EBookClubs

Read Books & Download eBooks Full Online

EBookClubs

Read Books & Download eBooks Full Online

Book Geographic Structure in a Symbiotic Mutualism

Download or read book Geographic Structure in a Symbiotic Mutualism written by Susanne Altermann and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution

Download or read book The Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution written by John N. Thompson and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2005-06-15 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coevolution—reciprocal evolutionary change in interacting species driven by natural selection—is one of the most important ecological and genetic processes organizing the earth's biodiversity: most plants and animals require coevolved interactions with other species to survive and reproduce. The Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution analyzes how the biology of species provides the raw material for long-term coevolution, evaluates how local coadaptation forms the basic module of coevolutionary change, and explores how the coevolutionary process reshapes locally coevolving interactions across the earth's constantly changing landscapes. Picking up where his influential The Coevolutionary Process left off, John N. Thompsonsynthesizes the state of a rapidly developing science that integrates approaches from evolutionary ecology, population genetics, phylogeography, systematics, evolutionary biochemistry and physiology, and molecular biology. Using models, data, and hypotheses to develop a complete conceptual framework, Thompson also draws on examples from a wide range of taxa and environments, illustrating the expanding breadth and depth of research in coevolutionary biology.

Book Biogeography of Microscopic Organisms

Download or read book Biogeography of Microscopic Organisms written by Diego Fontaneto and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2011-05-19 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bringing together the viewpoints of leading experts in taxonomy, ecology and biogeography of different taxa, this book synthesises discussion surrounding the so-called 'everything is everywhere' hypothesis. It addresses the processes that generate spatial patterns of diversity and biogeography in organisms that can potentially be cosmopolitan. The contributors discuss questions such as: are microorganisms (e.g. prokaryotes, protists, algae, yeast and microscopic fungi, plants and animals) really cosmopolitan in their distribution? What are the biological properties that allow such potential distribution? Are there processes that would limit their distribution? Are microorganisms intrinsically different from macroscopic ones? What can microorganisms tell us about the generalities of biogeography? Can they be used for experimental biogeography? Written for graduate students and academic researchers, the book promotes a more complete understanding of the spatial patterns and the general processes in biogeography.

Book The Odyssey of a Woman Field Scientist

Download or read book The Odyssey of a Woman Field Scientist written by JEAN H. LANGENHEIM and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2010-02-22 with total page 541 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here, Jean Langenheim presents her odyssey as a woman field scientist, who crossed boundaries of botany, geology, and chemistry in doing ecological studies. The book includes almost two hundred photographs and maps and uses a unique timeline as context for her story in relation to relevant historical events, significant changes in the status of women, and milestones in ecology from the 1920s to the present. Her research spans five continents and ranges from arctic-alpine to tropical environments. It includes many adventures (such as a forced plane landing in Amazonia and working in the midst of a coup dtat in Colombia) and interactions with diverse cultures, from Alaska Eskimo to Ghanain family life. She tells the story of a rich life of learning and discovery, through difficult and good times, which she has shared with her husband and later with her students, colleagues, and many friends many around the world. INITIAL REVIEW STATEMENTS Anyone who reads this rich and wonderfully interesting memoir will be inspired by what Jean Langenheim has accomplished scientifically and personally during her long and distinguished career at the interface of multiple scientific fields. This is more than a personal memoir by a leading scientist. It is a deeply insightful reflection on how major scientific disciplines have developed over the past half century and how the culture of scientific research itself has changed. John Thompson, Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolution, University of California, Santa Cruz (quoted in UCSC press release http://press.ucsc.edu/text.asp?pid=3771 ) The title of this good read is truly apropos---it is an odyssey of the mind as well as life of a self-confessed adventurous woman, someone always open to the next chapter in an ever-changing life, lived during a period of significant social and technological changes. Theres a solid dose of real scientific research and discovery, tempered by the authors vivid descriptions of her travels, of the wonders of the natural world, and of the cultures she encounters in some amazing places she finds herself. Provocatively, you may recognize and view elements of your own life in ways you never thought about before. Susan Martin, retired researcher US Department of Agriculture, Colorado State University. I liked very much your life metaphor about weaving threads in your life tapestry. It was delightful to read how those threads were constructed and woven. Your life has been very rich, impacting and inspiring many people with your thoughts and action. Francisco Espinosa-Garcia, Professor, National University of Mexico Center for Ecosystem Research, Morelia, Mexico.

