich."---Adrian Woolfson, Nature"Personal stories, hard facts, and illuminative illustrations each contribute to this engaging examination of our microbial overlords . . . Paul Falkowski's decades of study in various earth and life sciences fuel this excellent addition. . . . Falkowski effectively uses analogies to convey abstract and complicated ideas."---Rachel Jagareski, Foreword Reviews"Falkowski's loving examination sets out, life on this planet is organized by and for bacteria--the rest of us are just along for the ride."---Brian Bethune, Macleans"Falkowski brings a formidable breadth of scientific understanding to the task of explaining this, having worked as a biologist, an oceanographer and an astrobiologist. He moves easily between biological and earth sciences to help us understand the steps microscopic single-celled organisms took to make the planet habitable." * Cosmos *"[The] wonderful and awe-inspiring universe of the microbes, unseen creatures that have shaped the planet such that we may live in it, is engagingly presented by Paul Falkowski in a remarkable text entitled Life's Engines. . . . The book's success is its utter simplicity. It tells the story of the history of life on our planet from a very personal perspective. . . . I was so enthralled by this book from the get-go that I invite you to have a short taste of it."---Roberto Kolter, Cell"A pleasure to read, the book touches on virtually every topic covered in a college biology curriculum by seamlessly weaving concepts with personal anecdotes and analogies. Presenting scientific facts and the fascinating history of their discovery, Falkowski (Rutgers Univ.) intersperses evolutionary theory with biochemistry, ecology, microbiology, molecular biology, anatomy, and even anthropology and economics. He also presents a fact-based, nonpolitical vision for the future of biotechnology. . . . This reviewer came away inspired to learn more. Easily understood by anyone with a passing knowledge of science, this volume poses innumerable questions for further investigation." * Choice *"What is known about the hidden world of the microbes and their fundamental roles in sustaining planetary habitability is insightfully revealed by Paul Falkowski in this authoritative, comprehensive, and delightful book. The author is uniquely qualified, perhaps singularly so, to cover topics ranging over broad time and space scales with a scholarly, transdisciplinary perspective that ranges from fundamental physics and chemistry, to Earth and ocean sciences. I cannot think of any other scientist who would accept such a challenge. . . . He is a gifted scientist and writer, and legendary storyteller."---David M. Karl, Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin"Not a microbial biologist, I approached this book with a bit of trepidation, imaging lengthy discussions of biochemistry. Instead, I was immediately engaged by Falkowski's conversational, fluid writing, personal anecdotes, and interesting choice of topics. . . . Life's Engines [is] easily accessible to the lay reader but engaging for the scientist as well." * American Biology Teacher *"An outstanding attempt to popularize the role of microbes, especially bacteria and archaea, in making multicellular eukaryotic life possible. . . . A superb introduction to the broader consequences of life and its study."---Elof Axel Carlson, Quarterly Review of Biology

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Bonner argues that size is a driving force for all of biology. . . . He demonstrates convincingly, size dictates everything from an animal's shape and appearance to its locomotion, speed, voice and social organization."---Wray Herbert, Washington Post Book World"A masterful and engaging work, elegant in its simplicity despite its subject's complexity."---Susan Lumpkin, Zoogoer"From giant dinosaurs to cellular clockworks, people are astonished by the large and fascinated by the small. But as this diminutive book describes with elegant simplicity, size is far more important than mere curiosity—it 'drives the form and function of everything that lives.' . . . Drawing parallels from physics, engineering, and human (and animal societies), Bonner vividly illustrates how something apparently so simple as size is actually so fundamentally important." * Choice *"An original and very interesting book."---Michel Cuisin, Mammalia"Bonner has written a book in a friendly voice that enlarges the picture of how everyone, big and small, thinks of size and why it matters very much." * Biology Digest *"[Bonner] examines the largest and smallest creatures on Earth. Size, asserts Bonner, determines five important biological features: strength, surface area, complexity, rate of metabolism, and organism abundance. In this diminutive book, he explains each feature and how it relates to the others. He concludes, size matters." * Science News *"The important point made by Bonner . . . is that differences in magnitude affect biological and physical properties directly, exposing the organisms to the action of different selection pressures. . . . Why Size Matters will be of major interest for readers from different disciplines, just as the topic and the principles discussed by Bonner apply to diverse scientific areas."---Andre J. Riveros, TRENDS in Ecology and Evolution

