Download or read book Evolution of Desert Biota written by David W. Goodall and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2014-07-09 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by specialists in the field, the papers in this volume explore evolution of animals and plants on the deserts of North America, South America, and Australia. Together, the articles constitute a complete survey of the geological history of the deserts of three continents, the evolution of the animals and plants of those deserts, and their adaptations to the environments in which they live. The first paper, by Otto T. Solbrig, discusses the flora of the South American temperate and semidesert regions, citing numerous genera and reasons that they are found in the different areas. John S. Beard uses the same approach in his discussion of the evolution of Australian desert plants and focuses on western Australian areas. Guillermo Sarmiento appraises the evolution of arid vegetation in tropical America, including the Lesser Antilles and the Coast Range of Venezuela and Colombia. A. R. Main surveys the adaptation of Australian vertebrates to desert conditions and gives examples of how various species of birds, reptiles, and amphibians adapt to their environment in order for the greatest number to survive. James A. MacMahon designates specific communities in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts and discusses the similarity of species of the North American desert mammal faunas found there, while Bobbi S. Low focuses on the evolution of amphibian life histories in the desert and compiles a lengthy table of amphibia comparing egg size, habitat, number of eggs per clutch, and so forth. Finally, W. Frank Blair treats adaptation of anurans to equivalent desert scrub of North and South America and cites various species of frogs and toads that are found in similar areas. The volume also includes an introduction by the editor and an index. Evolution of Desert Biota is the result of a symposium held during the First International Congress of Systematic and Evolutionary Biology in Boulder, Colorado; in August 1973.

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 476 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 Ecology of Sonoran Desert Plants and Plant Communities written by Robert H. Robichaux and published by . This book was released on 1999-04 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers an accessible introduction to Sonoran Desert ecology. Eight original essays by Sonoran Desert specialists provide an overview of the practice of ecology at landscape, community, and organism levels. The essays explore the rich diversity of plant life in the Sonoran Desert and the ecological patterns and processes that underlie it. They also reveal the history and scientific legacy of the Desert Laboratory in Tucson, which has conducted research on the Sonoran Desert since 1903.

Download or read book Evolution of Desert Biota written by David W. Goodall and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 1976-02-01 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by specialists in the field, the papers in this volume explore evolution of animals and plants on the deserts of North America, South America, and Australia. Together, the articles constitute a complete survey of the geological history of the deserts of three continents, the evolution of the animals and plants of those deserts, and their adaptations to the environments in which they live. The first paper, by Otto T. Solbrig, discusses the flora of the South American temperate and semidesert regions, citing numerous genera and reasons that they are found in the different areas. John S. Beard uses the same approach in his discussion of the evolution of Australian desert plants and focuses on western Australian areas. Guillermo Sarmiento appraises the evolution of arid vegetation in tropical America, including the Lesser Antilles and the Coast Range of Venezuela and Colombia. A. R. Main surveys the adaptation of Australian vertebrates to desert conditions and gives examples of how various species of birds, reptiles, and amphibians adapt to their environment in order for the greatest number to survive. James A. MacMahon designates specific communities in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts and discusses the similarity of species of the North American desert mammal faunas found there, while Bobbi S. Low focuses on the evolution of amphibian life histories in the desert and compiles a lengthy table of amphibia comparing egg size, habitat, number of eggs per clutch, and so forth. Finally, W. Frank Blair treats adaptation of anurans to equivalent desert scrub of North and South America and cites various species of frogs and toads that are found in similar areas. The volume also includes an introduction by the editor and an index. Evolution of Desert Biota is the result of a symposium held during the First International Congress of Systematic and Evolutionary Biology in Boulder, Colorado; in August 1973.