Book The Coevolutionary Process

    Book Details:
  • Author : John N. Thompson
  • Publisher : University of Chicago Press
  • Release : 2009-04-24
  • ISBN : 0226797678
  • Pages : 388 pages

Download or read book The Coevolutionary Process written by John N. Thompson and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2009-04-24 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traditional ecological approaches to species evolution have frequently studied too few species, relatively small areas, and relatively short time spans. In The Coevolutionary Process, John N. Thompson advances a new conceptual approach to the evolution of species interactions—the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution. Thompson demonstrates how an integrated study of life histories, genetics, and the geographic structure of populations yields a broader understanding of coevolution, or the development of reciprocal adaptations and specializations in interdependent species. Using examples of species interactions from an enormous range of taxa, Thompson examines how and when extreme specialization evolves in interdependent species and how geographic differences in specialization, adaptation, and the outcomes of interactions shape coevolution. Through the geographic mosaic theory, Thompson bridges the gap between the study of specialization and coevolution in local communities and the study of broader patterns seen in comparisons of the phylogenies of interacting species.

Book The Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution

Download or read book The Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution written by John N. Thompson and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2005-06-15 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coevolution—reciprocal evolutionary change in interacting species driven by natural selection—is one of the most important ecological and genetic processes organizing the earth's biodiversity: most plants and animals require coevolved interactions with other species to survive and reproduce. The Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution analyzes how the biology of species provides the raw material for long-term coevolution, evaluates how local coadaptation forms the basic module of coevolutionary change, and explores how the coevolutionary process reshapes locally coevolving interactions across the earth's constantly changing landscapes. Picking up where his influential The Coevolutionary Process left off, John N. Thompsonsynthesizes the state of a rapidly developing science that integrates approaches from evolutionary ecology, population genetics, phylogeography, systematics, evolutionary biochemistry and physiology, and molecular biology. Using models, data, and hypotheses to develop a complete conceptual framework, Thompson also draws on examples from a wide range of taxa and environments, illustrating the expanding breadth and depth of research in coevolutionary biology.

Book Plant Animal Interactions

    Book Details:
  • Author : Kleber Del-Claro
  • Publisher : Springer Nature
  • Release : 2021-06-04
  • ISBN : 3030668770
  • Pages : 357 pages

Download or read book Plant Animal Interactions written by Kleber Del-Claro and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-06-04 with total page 357 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 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.

Book Mutualism

    Book Details:
  • Author : Judith L. Bronstein
  • Publisher : OUP Oxford
  • Release : 2015-07-30
  • ISBN : 0191663204
  • Pages : 398 pages

Download or read book Mutualism written by Judith L. Bronstein and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2015-07-30 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mutualisms, interactions between two species that benefit both of them, have long captured the public imagination. Their influence transcends levels of biological organization from cells to populations, communities, and ecosystems. Mutualistic symbioses were crucial to the origin of eukaryotic cells, and perhaps to the invasion of land. Mutualisms occur in every terrestrial and aquatic habitat; indeed, ecologists now believe that almost every species on Earth is involved directly or indirectly in one or more of these interactions. Mutualisms are essential to the reproduction and survival of virtually all organisms, as well as to nutrient cycles in ecosystems. Furthermore, the key ecosystem services that mutualists provide mean that they are increasingly being considered as conservation priorities, ironically at the same time as the acute risks to their ecological and evolutionary persistence are increasingly being identified. This volume, the first general work on mutualism to appear in almost thirty years, provides a detailed and conceptually-oriented overview of the subject. Focusing on a range of ecological and evolutionary aspects over different scales (from individual to ecosystem), the chapters in this book provide expert coverage of our current understanding of mutualism whilst highlighting the most important questions that remain to be answered. In bringing together a diverse team of expert contributors, this novel text captures the excitement of a dynamic field that will help to define its future research agenda.

Book The Symbiotic Habit

    Book Details:
  • Author : Angela E. Douglas
  • Publisher : Princeton University Press
  • Release : 2021-08-10
  • ISBN : 1400835437
  • Pages : 215 pages

Download or read book The Symbiotic Habit written by Angela E. Douglas and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-08-10 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout the natural world, organisms have responded to predators, inadequate resources, or inclement conditions by forming ongoing mutually beneficial partnerships--or symbioses--with different species. Symbiosis is the foundation for major evolutionary events, such as the emergence of eukaryotes and plant eating among vertebrates, and is also a crucial factor in shaping many ecological communities. The Symbiotic Habit provides an accessible and authoritative introduction to symbiosis, describing how symbioses are established, function, and persist in evolutionary and ecological time. Angela Douglas explains the evolutionary origins and development of symbiosis, and illustrates the principles of symbiosis using a variety of examples of symbiotic relationships as well as nonsymbiotic ones, such as parasitic or fleeting mutualistic associations. Although the reciprocal exchange of benefit is the key feature of symbioses, the benefits are often costly to provide, causing conflict among the partners. Douglas shows how these conflicts can be managed by a single controlling organism that may selectively reward cooperative partners, control partner transmission, and employ recognition mechanisms that discriminate between beneficial and potentially harmful or ineffective partners. The Symbiotic Habit reveals the broad uniformity of symbiotic process across many different symbioses among organisms with diverse evolutionary histories, and demonstrates how symbioses can be used to manage ecosystems, enhance food production, and promote human health.

