Download or read book Biology of Desert Invertebrates written by C. S. Crawford and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What little we know of the biology of desert invertebrates stems largely from inferences based on intensive and repeated observations. Such informa tion is not gained easily, since despite the actual abundance of these animals, relatively few of them are ever seen. In fact, except for species impacting on the well-being of human populations, historically most have been ignored by scholars in the western world. Indeed, it was ancient Egypt, with its reverence for the symbolism of the scarab, that probably provided us with the clearest early record of prominent desert types. A more modest resurgence of the story had to wait until the arrival of the present century. To be sure, some of the more obvious species had by then been elevated by European collectors to the level of drawing-room curios ities, and expeditions had returned large numbers to museums. But by 1900 the task of describing desert species and relationships among them was still in its infancy; and as for careful natural history studies, they too were just coming into their own.
Download or read book Physiological Ecology of North American Desert Plants written by Stanley D. Smith and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following a description of the physical and biological characterization of the four North American deserts together with the primary adaptations of plants to environmental stress, the authors go on to present case studies of key species. They provide an up-to-date and comprehensive review of the major patterns of adaptation in desert plants, with one chapter devoted to several important exotic plants that have invaded these deserts. The whole is rounded off with a synthesis of the resource requirements of desert plants and how they may respond to global climate change.
Download or read book Desert Plants written by Kishan Gopal Ramawat and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-12-16 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deserts appear very fascinating during our short visits. However, the lives of plants and animals are very dif?cult under the harsh climatic conditions of high tempe- ture and scant water supply in deserts, sometimes associated with high concent- tions of salt. The editor of this book was born and brought up in the Great Indian Desert, and has spent much of his life studying the growth and metabolism of desert plants. It is very charming on a cool summer evening to sit at the top of a sand dune listening only to blowing air and nothing else. It has been my dream to prepare a volume on desert plants encompassing various aspects of desert plant biology. In this book, I have tried to present functional and useful aspects of the vegetation resources of deserts along with scienti?c input aimed at understanding and impr- ing the utility of these plants. The scant vegetation of deserts supports animal life and provides many useful medicines, timber and fuel wood for humans. Therefore, there are chapters devoted to medicinal plants (Chap. 1), halophytes (Chaps. 13, 14), and fruit plants (Chaps. 17, 20). Desert plants have a unique reproductive biology (Chaps. 9–11), well-adapted eco-physiological and anatomical charact- istics (Chap. 7), and specialised metabolism and survival abilities. These plants are dif?cult to propagate and pose many problems to researchers developing biote- nological approaches for their amelioration (Chaps. 18–20).
Download or read book Ecology of Desert Systems written by Walter G. Whitford and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2019-08-20 with total page 473 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nearly one-third of the land area on our planet is classified as arid or desert. Therefore, an understanding of the dynamics of such arid ecosystems is essential to managing those systems in a way that sustains human populations. This second edition of Ecology of Desert Systems provides a clear, extensive guide to the complex interactions involved in these areas. This book details the relationships between abiotic and biotic environments of desert ecosystems, demonstrating to readers how these interactions drive ecological processes. These include plant growth and animal reproductive success, the spatial and temporal distribution of vegetation and animals, and the influence of invasive species and anthropogenic climate change specific to arid systems. Drawing on the extensive experience of its expert authors, Ecology of Desert Systems is an essential guide to arid ecosystems for students looking for an overview of the field, researchers keen to learn how their work fits in to the overall picture, and those involved with environmental management of desert areas. Highlights the complexity of global desert systems in a clear, concise way Reviews the most current issues facing researchers in the field, including the spread of invasive species due to globalized trade, the impact of industrial mining, and climate change Updated and extended to include information on invasive species management, industrial mining impacts, and the current and future role of climate change in desert systems
Download or read book Dispersal Biology of Desert Plants written by Karen van Rheede van Oudtshoorn and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1998-12-04 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dispersal processes have important effects on plant distribution and abundance. Although adaptations to long range dispersal (telechory) are by no means rare in desert plants, many desert plant species do not possess any features to promote dispersal (atelechory), while others have structures that hamper dispersal (antitelechory). The high frequency with which atelechorous and antitelechorous mechanisms are present in plants inhabiting arid areas indicates the importance of these adaptations. Among the benefits derived from these adaptations are the spreading of germination over time, the provision of suitable conditions for germination and subsequent seedling establishment, and the maintenance of a reservoir of available seeds (seed bank). This book describes the ways and means - anatomical, morphological and ecological - by which dispersal in desert plants has evolved to ensure the survival of these species in their harsh and unpredictable environment.