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Book SynopsisIn this first comprehensive environmental history of prairie fires, Julie Courtwright vividly recounts how fire - setting it, fighting it, watching it, fearing it - has bound Plains people to each other and to the prairies themselves for centuries.Trade Review"Fire has been a primal force in the American heartland—a tool and a threat, a source of terror and wonder, entangled with the very identities of plains peoples—yet before now no one has told its story. Courtwright has taken up that challenge, and her history, grandly researched and vividly told, is an essential addition to western environmental studies."—Elliott West, author of The Contested Plains: Indians, Goldseekers, and the Rush to Colorado"For too long the Great Plains have been the flyover region of American fire history. Thanks to Courtwright’s detailed and admirable work, they can now move from missing middle back to the center."—Stephen Pyne, author of Fire: A Brief HistoryTable of Contents Introduction: “Think of This” 1. “Mass of Grass” 2. “Putting Out Fire” 3. “Master of the Prairie” 4. “One First Grand Cause” 5. “Fight Fire When Necessary, Fight Together, and Fight It Out” 6. “A Horrible World of Cinders and Blackness” 7. “Awfully Grand” 8. “Burn, Prairie, Burn” Conclusion: “A Prairie Fire Came upon the Place” Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis book shows why political theorists must take account of ecological concerns as part of their core enterprise, and how they can do so. It mounts a challenge to the received wisdom, of political theorists and their ecological critics alike, that specifically ecological values go against human interests.Table of ContentsIntroduction. 1. Ecological Values and Human Interests. Part I: Critique: Two Dogmas of Ecologism:. 2. Intrinsic Value in Nature: Analysis and Critique of a Misleading Idea. 3. Anthropocentrism: A Misunderstood Problem. Part II: Reconstruction: Human Interests and Ecological Values:. 4. The Enlightenment of Self-Interest. 5. Human Interests and Environmental Values. 6. Human Self-respect and Respect for Nonhumans. Part III: Conclusion:. 7. Political Theory for a Sustainable Polity. Notes. Bibliography. Index.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisCritical Ecologies aims to redeem the theories of major Frankfurt thinkers-Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, and Herbert Marcuse, among others-by applying them to contemporary environmental crises.Trade Review'The volume succeeds beautifully in showing the potentials of applying critical theory to issues in environmental philosophy. Environmental philosophers of many stripes will benefit from an examination of critical theory. This book does much to facilitate that examination,' -- Darrell Arnold Philosophy in Review; vol 32:02:2012 'Critical Ecologies is an impressive selection of essays that successfully navigates the extremely challenging and ambiguous terrain of the early Frankfurt School... It is a sustained commitment to the equality of theory and its objects and the concomitant liberation of humanity and the material world.' -- Robert M.W. Brown The Goose 2012 issue 10Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: The Paradoxes of Contemporary Environmental Crises and the Redemption of the Hopes of the Past by Andrew Biro (Acadia University) PART ONE: Science and the Mastery of Nature * Modern Science, Enlightenment, and the Domination of Nature: No Exit? by William Leiss (Professor Emeritus, Queen's University) * Societal Relations with Nature: A Dialectical Approach to Environmental Politics by Christopher Gorg (University of Kassel) * The Politics of Science: Has Marcuse's New Science Finally Come of Age? by Katharine N Farrell (Autonomous University Barcelona) PART TWO: Critical Theory, Life, and Nature * Sacred Identity and the Sacrificial Spirit: Mimesis and Radical Ecology by Bruce Martin (New Mexico State University * From 'Unity of Life' to the Critique of Domination: Jonas, Freud, and Marcuse by Colin Campbell (York University) PART THREE: Alienation and the Aesthetic * Adorno's Aesthetic Rationality: On the Dialect of Natural and Artistic Beauty by Donald D Burke (York University) * On Nature and Alienation by Steven Vogel (Denison University) * Fear and the Unknown: Nature, Culture, and the Limits of Reason by Shane Gunster (Simon Fraser University) * Ecological Crisis and the Culture Industry Thesis by Andrew Biro PART FOUR: Critical Theory's Moment * Natural History, Sovereign Power, and Global Warming by Jonathan Short (York University) * Adorno's Historical and Temporal Consciousness: Towards a Critical Theoretical Environmental Imagination by Michael Lipscomb (Winthrop University) * Toward a Critique of Posthuman Reason: Revisiting 'Nature' and 'Humanity' in Horkheimer's 'The Concept of Man' by Timothy W Luke (Virginia Polytechnic Institute) Afterword: The Liberation of Nature? by Andrew Feenberg (Simon Fraser University)

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Book SynopsisTells the story of the historic struggle to define the contours of the Wilderness Act. Combining rigorous analysis and deft storytelling, Adam Sowards re-creates the contest between Kennecott and its shareholders on one hand and activists on the other, intent on maintaining wilderness as a place immune to the calculus of profit.

