Download or read book Ecophysiology of Desert Vertebrates written by Pulak K. Ghosh and published by . This book was released on 1988 with total page 492 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Ecophysiology of Desert Arthropods and Reptiles written by John L. Cloudsley-Thompson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecophysiology of Desert Arthropods and Reptiles starts with a new classification of the world's deserts, based upon the type of precipitation and the effect on their faunas of arthropods and reptiles. This is followed by an account of microclimates and the avoidance of environmental extremes. Whereas thermoregulation is primarily behavioural, responses to water shortage are largely physiological. Seasonal activity and phenology are described, adaptations for burrowing, the avoidance of enemies, and defence, are also outlined. A comparative account of interspecific relationships, feeding specializations, and species diversity in the two taxa is described. The purpose of the book is to provide a new and up-to-date analysis that will stimulate further research along these lines.
Download or read book Ecophysiology of Desert Birds written by Gordon L. Maclean and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-12-11 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Preface to his volume on Ecophysiology of the Camelidae and Desert Ruminants in this series, Trevor Wilson mentions his hesitation at the invitation from John Cloudsley-Thompson to write the book, because he had been out of direct touch with desert biology for some years. My response to John's invitation to write Ecophysiology of Desert Birds was much the same, and for the same reasons. However, with his encouragement and, taking account of the fact that a colleague of mine who is much better suited to do the job had turned it down because of pressure of work, I accepted the challenge and have enjoyed it immensely. It has been my privilege to spend much time in the deserts of North and South America, southern Africa and Australia, some of it with my wife, Cherie, whose editing of the entire text has improved the work immeasurably. Indeed, I believe it would have been proper for her to accept coauthorship, but she graciously declined the offer! I owe her a debt of gratitude which I hope will be repaid in part by her seeing the text finally between covers. The chapters on water regulation (Chap. 5) and thermo regulation (Chap. 6) have benefited from the refereeing of my colleague, Dr. Barry Lovegrove, of the Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg.
Download or read book Ecophysiology of Desert Reptiles written by Sidney Donald Bradshaw and published by . This book was released on 1986-01-01 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Peer to Peer Video Streaming written by Eric Setton and published by Springer. This book was released on 2008-11-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Peer-to-Peer Video Streaming describes novel solutions to enhance video quality, increase robustness to errors, and reduce end-to-end latency in video streaming systems. This book will be of use to both academics and professionals as it presents thorough coverage and solutions for current issues with Video Streaming and Peer-to-Peer architectures. The book provides an overview of today’s state-of-the art video streaming technology. It presents adaptive video coding and streaming techniques for performance enhancement of conventional client-server systems and P2P multicast. The detailed appendix incorporates various additional experiments.
Download or read book Ecophysiology of Small Desert Mammals written by Allan A. Degen and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since small mammals have a large surface to mass ratio, one would expect them to quickly dehydrate and perish at high environmental temperatures. Nonetheless, a large number of small mammal species inhabit deserts. This fascinating phenomenon is investigated by Prof. A. Allan Degen in his book. The majority of small desert mammals are rodents, but shrews of several grams and small foxes of 1 kg are also present. Their survival is due mainly to behavioural adaptations and habitat selection, however, physiological adaptations also contribute to the success. Interestingly, many small mammals that live in different deserts of the world show similarities in their adaptive traits although they have different taxonomic affinities.
Download or read book Ecophysiology of Amphibians Inhabiting Xeric Environments written by Michael Warburg and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A description of the structural and functional adaptations of the key organs such as skin, kidneys, bladder, lungs and ovaries, with special emphasis placed on physiological adaptations: water, electrolyte, nitrogen, and thermal balance and their endocrine control. One whole chapter devoted to ecological aspects covers such exciting topics as development and metamorphosis, larval competition for food resources, and reproductive strategies.
Download or read book Vertebrate Ecophysiology written by Don Bradshaw and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2003-04-24 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecophysiology attempts to clarify the role and importance of physiological processes, such as digestion and respiration, in the ecological relations of species in their natural habitats. The basic principles and methods that are central to any ecophysiological study are outlined and discussed, including animal capture, blood collection, and the measurement of plasma components and hormone levels. Attention is paid to animal welfare and ethical considerations, and the question of stress and how to identify its presence in animals in their natural environment is approached through a series of case studies. Examples are given from a wide range of vertebrates living in deserts, cold climates and oceans, and recent findings on the physiological adaptations of Antarctic birds and mammals are a highlight of the book. This textbook will provide an introduction to the study of ecophysiology for advanced undergraduates and postgraduate students, as well as researchers in ecology, biodiversity and conservation.