Book Geography

    Book Details:
  • Author : Jermie R. Stephen
  • Publisher : Lotus Press
  • Release : 2004-03
  • ISBN : 9788189093341
  • Pages : 204 pages

Download or read book Geography written by Jermie R. Stephen and published by Lotus Press. This book was released on 2004-03 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lotus Press

Book Approaches to Plant Evolutionary Ecology

Download or read book Approaches to Plant Evolutionary Ecology written by Gregory Paul Cheplick and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2015 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Plant evolutionary ecology is a rapidly growing discipline which emphasizes that populations evolve and adapt not in isolation, but in relation to other species and abiotic environmental features such as climate. By combining approaches from the traditional evolutionary and ecological fields of study, evolutionary ecology is connected to branches of population biology, genetics, botany, conservation, and to other fields of applied science, primarily through shared concepts and techniques. However, other books regarding evolutionary ecology typically focus on animals, creating a substantial need for a synthesis of the scholarly literature with an emphasis on plants. Approaches to Plant Evolutionary Ecology is the first book to specifically explore the evolutionary biology of plant populations. Renowned plant ecologist G. P. Cheplick summarizes and synthesizes much of the primary literature regarding evolutionary perspective. The book also provides summaries of both traditional (common gardens, reciprocal transplants) and modern (molecular genetic) approaches used to address questions about plant adaptation to a diverse group of abiotic and biotic factors. Cheplick provides a rigorously written introduction to the rapidly growing field of plant evolutionary ecology that will appeal to undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in ecology and evolution, as well as educators who are teaching courses on related topics. -- from back cover.

Book Recent Advances in Lichenology

Download or read book Recent Advances in Lichenology written by Dalip Kumar Upreti and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-02-09 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book discusses in detail molecular, mycobiont culture, biomonitoring and bioprospection of lichens, providing insights into advances in different fields of lichenology by applying modern techniques and approaches and examining how their application has enhanced or changed classical approaches. It offers a valuable resource, especially for beginners, students and researchers from different academic backgrounds interested in the study of lichens. In recent years, the introduction of modern analytical techniques and approaches has significantly improved our understanding of the environment, including lichens. Lichens are unique organisms which possess untapped potential as effective and reliable bioindicators, sources of therapeutic phytochemicals, and as excellent extremophiles. The unique and peculiar characteristics of lichens underline the need for a multidimensional approach to explore their potential in various fields of environment science, botany and chemistry. Modern techniques, especially molecular techniques, have greatly enriched the field of lichen taxonomy and its position in the plant kingdom, revealing little-known species and exploring their evolutionary history, while multivariate analysis and GIS approaches have established lichens as an ideal and reliable tool for monitoring air pollution. Advanced culture techniques have expanded the pharmacological applications of lichens, which was formerly restricted due to their small biomass. The advent of sophisticated analytical instrumentation has now facilitated the isolation and characterization of lichens’ bioactive constituents, even in lower concentrations, as well as the estimation of their stress responses at different levels of pollution. As lichen diversity is adversely affected by increasing air pollution, there is a pressing need to develop effective management practices to conserve, restore and document lichen diversity.

Book Mutualistic Networks

    Book Details:
  • Author : Jordi Bascompte
  • Publisher : Princeton University Press
  • Release : 2013-12-08
  • ISBN : 0691131260
  • Pages : 224 pages

Download or read book Mutualistic Networks written by Jordi Bascompte and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2013-12-08 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mutualistic interactions among plants and animals have played a paramount role in shaping biodiversity. Yet the majority of studies on mutualistic interactions have involved only a few species, as opposed to broader mutual connections between communities of organisms. Mutualistic Networks is the first book to comprehensively explore this burgeoning field. Integrating different approaches, from the statistical description of network structures to the development of new analytical frameworks, Jordi Bascompte and Pedro Jordano describe the architecture of these mutualistic networks and show their importance for the robustness of biodiversity and the coevolutionary process. Making a case for why we should care about mutualisms and their complex networks, this book offers a new perspective on the study and synthesis of this growing area for ecologists and evolutionary biologists. It will serve as the standard reference for all future work on mutualistic interactions in biological communities.

