Biodiversity / Ecosystems Books

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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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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 SynopsisThe speciesarea relationship (SAR) describes a range of related phenomena that are fundamental to the study of biogeography, macroecology and community ecology. While the subject of ongoing debate for a century, surprisingly, no previous book has focused specifically on the SAR. This volume addresses this shortfall by providing a synthesis of the development of SAR typologies and theory, as well as empirical research and application to biodiversity conservation problems. It also includes a compilation of recent advances in SAR research, comprising novel SAR-related theories and findings from the leading authors in the field. The chapters feature specific knowledge relating to terrestrial, marine and freshwater realms, ensuring a comprehensive volume relevant to a wide range of fields, with a mix of review and novel material and with clear recommendations for further research and application.Trade Review'Each chapter of the text is a technical paper written by researchers who have been actively exploring little-known facets of the species-area relationship that have escaped the attention of mainstream ecologists. The results of this effort are frequently interesting and occasionally surprisingly insightful. Community ecologists, landscape ecologists, and conservationists will find useful information about the species-area relationship in this volume … each chapter is presented in standard, scientific communication format. Recommended.' S. R. Fegley, ChoiceTable of ContentsForeword Mark V. Lomolino; 1. The species–area relationship: both general and protean? Thomas J. Matthews, Kostas A. Triantis and Robert J. Whittaker; 2. The History of the Species–Area Relationship Even Tjørve, Thomas J. Matthews and Robert J. Whittaker; 3. The multiple forms and functions of species–area relationship Thomas Matthews, François Rigal, Konstantinos Proios, Kostas Triantis and Robert J. Whittaker; 4. The factors that underpin the shape of the SAR curve Even Tjørve, Kathleen Tjørve , Eva Šizlingová and Arnost Šizling; 5. Functional and phylogenetic diversity–area relationships: a review Florent Mazel and Wilfried Thuiller; 6. Species–area relationships in alien species: pattern and process Tim Blackburn, Phil Cassey and Petr Pysek; 7. Mathematical expressions for the species-area relationship (SAR) and (the hidden) assumptions behind the models Even Tjørve and Kathleen Tjørve; 8. Biodiversity scaling on a continuous plane: geometrical underpinnings of the nested species–area relationship David Storch and Arnost Šizling; 9. Upscaling SARs and the connection with species abundances Luis Borda-de-Agua, Saeid Alirezazadeh, Manuela Neves, Stephen P. Hubbell, Paulo Borges, Pedro Cardoso, Francisco Dionísio and Henrique M. Pereira; 10. The SAR: Is It “Produced by Laws Acting around Us”? John Harte; 11. The species–area relationships of ecological neutral theory James Rosindell and Ryan Chisholm; 12. The integration of the species–area relationship with mechanistic community ecological theory Robert Holt, Dominique Gravel, Adrian Stier and James Rosindell; 13. The identification biodiversity hotspots using the species–area relationship Simone Fattorini; 14. Using the species-area relationship to predict extinctions resulting from habitat loss Simone Fattorini, Werner Ulrich and Thomas J. Matthews; 15. Using network analysis and diversity partitioning to examine the temporal dynamics of the species–area relationship Joseph Veech and Giovanni Strona; 16. Does Geometry dominate extinction due to habitat loss? Athanasios Kallimanis and John Halley; 17. External modulators of species-area relationships Isabel Jones, Carlos Peres, Maíra Benchimol, Anderson S. Bueno, Danielle Storck-Tonon and Ana Filipa Palmeirim; 18. Applied SARs in marine systems and fisheries Karl Ugland and Alexandra Kraberg; 19. Conclusions and future Directions in SAR Research Kostas A. Triantis.