Download or read book Ecology of Desert Systems written by Walter G. Whitford and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2002-03-25 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conventional wisdom considers deserts stark, harsh regions that support few living things. Most people also believe that water alone makes the desert bloom. Ecology of Desert Systems challenges these conventional views. This volume explores a broad range of topics of interest to ecosystem, population, community, and physiological ecologists. Climate, weather patterns, geomorphology, and wind and water processes are examined as variables that affect the distribution of biota through fundamental ecosystem processes. Descriptions of morphological, behavioral, and physiological adaptations of desert biota illuminate, through the lens of patch dynamics, principles for understanding observed patterns of primary production, nutrient cycling, and the effects of consumers. Desertification, and the techniques for monitoring and quantifying it, is examined within the framework of desert ecosystem patterns and processes. * Focuses on the interactions of climate, soil, and biota along a spectrum of spatial and temporal scales * Details the role of animals in desert ecosystems and landscape processes * Examines watershed scale processes, the ecology of ephemeral lakes, and the ecological changes identified with desertification * Outlines the fundamental concepts relevant to sustainable development of arid lands
Download or read book Ecophysiology of the Camelidae and Desert Ruminants written by Richard T. Wilson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I have spent less time in the arid zone in the last few years than I did during the 1960's, 1970's and early 1980's. This results from a progression through age and a career structure which gradually shifted the emphasis of my work from being essentially field-oriented to essentially office-hound. When, therefore, I was asked by John Cloudsley-Thompson to undertake the writing of this hook I hesitated for two reasons. One reason was that, although I now had access to good library facilities and kept up with the literature on the arid zones and their fauna, I was not sure that a sedentary and pleasant life in a temperate highland island in tropieal Africa would provide a mental attitude suitable to writing a hook which related to areas where life is usually nomadie and often extremely disagreeable. The other reason was that I was uncertain whether I could devote the time necessary to researehing and writing the hook on top of my professional (which now specifical ly excluded research in the arid zones and on camels) and social (new-found and time-consuming) commitments. In the event I accepted and the fates were kind to me. By some peculiar combination of circumstances I was given the opportunity to spend a considerable part of the first half of 1988 in some of the driest areas of the globe. I had already visited all of the locations used for the construction of Fig. 2.
Download or read book Ecology of Desert Organisms written by Gideon Louw and published by Longman Publishing Group. This book was released on 1982 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In this book the authors consider the ecology of desert organisms. They have illustrated the principles involved with a selection of interesting examples from a wide body of research and from their own experience. In their study they have given equal emphasis to physiological ecology and population ecology. They have looked both at the way organisms avoid the extremes of the desert environment and at adaptations in their morphology, physiology and behaviour which make them better able to tolerate the unfavourable conditions. Reproduction and the dynamics, structure and evolution of desert communities are also discussed in detail, and in the concluding chapter the authors consider the increasingly important role of man in shaping the desert environment. The book provides a broad synthesis of the major principles of ecology, and with its balance between the botanical and zoological aspects of the subject, it will be of value to life scientists in general. Students wishing to broaden their knowledge of ecology as well as the reader interested in desert biology will find here a wealth of fascinating material in a clear and concise form" -- Back cover
Download or read book Behavioural Adaptations of Desert Animals written by Giovanni Costa and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After a brief survey of biotopic and vegetational features and an account of the main groups of desert animals, the most unusual patterns of the behaviour of the xerophilous fauna are examined. The importance of the thermohygric regulation and self-protective and locomotor mechanisms to the survival of arid-adapted animals is emphasized and various adaptations in the alimentary, reproductive and social spheres are analyzed. The clear and fluent treatment will awaken the interest of the reading public, from the amateur naturalists to research scientists.