Download or read book Desert Geomorphology written by Ronald U. Cooke and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 1993-01-14 with total page 540 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Including recent research findings from terrestrial satellite imagery, the study of planetary landscapes, and advances in laboratory work, this also covers the environmental processes involved in desertification and the solution of planning and

Download or read book Global Deserts Outlook written by Exequiel Ezcurra and published by UNEP/Earthprint. This book was released on 2006 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Namibia Business Intelligence Report - Practical Information, Opportunities, Contacts

Download or read book The Desert Bones written by Jamale Ijouiher and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2022-11-22 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An essential introduction to the age of dinosaurs in Africa. Once Africa was referred to as the ''Lost World of the dinosaur era,'' so poorly known were its ancient flora and fauna. Worse still, many priceless fossil specimens from the Sahara Desert were destroyed during the Second World War. Fortunately, in the twentieth-first century, more researchers are now working in north Africa than ever before and making fascinating discoveries such as the dinosaur Spinosaurus. Based on a decade of study, The Desert Bones brings the world of African dinosaurs fully into the light. Jamale Ijouiher skillfully draws on the latest research and knowledge about paleoecology to paint a compelling and comprehensive portrait of the mid-Cretaceous in North Africa.

Download or read book Columnar Cacti and Their Mutualists written by Theodore H. Fleming and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2019-05-28 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of writings on the ecology, evolution, and conservation of columnar cacti and their vertebrate mutualists, demonstrating that the survival of these cacti depends on animals who pollinate them and disperse their seeds.

Download or read book Aralkum a Man Made Desert written by Siegmar-W. Breckle and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-09-22 with total page 499 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Having been the fourth largest lake on the globe roughly 50 years ago, today the Aral Sea no longer exists. Human activities caused its desiccation and the formation of a huge new desert, the Aralkum, which can be regarded as one of the greatest ecological catastrophes and - at the same time - the largest primary succession experiment of mankind. This volume brings together the results of international and interdisciplinary long-term studies on the new desert ecosystem and is divided into four main sections. The first section provides an overview of the physical characteristics of the area and covers geological, pedological, geomorphological and climatological aspects and their dynamics, especially dust-storm dynamics. The second focuses on the biotic aspects and highlights the spatial and temporal patterns of the flora and fauna. In the third section studies and projects aiming to combat desertification by phytomelioration and to develop strategies for the conservation of biodiversity are presented. The book is rounded off with a section providing a synthesis and conclusions.

Download or read book Evolutionary Biogeography written by Juan Morrone and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Rather than favoring only one approach, Juan J. Morrone proposes a comprehensive treatment of the developments and theories of evolutionary biogeography. Evolutionary biogeography uses distributional, phylogenetic, molecular, and fossil data to assess the historical changes that have produced current biotic patterns. Panbiogeography, parsimony analysis of endemicity, cladistic biogeography, and phylogeography are the four recent and most common approaches. Many conceive of these methods as representing different "schools," but Morrone shows how each addresses different questions in the various steps of an evolutionary biogeographical analysis. Panbiogeography and parsimony analysis of endemicity are useful for identifying biotic components or areas of endemism. Cladistic biogeography uses phylogenetic data to determine the relationships between these biotic components. Further information on fossils, phylogeographic patterns, and molecular clocks can be incorporated to identify different cenocrons. Finally, available geological knowledge can help construct a geobiotic scenario that may explain how analyzed areas were put into contact and how the biotic components and cenocrons inhabiting them evolved. Morrone compares these methods and employs case studies to make it clear which is best for the question at hand. Set problems, discussion sections, and glossaries further enhance classroom use."--Publisher's description.

Download or read book Climate Change in Deserts written by Martin Williams and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-08-11 with total page 653 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A synthesis of the environmental and climatic history of every major desert and desert margin, for researchers and advanced students.