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Book SynopsisThis unique collection of in-depth case studies from Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe and North America demonstrates the importance of women and gender relations in plant genetic resource management and conservation. It provides a state-of-the-art overview of the concepts, relationships and contexts explaining the relatively hidden gender dimensions of people-plant relations. The contributors come from a rich range of disciplines including ethnobotany, geography, agronomy, anthropology, plant breeding, nutrition and development economics. They demonstrate how crucial women are to plant biodiversity management and conservation at household, village, and community levels; and how gender relations have a strong influence on the ways in which local people understand, manage, and conserve biodiversity. Continued access to biological resources is crucial to rural women‘s status and welfare, and their motivations therefore are a principal driving force countering processes of biological erosion. The contributors highlight the gender biases evident in much contemporary scientific research, policy and development practice. And they seek to contribute to a number of important debates, including the determinants of genetic erosion, the significance of gender in indigenous ethno-botanical knowledge systems, indigenous intellectual property rights systems and women‘s entitlements therein, and ecofeminist and other debates about the nature of gender-environment relations.Trade ReviewThis is a very important book. Taken together, the collected papers present a rich picture of the vital role played by peasant women around the world. They are struggling to preserve, in the face of modern agribusiness, the agricultural wisdom of the past and the diversity of plants that have been used for both food and medicine. It is vital that decision makers, especially in the developing world, heed the knowledge of these women who understand so well the art of a sustainable lifestyle. Women and Plants must be in the library of every individual who cares about the future of our planet.' Jane Goodall 'Women and Plants offers a uniquely gender-sensitive perspective on the management of biodiversity. These case studies empirically substantiate a broad range of cultures and ecologies, and offer keen insights for policy development and application.' Professor Nina L. Etkin, Associate Editor, Pharmaceutical Biology 'Focusing on traditional knowledge of indigenous people and local communities, and especially on the relationship between biodiversity and women in traditional societies worldwide, this book provides a well-marked path for the better understanding of biodiversity, its values and its importance for humans while at the same time highlighting community and ecosystem inter-relations.' Hamdallah Zedan, Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biodiversity 'At long last, the predominant role of women in the management of plant genetic resources has begun to be scientifically documented in this highly important book. While men were occupied by hunting and defending their territories, women were most likely domesticating many of the world's crops. Recognition that they hold much of the related knowledge and skills today is clearly overdue. But recognition is not enough - Farmer's Rights as per Article 9 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture must be assured now and for the future, if we are to give farmers - both women and men - incentives to continue to be the developers and custodians of the world's genetic resources. All those with responsibilities for promoting the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources should certainly read this book.' Jose Esquinas Alcazar, Secretary of the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization, and Father of 'Farmers' Rights' 'Wonderfully rich in evidence, persuasive in its argument, and wide-ranging in coverage, this timely edited volume on the gendered nature of knowledge about biodiversity enriches both scholarship and policy. It points to the critical need not only of recognizing the specificity of womens knowledge about plant species, but of strengthening their conservation efforts and bringing their interests to bear in arrangements for biodiversity development and benefit sharing.' Bina Agarwal, Professor of Economics, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi UniversityTable of Contents Foreword 1. Women and the Plant World: An Exploration - Patricia L. Howard Part 1: Culture, Kitchen and Conservation 2. Women in the Garden and Kitchen: The Role of Cuisine in the Conservation of Traditional House Lot Crops among Yucatec Mayan Immigrants - Laurie S. Z. Greenberg 3. Wild Food Plants and Arbëresh Women in Lucania, Southern Italy - Andrea Pieroni 4. Women and 'Wild' Foods: Nutrition and Household Food Security Among Rai and Sherpa Forager Farmers in Eastern Nepal - Ephrosine Daniggelis Part 2: Gender Relations, Women's Rights, and Plant Management 5. Farm Women's Rights and Roles in Wild Plant Food Gathering and Management in Northeast Thailand - Lisa Leimar Price 6. Gender and Entitlements in the Zimbabwean Woodlands: A Case Study of Resettlement - Allison Goebel Part 3: Gendered Plant Knowledge in Science and Society 7. 'Passing on the News': Women's Work, Traditional Knowledge and Plant Resource Management in Indigenous Societies of Northwestern North America - Nancy Turner 8. The Invisible Queen in the Plant Kingdom: Gender Perspectives in Medical Ethnobotany - Brij Kothari 9. The Gender of Crops in the Papua New Guinea Highlands - Paul Sillitoe Part 4: Plants, Women's Status and Welfare 10. Gendering the Tradition of Plant Gathering in Central Anatolia (Turkey) - Füsun Ertug 11. The Basket-Makers of the Central California Interior - Linda Dick Bissonnette 12. Exchange, Patriarchy and Status: Women's Homegardens in Bangladesh - Margot Wilson Part 5: Gender, Biodiversity Loss and Conservation 13. Losing Ground: Gender Relations, Commerical Horticulture and Threats to Local Plant Diversity in Rural Mali - Stephen Wooten 14. Modernization and Gender Dynamics in the Loss of Agrobiodiversity in Swaziland's Food System - Millicent Malaza 15. Arawakan Women and the Erosion of Traditional Food Production in Amazonas Venezuela - Shirley Hoffmann 16. Women and Maize Breeding: The Development of New Seed Systems in a Marginal Area of Southwest China - Yiching Song and Janice Jiggins