Download or read book Environmental Physiology of Animals written by Pat Willmer and published by Wiley-Blackwell. This book was released on 2000-02-28 with total page 644 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new text provides a fresh approach to the subject of animal physiology, truly integrating comparative and environmental aspects for the first time. The book is divided into three sections: the first covers the basic principles of adaptation and problems of size and scale; the second tackles the key mechanisms in comparative physiology; and the third considers in detail how organisms (both vertebrate and invertebrate) cope with particular environments. Throughout this final section, relevant comparative aspects are given prominence in boxes so that interesting topics can be explored in greater depth. Several textbooks deal with the physiological functioning and comparative adaptations of animals, but this one is different: Includes both comparative systems physiology (basic principles and mechanisms of excretion, thermal biology, respiration, etc) and environmental physiology (problems of life in different habitats), with easy cross-reference between the two. Analyses and integrates problems and adaptations for each kind of environment: marine, seashore and estuary, freshwater, terrestrial and parasitic. For example, it explains how seashore animals survive both tidal submersion in cold salt water and exposure to warm dry air, cope with wide variations in salinity and temperature and achieve both aerial and underwater breathing. Examines mechanisms and responses beyond physiology. It analyses the costs of different types of locomotion, together with the mechanical challenges and varying sensory needs imposed by different environments. Behavioural responses to environmental challenges are considered, including the evolution of mating systems and life-history strategies, as well as responses to stresses imposed by humans. The book therefore integrates the biochemical, physiological, behavioral and ecological adaptations that allow animals to survive in particular environments. Applies an evolutionary perspective to the analysis of environmental adaptation. It introduces modern, phylogeny-based comparative methods that have become standard techniques in the analysis of evolutionary patterns. Provides modern molecular biological insights into the mechanistic basis of adaptation, and takes the level of analysis beyond the cell to the membrane, enzyme and gene. Incorporates more varied material from a wide range of animal types, with less of a focus purely on terrestrial reptiles, birds and mammals and more on the spectacularly successful strategies of invertebrates. This is a core text for modern undergraduate courses in animal physiology, comparative physiology, environmental physiology and physiological ecology. It is also suitable for the physiological components of any animal biology course, and a key resource for degree courses in environmental biology.
Download or read book Handbook of Mathematical Models in Computer Vision written by Nikos Paragios and published by Springer. This book was released on 2008-11-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract Biological vision is a rather fascinating domain of research. Scientists of various origins like biology, medicine, neurophysiology, engineering, math ematics, etc. aim to understand the processes leading to visual perception process and at reproducing such systems. Understanding the environment is most of the time done through visual perception which appears to be one of the most fundamental sensory abilities in humans and therefore a significant amount of research effort has been dedicated towards modelling and repro ducing human visual abilities. Mathematical methods play a central role in this endeavour. Introduction David Marr's theory v^as a pioneering step tov^ards understanding visual percep tion. In his view human vision was based on a complete surface reconstruction of the environment that was then used to address visual subtasks. This approach was proven to be insufficient by neuro-biologists and complementary ideas from statistical pattern recognition and artificial intelligence were introduced to bet ter address the visual perception problem. In this framework visual perception is represented by a set of actions and rules connecting these actions. The emerg ing concept of active vision consists of a selective visual perception paradigm that is basically equivalent to recovering from the environment the minimal piece information required to address a particular task of interest.
Download or read book The Ecology of Desert Communities written by Gary A. Polis and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2023-01-17 with total page 470 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Provides interesting and thought-provoking reading and is highly recommended to anyone interested in desert ecosystems or community ecology. The book . . . should serve as an inspiration to many for future research."—Journal of Biogeography "This book is not just about deserts; it is an update of the contributions that research in desert systems is making to community ecology. . . This book will provide a useful reference for desert ecologists, as well as indicate critical directions where progress needs to be made."—Ecology "This important book fills a significant gap in previous syntheses by presenting a detailed series of reviews of current understanding of community patterns and structure in desert environments. . . . Each chapter is thorough and well written and . . . closes with a discussion of suggested future research. . . . [T]hese ideas will do much to focus interest on the importance of desert systems in understanding community. Thus, this book has interest well beyond desert ecologists alone."—BioScience "Valuable reading and reference for ecology students, teachers and researchers."—Quarterly Review of Biology
Download or read book The Biology of Deserts written by David Ward and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A revised and thoroughly updated edition of this concise but comprehensive introduction to desert ecology.
Download or read book Environmental Physiology of Desert Organisms written by Neil F. Hadley and published by Dowden Hutchinson and Ross. This book was released on 1975 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Heat flux and the thermal regime of desert plants; Adaptations of desert lichens to drought and extreme temperatures; Dynamics of great basin shrub root systems; Environmental and plant factors influencing transpiration of desert plants; Coloration and its thermal consequences for diurnal desert insects. Thermoregulation and flight energetics of desert insects; Nitrogen excretion in arid-adapted amphibians; The water relations of two populations of noncaptive desert rodents.