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Book SynopsisIn a book steeped in the culture, traditions, and history of western range ranching, Michelle Berry takes readers into the Cold War world of cattle ranchers in the American West to show how that power, with its implications for the lands and resources of the mountain states, was built, shaped, and shored up between 1945 and 1965.Trade Review“Cow Talk highlights the powerful links between group identity and political power, revealing how ranchers secured ongoing social and political influence. This is the story of how ranchers transformed themselves from an unruly herd into one ready for the rigors of the modern trail.”—Joshua Specht, author of Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America“Detailed and lively, Cow Talk provides great insight into a special interest group that became increasingly politically powerful.”—Rebecca Scofield, author of Outriders: Rodeo at the Fringes of the America West

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Book SynopsisTracing the building and erasing of past landscapes to make some of them more visible in the present, Peoples of a Sonoran Desert Oasis reveals how colonial legacies became embedded in national parks - and points to the possibility that such legacies might be undone and those lost landscapes remade.Trade Review“Peoples of a Sonoran Desert Oasis gets to the heart of one of the great debates in the history of conservation: whether there are any true ‘wildernesses’—pristine natural areas untouched by human hands—and, when we set aside protected areas like national parks, whether we should remove evidence of human occupation. The author does a marvelous job weaving O’odham oral traditions and histories into this historical account of Quitobaquito.”—Thomas E. Sheridan, author of Arizona: A History“With engaging prose, Jared Orsi excavates the layers of Indigenous history that underlie this seemingly ‘untouched’ nature reserve, details the environmental and cultural devastation of an increasingly hardened border, challenges the National Park Service—and us—to reckon with its colonial past, and points the way toward reconciliation with the O’odham peoples. The result is a fascinating study of a little-known place in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands.”—Marsha Weisiger, author of Dreaming of Sheep in Navajo Country“Peoples of a Sonoran Desert Oasis provides a trenchant analysis of how cultural heritage, modern management policies challenging that heritage, and local to international forces combined to shape a small, contested desert oasis. Quitobaquito is a tiny and unfamiliar space with lessons for the world.”—Lary M. Dilsaver, author of Preserving the Desert: A History of Joshua Tree National Park

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Book SynopsisShows how different constituencies worked to fill the presumed ‘empty space’ of the Great Basin with a variety of land-use regimes that overlapped, conflicted, and ultimately harmed the environment and the people who depended on the region for their livelihoods.Trade ReviewLeisl Carr Childers has written a sweeping study of Nevada’s 12 million–acre Great Basin and the problems and promise of grazing, mining, recreation, and water policies on western public lands. From mushroom clouds to mustangs, Nevada’s Great Basin has been ground zero for multiple use land management. With The Size of the Risk, a vast sagebrush sea has found its contemporary environmental historian." - Andrew Gulliford, author of Boomtown Blues: Colorado Oil Shale and editor of Outdoors in the Southwest: An Adventure Anthology"Brilliant in conception and execution, TheSize of the Risk remaps the Great Basin, gives voice to its peoples, and reveals the rich complexities of this misunderstood environment. In Leisl Carr Childers’s able hands, mushroom clouds and mustangs share a dynamic and contested landscape where the ideal of multiple use faced some of its toughest tests. Excellent and important." - Andrew G. Kirk, author of Counterculture Green:The Whole Earth Catalog and American Environmentalism

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Book SynopsisExplores Louisiana's protracted efforts to restore and protect its coastal marshes, nearly always with minimal regard for the people displaced by those efforts. As Craig Colten shows, the state's coastal restoration plan seeks to protect cities and industry but sacrifices the coastal dwellers who have occupied this perilous place for centuries.

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Book SynopsisIn a world of constant change and crisis, the relationship between humans and their environment has never been more vital. Louisiana Herb Journal invites readers into the world of medicinal herbs, introducing fifty herbs found in Louisiana, with details on identification, habitat, distribution, healing properties, and traditional uses.