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Book SynopsisThe natural world is full of awesome surprises, and the animal kingdom is no exception. As The Secret Lives of Animals reveals, it seems that the more we discover about the unusual species that populate our planet, the more we understand just how ingenious, resourceful and downright creative they can be!Did you know that red pandas are not only incredibly cute, but also master escape artists able to flee their enclosures in high security zoos all over the world with alarming frequency? Or that beautiful manta rays have not only been observed recognizing their own reflection in mirrors, but are also able to identify friendly divers and ask for their help when they’re in a bit of a jam? Or that elephants, as well as having famously impressive memories, are also sophisticated communicators who send signals to each other using a wide range of body language? Or that parrots, as well as being amazing mimics, are able to learn dance moves? YouTube star Snowball, the dancing cockatoo, has a very entertaining fourteen-move repertoire.With charming and humorous illustrations from BAFTA-award-winning artist Greg McLeod (half of The Brothers McLeod), The Secret Lives of Animals is a window into some of the most complex and impressive minds of the animal kingdom, revealing the little-known skills and natural intuition that have allowed them to survive – and often have a little fun along the way.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides updated information on this intriguing and exciting group of insects: Neotropical Social Wasps. These insects have a particular biology and their colonies are formed by a few cooperative females living in either small or massive, structured nests where stinging individuals organize their activities and defend their offspring. Topics include evolutionary aspects, biogeography, post-embryonic development, community behavior and ecology, economic importance, and research methods. Table of ContentsA Brief Review Of Studies On Social Wasps In Brazil.- The Evolution of Swarm Founding in the Wasps: Possible Scenarios.- The foraging behaviour of neotropical social wasps.- The choice of sexual partner in social wasps.- Nesting Habits of Neotropical Social Wasps.- Castes and polymorphisms in neotropical social wasps.- The biology of swarm-founding epiponine wasp, Polybia paulsita.- Causes and consequences of reproductive conflicts in wasp societies.- Post-embryonic Development in Brazilian Social Wasps.- Evolution and adaptation of the wings and mandibles of neotropical social wasps.- Cuticular hydrocarbon studies in Neotropical Social Wasps.- Biogeographic hypotheses for the Neotropical Social Wasps.- Chromosome diversity and evolution in Neotropical social wasps.- Phylogeny and classification of the Neotropical social wasps.- List of species of social wasps from Brazil.- The Old-World versus New-World social wasps: Similarities, differences and threats.- Key to the genera of social wasps (Polistinae) occurring in Brazil.- Research techniques used in the study of social wasps.- Community ecology of social wasps in Brazil: Forty years of studies.- lnteractions between wasps and other animals: associations and natural enemies.- Interactions of social wasps with microorganisms.- Artificial Environments for Studying Eusocial Wasps.- Economic importance of Neotropical Social Wasps.