Book Urban Evolutionary Biology

    Book Details:
  • Author : Marta Szulkin
  • Publisher : Oxford University Press
  • Release : 2020-05-05
  • ISBN : 0192573845
  • Pages : 352 pages

Download or read book Urban Evolutionary Biology written by Marta Szulkin and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2020-05-05 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Urban Evolutionary Biology fills an important knowledge gap on wild organismal evolution in the urban environment, whilst offering a novel exploration of the fast-growing new field of evolutionary research. The growing rate of urbanization and the maturation of urban study systems worldwide means interest in the urban environment as an agent of evolutionary change is rapidly increasing. We are presently witnessing the emergence of a new field of research in evolutionary biology. Despite its rapid global expansion, the urban environment has until now been a largely neglected study site among evolutionary biologists. With its conspicuously altered ecological dynamics, it stands in stark contrast to the natural environments traditionally used as cornerstones for evolutionary ecology research. Urbanization can offer a great range of new opportunities to test for rapid evolutionary processes as a consequence of human activity, both because of replicate contexts for hypothesis testing, but also because cities are characterized by an array of easily quantifiable environmental axes of variation and thus testable agents of selection. Thanks to a wide possible breadth of inference (in terms of taxa) that may be studied, and a great variety of analytical methods, urban evolution has the potential to stand at a fascinating multi-disciplinary crossroad, enriching the field of evolutionary biology with emergent yet incredibly potent new research themes where the urban habitat is key. Urban Evolutionary Biology is an advanced textbook suitable for graduate level students as well as professional researchers studying the genetics, evolutionary biology, and ecology of urban environments. It is also highly relevant to urban ecologists and urban wildlife practitioners.

Book Plant Animal Interactions

    Book Details:
  • Author : Carlos M. Herrera
  • Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
  • Release : 2009-04-13
  • ISBN : 1444312294
  • Pages : 328 pages

Download or read book Plant Animal Interactions written by Carlos M. Herrera and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-04-13 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Interactions between plants and animals are incredibly diverse and complex and span terrestrial, atmospheric and aquatic environments. The last decade has seen the emergence of a vast quantity of data on the subject and there is now a perceived need among both teachers and undergraduate students for a new textbook that incorporates the numerous recent advances made in the field. The book is intended for use by advanced level undergraduate and beginning graduate students, taking related courses in wider ecology degree programmes. Very few books cover this subject and those that do are out of date.

Book Advances in Endophytic Research

Download or read book Advances in Endophytic Research written by Vijay C. Verma and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-12 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ​In recent years there has been significant attention paid on the endophytic research by various groups working within this domain. Mutualistic endophytic microbes with an emphasis on the relatively understudied fungal endophytes are the focus of this special book. Plants are associated with micro-organisms: endophytic bacteria and fungi, which live inter- and intra-cellularly without inducing pathogenic symptoms, but have active biochemical and genetic interactions with their host. Endophytes play vital roles as plant growth promoters, biocontrol agents, biosurfactant producers, enzymes and secondary metabolite producers, as well as providing a new hidden repertoire of bioactive natural products with uses in pharmaceutical, agrochemical and other biotechnological applications. The increasing interest in endophytic research generates significant progress in our understanding of the host-endophyte relationship at molecular and genetic level. The bio-prospection of microbial endophytes has led to exciting possibilities for their biotechnological application as biocontrol agent, bioactive metabolites, and other useful traits. Apart from these virtues, the microbial endophytes may be adapted to the complex metabolism of many desired molecules that can be of significant industrial applications. These microbes can be a useful alternative for sustainable solutions for ecological control of pests and diseases, and can reduce the burden of excess of chemical fertilizers for this purpose. This book is an attempt to review the recent development in the understanding of microbial endophytes and their potential biotechnological applications. This is a collection of literature authored by noted researchers having signatory status in endophytic research and summarizes the development achieved so far, and future prospects for further research in this fascinating area of research.

Book Biogeography

    Book Details:
  • Author : Glen MacDonald
  • Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
  • Release : 2002-02-28
  • ISBN : 0471241938
  • Pages : 536 pages

Download or read book Biogeography written by Glen MacDonald and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2002-02-28 with total page 536 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Illustrative examples from recent research publications and "classic" studies are prominently featured throughout the book. Research techniques are highlighted in "special interest" boxes. Illustrations and descriptions of research techniques are provided with examples such as fire-scars from trees used to reconstruct disturbance, fossil pollen used to reconstruct vegetation change and plant migration, transect and quadrate sampling. Includes key biogeographical theories that link space and time to the distribution of life. Some of these theories include: 1. Ranges, Reflicts, Refuges, Corridors, Barriers, 2. Centers of Origins, 3. Cladistics, 4. Variance, 5. Island BioGeography, 6. Diversity Theory, 7. Gap Analysis for Conservation.