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Book SynopsisCovering 92 million acres from Virginia to Texas, the longleaf pine ecosystem was one of the biologically diverse ecosystems. The author explores the history of these forests and the biodiversity within them, telling the story through first-person travel accounts and interviews with foresters, ecologists, biologists, botanists, and landowners.Trade Review"Blending journalism with natural and human history and a keen appreciation for the land, Earley offers persuasive advocacy for a tree little known outside of its immediate region - but one of obvious importance, and one whose ongoing restoration can show other regions how to bring their old ecosystems back to life." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review "[Earley] is a keen and incisive writer, and employs lively quotes and quirky factoids.... Looking for Longleaf is a must-read for anyone interested in conservation or Southern history." - Charlotte Observer"

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Book SynopsisThe Galßpagos Islands are one of the world's premiere nature attractions, home to unique ecosystems widely thought to be untouched and pristine. This volume reveals that the archipelago is not as isolated as many imagine, examining how centuries of human occupation have transformed its landscape.

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Book SynopsisChelsea Schelly uses ethnographic research, participant observation, and numerous in-depth interviews to examine four alternative U.S. communities where individuals use electricity, water, heat, waste, food, and transportation technologies that differ markedly from those used by the vast majority of modern American residential dwellers. Trade Review"Dwelling in Resistance accomplishes the difficult task of being extremely informative and intellectual while at the same time remaining down to earth, lively, and amusing. Schelly provides a welcome addition to the literature on social practices, technology studies, and community studies in this engaging work." -- Debbie Kasper * Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Sociology, Hiram College *"This theoretically and empirically rich book illuminates technological systems that are often invisible, yet fundamentally shape everyday practices and ideas. In showing us how people live with alternative technologies, Schelly also generates deep insights into those who do not." -- John M. Meyer * author of Engaging the Everyday: Environmental Social Criticism and the Resonance Dilemma *New Books Network interview with Chelsea Schelly * New Books Network *Table of Contents1 What Does it Mean to Dwell in Resistance? 2 What “Normal” Dwelling Looks Like: The History of Home Technologies 3 Custodians of the Earth, Witnesses to Transition: The Story of the Farm 4 The Abundance of the Commons: Twin Oaks and the Plentitude Ethic 5 Individualism and Symbiosis: The Dance at Dancing Rabbit 6 Self-Sufficiency as Social Justice: The Case of Earthship Biotecture 7 Dwelling in Resistance Appendix: Reflections and Lessons on Method Acknowledgements References Index

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Book SynopsisChelsea Schelly uses ethnographic research, participant observation, and numerous in-depth interviews to examine four alternative U.S. communities where individuals use electricity, water, heat, waste, food, and transportation technologies that differ markedly from those used by the vast majority of modern American residential dwellers. Trade Review"Dwelling in Resistance accomplishes the difficult task of being extremely informative and intellectual while at the same time remaining down to earth, lively, and amusing. Schelly provides a welcome addition to the literature on social practices, technology studies, and community studies in this engaging work." -- Debbie Kasper * Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Sociology, Hiram College *"This theoretically and empirically rich book illuminates technological systems that are often invisible, yet fundamentally shape everyday practices and ideas. In showing us how people live with alternative technologies, Schelly also generates deep insights into those who do not." -- John M. Meyer * author of Engaging the Everyday: Environmental Social Criticism and the Resonance Dilemma *New Books Network interview with Chelsea Schelly * New Books Network *Table of Contents1 What Does it Mean to Dwell in Resistance? 2 What “Normal” Dwelling Looks Like: The History of Home Technologies 3 Custodians of the Earth, Witnesses to Transition: The Story of the Farm 4 The Abundance of the Commons: Twin Oaks and the Plentitude Ethic 5 Individualism and Symbiosis: The Dance at Dancing Rabbit 6 Self-Sufficiency as Social Justice: The Case of Earthship Biotecture 7 Dwelling in Resistance Appendix: Reflections and Lessons on Method Acknowledgements References Index