Download or read book The California Deserts written by Bruce M Pavlik and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2008-07-02 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This highly readable, spectacularly illustrated compendium is an ecological journey into a wondrous land of extremes. The California Deserts explores the remarkable diversity of life in this harsh yet fragile quarter of the Golden State. In a rich narrative, it illuminates how that diversity, created by drought and heat, has evolved with climate change since the Ice Ages. Along the way, we find there is much to learn from each desert species-- whether it is a cactus, pupfish, tortoise, or bighorn sheep--about adaptation to a warming, arid world. The book tells of human adaptation as well, and is underscored by a deep appreciation for the intimate knowledge acquired by native people during their 12,000-year desert experience. In this sense, the book is a journey of rediscovery, as it reflects on the ways that knowledge has been reclaimed and amplified by new discoveries. The book also takes the measure of the ecological condition of these deserts today, presenting issues of conservation, management, and restoration. With its many sidebars, photographs, and featured topics, The California Deserts provides a unique introduction to places of remarkable and often unexpected beauty.
Download or read book The Biology of Deserts written by David Ward and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text offers a concise but comprehensive introduction to desert ecology. As with other titles in this series, the emphasis is on the organisms that dominate this harsh environment, although pollution, conservation and experimental aspects are also considered.
Download or read book The Sonoran Desert Tortoise written by Thomas R. Van Devender and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2006-09-01 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most recognizable animals of the Southwest, the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) makes its home in both the Sonoran and Mohave Deserts, as well as in tropical areas to the south in Mexico. Called by Tohono O'odham people "komik'c-ed," or "shell with living thing inside," it is one of the few desert creatures kept as a domestic petÑas well as one of the most studied reptiles in the world. Most of our knowledge of desert tortoises comes from studies of Mohave Desert populations in California and Nevada. However, the ecology, physiology, and behavior of these northern populations are quite different from those of their southern, Sonoran Desert, and tropical cousins, which have been studied much less. Differences in climate and habitat have shaped the evolution of three races of desert tortoises as they have adapted to changes in heat, rainfall, and sources of food and shelter as the deserts developed in the last ten million years. This book presents the first comprehensive summary of the natural history, biology, and conservation of the Sonoran and Sinaloan desert tortoises, reviewing the current state of knowledge of these creatures with appropriate comparisons to Mohave tortoises. It condenses a vast amount of information on population ecology, activity, and behavior based on decades of studying tortoise populations in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, and also includes important material on the care and protection of tortoises. Thirty-two contributors address such topics as tortoise fossil records, DNA analysis, and the mystery of secretive hatchlings and juveniles. Tortoise health is discussed in chapters on the care of captives, and original data are presented on the diets of wild and captive tortoises, the nutrient content of plant foods, and blood parameters of healthy tortoises. Coverage of conservation issues includes husbandry methods for captive tortoises, an overview of protective measures, and an evaluation of threats to tortoises from introduced grass and wildfires. A final chapter on cultural knowledge presents stories and songs from indigenous peoples and explores their understanding of tortoises. As the only comprehensive book on the desert tortoise, this volume gathers a vast amount of information for scientists, veterinarians, and resource managers while also remaining useful to general readers who keep desert tortoises as backyard pets. It will stand as an enduring reference on this endearing creature for years to come.
Download or read book Structure Function Relations of Warm Desert Plants written by Arthur C. Gibson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For centuries biologists have been extremely interested in the structure of desert plants as examples of natural selection to harsh environmental conditions. Indeed, desert plants are frequently used as examples in many biology classes and textbooks to illustrate natural selection, but this has led to an unfortunate litany of errors and misconceptions about desert plant adaptations. This new synthesis focuses on plants of lowland tropical and subtropical arid deserts. Readers will be surprised to discover that many features commonly ascribed to desert plants are rareley observed in the most common species. Instead, the typical structural adaptations of nonsucculent warm desert plants are now viewed as ways to maximize photosynthetic rate.
Download or read book Biology of Deserts written by Institute of Biology and published by . This book was released on 1954 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Desert Biology written by G. W. Brown and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2013-09-17 with total page 622 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Desert Biology: Special Topics on the Physical and Biological Aspects of Arid Regions, Volume II records the conditions and life in the arid regions of the world. This book discusses the hydrogeology of arid regions, desert soil surfaces and classes, and physical and vegetational aspects of the Sahara Desert. The Piman Indians of the Sonoran Desert, approach to the water relations of desert plants, desert arthropods, and aquatic environments of deserts are also considered. Other topics include the artificial changes in the hydrogeology of deserts, soils of individual world deserts, rainfall and water supply of desert plants, and ecological plant types in arid regions. The hydrature in true xerophytes, chloride accumulation in halophytes, and biological response to desert water conditions are likewise covered in this publication. This volume is recommended for researchers and specialists interested in the hot, dry regions of the planet.