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 Evolutionary Biology written by Max K. Hecht and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-11 with total page 676 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first volume of Evolutionary Bio/ogy was published eleven years ago. Since that time eleven volumes and one supplement have appeared. As stated in earlier prefaces, we are continuing the focus of this series on critical reviews, commentaries, original papers, and controversies in evolu tionary biology. lt is our aim to publish papers primarily of greater length than normally published by society journals and quarterlies. We therefore invite colleagues to submit chapters that fall within the focus and standards of Evolutionary Bio/ogy. The Editors vii Contents 1. Precambrian Evolution of Photosynthetic and Respiratory Organisms lohn M. 0/son Outline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Basic Assumptions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Photosynthetic Energy Conversion and Electron Transport . . . . . . . 6 Oxygen-Evolving Organisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Photosynthetic Bacteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Photoassimilation and Cyclic Electron Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 . . . . . Acetate Assimilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 . . . . . . . . . . . The Common Ancestor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 . . . . . . . . . . . Chlorophyll. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quinone................................................ 19 Linear Electron Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 . . . . . . . . . Light-Harvesting Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 . . . . . . . . . Evolution of Photosynthetic Bacteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 . . . . . . . Purpie and Green Bacteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 . . . . . . . . . Evolution of Blue-Green Algae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 . . . . . . . . Weak Electron Donors for the Protoalgae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 . . . . . Evolution of Respiration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 . . . . . . . . . . General Remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. Molecular Structure and Protein Variation within and among Populations Richard K. Koehn and Waller F. Eanes Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Molecular Properlies and Structural Variation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 . . . . Amino Acid Composition and Quaternary Structure . . . . . . . . 46 . . Protomer Size and Quaternary Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 . . . . . ix X Contents Enzyme Polymorphism and Quaternary Structure . . . . . . . . . . . 50 . . . Enzyme Polymorphism and Subunit Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 . . . . . . Data and Analyses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 . . . . . . . . . . . Drosophila Enzyme Polymorphism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 . . . . . . . Human Enzyme Polymorphism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 . . . . . . . . Enzyme Polymorphism: Structure and Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 . . . . .

Download or read book Evolutionary Ecology written by and published by Eric R. Pianka. This book was released on 2011 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Finally, an eBook version of this now classic textbook has become available. Largely based on the 6th edition, published in 2000, this version is competitively priced. Written by well-known ecologist Eric R. Pianka, a student of the late Robert H. MacArthur, this timeless treatment of evolutionary ecology, first published in 1974, will endure for many decades to come. Basic principles of ecology are framed in an evolutionary perspective.

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 Ecological Geography of the Sea written by Alan R. Longhurst and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2010-08-03 with total page 575 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents an in-depth discussion of the biological and ecological geography of the oceans. It synthesizes locally restricted studies of the ocean to generate a global geography of the vast marine world.Based on patterns of algal ecology, the book divides the ocean into four primary compartments, which are then subdivided into secondary compartments.*Includes color insert of the latest in satellite imagery showing the world's oceans, their similarities and differences*Revised and updated to reflect the latest in oceanographic research*Ideal for anyone interested in understanding ocean ecology -- accessible and informative

Download or read book Understanding Climate s Influence on Human Evolution written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2010-04-17 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The hominin fossil record documents a history of critical evolutionary events that have ultimately shaped and defined what it means to be human, including the origins of bipedalism; the emergence of our genus Homo; the first use of stone tools; increases in brain size; and the emergence of Homo sapiens, tools, and culture. The Earth's geological record suggests that some evolutionary events were coincident with substantial changes in African and Eurasian climate, raising the possibility that critical junctures in human evolution and behavioral development may have been affected by the environmental characteristics of the areas where hominins evolved. Understanding Climate's Change on Human Evolution explores the opportunities of using scientific research to improve our understanding of how climate may have helped shape our species. Improved climate records for specific regions will be required before it is possible to evaluate how critical resources for hominins, especially water and vegetation, would have been distributed on the landscape during key intervals of hominin history. Existing records contain substantial temporal gaps. The book's initiatives are presented in two major research themes: first, determining the impacts of climate change and climate variability on human evolution and dispersal; and second, integrating climate modeling, environmental records, and biotic responses. Understanding Climate's Change on Human Evolution suggests a new scientific program for international climate and human evolution studies that involve an exploration initiative to locate new fossil sites and to broaden the geographic and temporal sampling of the fossil and archeological record; a comprehensive and integrative scientific drilling program in lakes, lake bed outcrops, and ocean basins surrounding the regions where hominins evolved and a major investment in climate modeling experiments for key time intervals and regions that are critical to understanding human evolution.