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Book SynopsisStudies show that citizen science projects—projects involving nonprofessionals—face dilemmas ranging from austerity to presumed boundaries between science and activism. By unpacking the politics of citizen science, this book aims to help people negotiate a complex political landscape and choose paths moving toward social change and environmental sustainability.Trade Review“With cutbacks in government funding for regulatory science and roll-backs on regulations, there is going to be growing pressure for citizens to fill in the void with research and documentation. This book presents a much-needed overview of the dilemmas faced by citizen science groups. With detailed case studies on fracking, genetically modified foods, and nuclear radiation contamination, The Politics of Citizen Science will prove valuable for students, researchers, and citizen scientists.” -- David J Hess * Vanderbilt University *"Departing from the usual hype around citizen science, Science by the People takes a hard look at how science works--or doesn't--for citizens trying to improve their environments. Essential reading for scholars and practitioners alike." -- Gwen Ottinger * Refining Expertise: How Responsible Engineers Subvert Environmental Justice Challenges *"'Meet RPI Professor at upcoming book signing' - interview with Abby Kincy" by Heather Kovar https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/meet-rpi-professor-at-upcoming-book-signing * CBS 6 Sunday Morning News Albany *"By unpacking the politics of citizen science, this book aims to help people negotiate a complex political landscape and choose paths moving toward social change and environmental sustainability." * ASA Environmental Sociology News *"While avoiding both cynicism and celebration, Kimura and Kinchy here suggest ways that citizen science can address dilemmas and meaningfully involve people who have been excluded from science." * Choice *"The issues Kimura and Kinchy raise in their book, including volunteering, taking a stand, contextualizing data, and shifting scales encourage citizen scientists to think critically. Although their book raises difficult issues, these issues are presented in a way that is accessible to many." * Science Connected Magazine *Table of ContentsPreface 1 Environmental Citizen Science: Virtues and Dilemmas 2 How is Environmental Citizen Science Political? 3 Investigating the Impacts of Fracking 4 Detecting Radiation 5 Tracking Genetically Engineered Cops Conclusion: A Vision of Science by and for the People Appendix: Resources for Getting Involved in Citizen Science Notes Bibliography Index About the Authors

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Book SynopsisStudies show that citizen science projects—projects involving nonprofessionals—face dilemmas ranging from austerity to presumed boundaries between science and activism. By unpacking the politics of citizen science, this book aims to help people negotiate a complex political landscape and choose paths moving toward social change and environmental sustainability.Trade Review“With cutbacks in government funding for regulatory science and roll-backs on regulations, there is going to be growing pressure for citizens to fill in the void with research and documentation. This book presents a much-needed overview of the dilemmas faced by citizen science groups. With detailed case studies on fracking, genetically modified foods, and nuclear radiation contamination, The Politics of Citizen Science will prove valuable for students, researchers, and citizen scientists.” -- David J Hess * Vanderbilt University *"Departing from the usual hype around citizen science, Science by the People takes a hard look at how science works--or doesn't--for citizens trying to improve their environments. Essential reading for scholars and practitioners alike." -- Gwen Ottinger * Refining Expertise: How Responsible Engineers Subvert Environmental Justice Challenges *"'Meet RPI Professor at upcoming book signing' - interview with Abby Kincy" by Heather Kovar https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/meet-rpi-professor-at-upcoming-book-signing * CBS 6 Sunday Morning News Albany *"By unpacking the politics of citizen science, this book aims to help people negotiate a complex political landscape and choose paths moving toward social change and environmental sustainability." * ASA Environmental Sociology News *"While avoiding both cynicism and celebration, Kimura and Kinchy here suggest ways that citizen science can address dilemmas and meaningfully involve people who have been excluded from science." * Choice *"The issues Kimura and Kinchy raise in their book, including volunteering, taking a stand, contextualizing data, and shifting scales encourage citizen scientists to think critically. Although their book raises difficult issues, these issues are presented in a way that is accessible to many." * Science Connected Magazine *Table of ContentsPreface 1 Environmental Citizen Science: Virtues and Dilemmas 2 How is Environmental Citizen Science Political? 3 Investigating the Impacts of Fracking 4 Detecting Radiation 5 Tracking Genetically Engineered Cops Conclusion: A Vision of Science by and for the People Appendix: Resources for Getting Involved in Citizen Science Notes Bibliography Index About the Authors

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Book Synopsis'Eco-Man' brings together two rapidly growing fields: men's studies and ecocriticism. The volume's 20 essays question whether readers can construct a notion of manhood around ecological principles and practices - and if so, what this would look like, and how it would enrich men's studies.

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Book SynopsisThis text examines the doctrine of ""Earth First!"", the environmental movement whose tactics include unorthodox activities. The background, economic status and members of the organization of the movement are included here, along with details of the F.B.I. investigation which occurred.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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