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Book SynopsisThis book addresses the multidisciplinary challenges in biodiversity conservation with a focus on wildlife crime and how forensic tools can be applied to protect species and preserve ecosystems. Illustrated by numerous case studies covering different geographical regions and species the book introduces to the fundamentals of biodiversity conflicts, outlines the unique challenges of wildlife crime scenes and reviews latest techniques in environmental forensics, such as DNA metagenomics. In addition, the volume explores the socio-economic perspective of biodiversity protection and provides an overview of national and international conservation laws. The field of conservation medicine stresses the importance of recognizing that human health, animal health, and ecosystem health are inextricably interdependent and the book serves as important contribution towards achieving the UN Sustainable Developmental Goals, in particular SDG 15, Life on Land. The book addresses graduate students, scientists and veterinary professionals working in wildlife research and conservation biology.Trade Review“The authors do an admirable job of presenting an overview of the many and complex aspects of the field. Sprinkled throughout the chapters are case studies illustrating practical applications of the concepts discussed. … this book does a good job of introducing readers to a variety of topics … . This text would be more valuable as a reference and planning tool for those interested in wildlife conservation as it applies to forensic investigations and the One Health approach.” (Rebecca Kagan, The Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol. 97 (2), June, 2022)Table of ContentsI. The Impact of Humans on Conservation The Importance of Biodiversity Conservation amidst Human-Wildlife Conflict One Health Concerns Wildlife Crime & Conservation Placing Humans in the Ecological Equation Wildlife Management and EcotourismII. Forensics & Conservation The Intersection of Forensics and Conservation- (Intro to conservation forensics) Processing the Wildlife Crime Scene Evidence of Forensic Importance in Wildlife CasesIII. Tools & Techniques of Conservation Forensics The Conservation of Threatened & Endangered Species The Application of Forensic Entomology and Carrion Ecology Wildlife Forensic Genetics Wildlife Forensic Toxicology Wildlife Forensic Pathology Working Dogs in Conservation Forensics IV. Special Topics: Fish, Reptiles and Marine Mammals – Issues and Identification Avian Species – Issues and Identification Mammals – Issues and Identification DNA Databases? Isotopic Analysis Cybercrime and Wildlife Products Developments in Wildlife Forensic Standards Wildlife Law and Legal ConcernsV. Case Studies Saving Africa’s Elephants (include forensics) Rhinos in Crisis (include forensics) Mountain Gorillas, a conservation success story (may include forensics) Few other case studies to represent multiple geographic regions, types of species, and how forensics has been utilized whether it be genetics, crime scene, database, pathology etc: North America Central/South America Europe – birds of prey; bird hunting (Scotland) Asia Australia/NZ – 1080 poisonings

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Book SynopsisThis textbook provides the first overview of plant-animal interactions for twenty years focused on the needs of students and professors. It discusses a range of topics from the basic structures of plant-animal interactions to their evolutionary implications in producing and maintaining biodiversity. It also highlights innovative aspects of plant-animal interactions that can represent highly productive research avenues, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in a future career in ecology. Written by leading experts, and employing a variety of didactic tools, the book is useful for students and teachers involved in advanced undergraduate and graduate courses addressing areas such as herbivory, trophic relationships, plant defense, pollination and biodiversity. Table of ContentsChapter 1 - Introduction.- Chapter 2 - Plant chemistry and their impacts on biotic interactions.- Chapter 3 - Herbivory and Plant defenses – antagonist interactions.- Chapter 4 - The molecular genetic basis in plant-animal interactions.- Chapter 5 - Biotic defenses against herbivory.- Chapter 6 - Pollination – from antagonistic to mutualistic interactions.- Chapter 7 - Dispersal – frugivory and seed dispersal.- Chapter 8 - Plant phenology: effects seasonality in biotic interactions.- Chapter 9 - Plant-mediated above-belowground interactions.- Chapter 10 - Ecosystem Engineers – how plant-animal interactions modify the environment.- Chapter 11 - Ecological networks in plant-animal interactions.- Chapter 12 - The evolution of facilitation and mutualism in plant-animal interactions.- Chapter 13 - Evolutionary conflicts in coevolved mutualisms.- Chapter 14 - Plant-Animal Interactions: and the origin of biodiversity.- Chapter 15 - Plant-Animal Interactions in the Anthropocene era.

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Book SynopsisChapter 1 Coralline red algae and rhodolith beds - a world natural heritage in the Southwestern Atlantic.- Chapter 2 .- Chapter 3 Rhodolith beds: occurrence, diversity, and evolution.- Chapter 4 Biodiversity associated with rhodolith beds in Brazil.- Chapter 5 Molluscs associated with rhodolith beds from the Southwestern Atlantic.- Chapter 6 Fossil and recent coralline algal bioconstructions and rhodoliths in the Brazilian shelf.- Chapter 7 Rhodolith beds mapping along Brazilian Continental Shelf.- Chapter 8 Major Threats to Rhodolith Beds Ocean Acidification, Global Warming and Local Stressors.-Chapter 9 Contributions of rhodolith beds to people.- Chapter 10 The legacy of Gilberto M. Amado-Filho to South Atlantic Rhodolith Beds knowledge: memories of his students.

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