Download or read book Desert Ecology written by John Sowell and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Unlike books that merely identify which plants and animals live in the desert, Desert Ecology explores how these organisms live where they do.
Download or read book The Desert Grassland written by Mitchel P. McClaran and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2023-05-23 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The mixed grass and shrub vegetation known to scientists as desert grassland is common to the basins and valleys that skirt the mountain ranges throughout southwestern North America, extending from Arizona, New Mexico and Texas down through thirteen Mexican states. This variegated ground cover is crucial to life in an arid environment. The Desert Grassland offers the most comprehensive study to date of these flora and the rich biotic communities they support. Leading experts in geography, biology, botany, zoology, and geoscience present new research on the desert grassland and review a vast amount of earlier work. They reveal that present-day grasses once grew in the ice-age forests that existed in these areas before the climate dried and the trees vanished and how the intensity and frequency of fire can influence the plant and animal species of the grassland. They also document how the influence of humans—from Amerindians to contemporary ranchers, public land managers, and real estate developers—has changed the relative abundance of woody and herbaceous species and how the introduction of new plants and domesticated animals to the area has also affected biodiversity. The book concludes with a review of the attempts, both failed and successful, to reestablish plants in desert grasslands affected by overgrazing, drought, and farm abandonment. Meticulously researched and copiously illustrated, The Desert Grassland is a major contribution to ecological literature. For advanced lay readers as well as students and scholars of history, geography, and ecology, it will be a standard reference work for years to come.
Download or read book Plant Diversity and Ecology in the Chihuahuan Desert written by Maria C. Mandujano and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-07-18 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Environmental and specific diversity in the Chihuahuan desert in general, and in the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin in particular, has long been recognized as outstanding. This book provides a global ecological overview, together with in-depth studies of specific processes. The Chihuahuan desert is the warmest in North America, and has a complex geologic, climatic and biogeographical history, which affects today’s distribution of vegetation and plants and generates complex phylogeographic patterns. The high number of endemic species reflects this complex set of traits. The modern distribution of environments, including aquatic and subaquatic systems, riparian environments, gypsum dunes and gypsum-rich soils, low levels of phosphorous and organic matter, and high salinity combined with an extreme climate call for a range of adaptations. Plants are distributed in a patchy pattern based on punctual variations, and many of them respond to different resources and conditions with considerable morphological plasticity. In terms of physiological, morphological and ecological variability, cacti were identified as the most important group in specific environments like bajadas, characterized by high diversity values, while gypsophytes and gypsovagues of different phylogenies, including species with restricted distribution and endemics.
Download or read book Survival Strategies of Annual Desert Plants written by Yitzchak Gutterman and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2002-08-28 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Annual desert plant species of unrelated taxa in the Negev Desert of Israel have developed complementary sets of adaptations and survival strategies as ecological equivalents with physiological, morphological and anatomical resemblances, in the various stages of their life cycles. After 40 years of research in hot deserts Yitzchak Gutterman provides a comprehensive treatise of such adaptations and strategies. In doing so he covers the following topics: post-maturation primary seed dormancy, which prevents germination of maturing seeds before the summer; seed dispersal mechanisms with escape or protection strategies; cautious or opportunistic germination strategies; seedling drought tolerance. The day-length is an important factor in regulating flowering as well as the phenotypic plasticity of seed germination which is also affected by maternal factors.
Download or read book D is for Desert written by Barbara Gowan and published by Sleeping Bear Press. This book was released on 2012-06-25 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: D is for Desert: A World Deserts Alphabet uses the alphabet to explore desert regions around the world, explaining the science behind what determines a desert and showcasing fascinating features and desert inhabitants. Budding scientists will traverse the rocky deserts of Mongolia astride the Bactrian camel, spy on the poisonous Gila monster and other lizards in the Sonoran Desert, discover geological wonders in Bryce Canyon National Park, and learn about desert weather phenomena such as dust storms and flash floods, and much more. A glossary of key desert-science terms and concepts is included.
Download or read book Desert Truffles written by Varda Kagan-Zur and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-10-30 with total page 391 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Desert truffles are found in every known desert, irrespective of the habitat – cool or hot, loamy or acidic, sandy or heavy soil – the only common condition seems to be a limited supply of water. In contrast to ‘true’ truffles, desert truffles have evolved over time in different families, mainly within the order Pezizales. While in some arid areas, desert truffles have been traditionally used as food, in most regions interest has only recently been increasing, and truffles are now treasured for their nutritional value, as an income source and for research. This volume gives a comprehensive overview of the phylogeny, biology, mycorrhizal association, and distribution of desert truffles, their use, biochemical and medicinal properties, as well as their domestication and cultivation.
