Vertebrates in Complex Tropical Systems - Couverture souple

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1461281334 ISBN 13 : 9781461281337

Editeur : Springer, 2011

Synopsis

This book addresses the question of what determines species richness in tropical animals by comparing and contrasting the communities of the five major classes of vertebrates in two environments considered to be the most species-rich on Planet Earth - the coral reef and the rainforest. All the contributors were asked to examine how so many species could coexist in such communities and to discuss the ways species assemblages might have evolved over time. Because the coauthors are ecologists, emphasis is quite naturally placed on the first of these two questions, and the factors contributing to the maintenance of a-diversity are discussed at length. However, the question of the very origin of species richness can never be eluded, though it is more an evolutionary problem than an ecological one; it has therefore also been given some attention occasionally. Since we believe that long-term descriptive data and extended field experience are absolutely essential to formulate meaningful questions and pro- pose realistic models, contributors were selected on the basis of their prolonged field practice; all of them actually spent years in the field and/or participated in long-term research programs. The present volume has its origin in a symposium held on August 15, 1986 at Syra- cuse, New York, during the Fourth International Congress of Ecology.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

This book compares and contrasts the structure of vertebrate communities, from fishes, amphibia, and reptiles to birds and mammals, in two ecosystems considered to be the most species-rich on Earth - the coral reef and the tropical rain forest. The authors address the question of how such a variety of species can coexist, how species diversity relates to patterns and processes on lower trophic levels, and also, how it might have evolved in time. They discuss important factors supporting high biotic diversity, such as sustained primary productivity, resource diversity, and habitat heterogeneity, and examine the applicability of current models of community structure.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Springer
• Date d'édition: 2011
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1461281334
• ISBN 13: 9781461281337
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 216
• Éditeur: Harmelin-Vivien Mireille L., Bourliere Francois
• Coordonnées du fabricant: ProductSafety@springernature.com; ProductSafety@springernature.com; ; Poststr. 9; Darmstadt; 64293; Allemagne