Download or read book The Terrestrial Invasion written by Colin Little and published by CUP Archive. This book was released on 1990 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The theme of this book is the invasion of land by animal lines which originated in aquatic environments. It brings together physiological and ecological evidence to show both the likely routes taken out of the sea by the aquatic ancestors of terrestrial animals and the changes in structure and function associated with these routes. The author takes an ecophysiological approach, and by using representative examples, provides a novel background against which both the terrestrial adaptations of individual species and the make up and function of terrestrial ecosystems can be considered. Dr Little is the author of the highly acclaimed book The Colonisation of Land, which discusses the phylogeny and physiology of terrestrial and semi-terrestrial animals. The Terrestrial Invasion takes a fresh approach and provides an excellent introduction to the origins of land animals suitable for ecologists, physiologists and evolutionary biologists.
Download or read book Biological Invasions in Changing Ecosystems written by João Canning-Clode and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2015-01-01 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When organisms are deliberately or accidentally introduced into a new ecosystem a biological invasion may take place. These so-called ‘invasive species’ may establish, spread and ecologically alter the invaded community. Biological invasions by animals, plants, pathogens or vectors are one of the greatest environmental and economic threats and, along with habitat destruction, a leading cause of global biodiversity loss. In this book, more than 50 worldwide invasion scientists cover our current understanding of biological invasions, its impacts, patterns and mechanisms in both aquatic and terrestrial systems.
Download or read book Invasions of the Land written by Malcolm S. Gordon and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 1994-03-15 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Invasions of the Land
Download or read book Plants Invade the Land written by Patricia G. Gensel and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2001-02-14 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What do we now know about the origins of plants on land, from an evolutionary and an environmental perspective? The essays in this collection present a synthesis of our present state of knowledge, integrating current information in paleobotany with physical, chemical, and geological data.
Download or read book The Colonisation of Land written by Colin Little and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1983-12-15 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book traces the ways in which terrestrial animals have evolved from aquatic ancestors and discusses the means by which they are adapted to life on land. The most important physiological adaptations are those involving salt and water balance, the excretion of nitrogen, reproductive mechanisms and the sense organ and these are given priority. Evidence from fossil history is combined with that from the ecology and physiology of present-day species to assess the probable routes along which various evolutionary lines had moved on to land. Individual chapters are concerned with specific animal groups and emphasis is placed on comparisons of physiological mechanisms between closely related animals before attempting wider generalisations. The book closes with a brief account of the recolonisation of the sea and fresh waters by terrestrial animals.
Download or read book Plants Invade the Land written by Patricia G. Gensel and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What do we now know about the origins of plants on land, from an evolutionary and an environmental perspective? The essays in this collection present a synthesis of our present state of knowledge, integrating current information in paleobotany with physical, chemical, and geological data.
Download or read book When the Invasion of Land Failed written by George R. McGhee, Jr. and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2013-11-12 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The invasion of land by ocean-dwelling plants and animals was one of the most revolutionary events in the evolution of life on Earth, yet the animal invasion almost failed—twice—because of the twin mass extinctions of the Late Devonian Epoch. Some 359 to 375 million years ago, these catastrophic events dealt our ancestors a blow that almost drove them back into the sea. If those extinctions had been just a bit more severe, spiders and insects might have become the ecologically dominant forms of animal life on land. This book examines the profound evolutionary consequences of the Late Devonian extinctions, which shaped the composition of the modern terrestrial ecosystem. Only one group of four-limbed vertebrates now live on Earth while other tetrapod-like fishes are extinct. This gap is why the idea of “fish with feet” seems so peculiar yet these animals were once a vital part of our world.
Download or read book Biological Invasions written by Wolfgang Nentwig and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-02-13 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new volume on Biological Invasions deals with both plants and animals, differing from previous books by extending from the level of individual species to an ecosystem and global level. Topics of highest societal relevance, such as the impact of genetically modified organisms, are interlinked with more conventional ecological aspects, including biodiversity. The combination of these approaches is new and makes compelling reading for researchers and environmentalists.
Download or read book Biological Invasions in South Africa written by Brian W. van Wilgen and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-03-10 with total page 972 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access volume presents a comprehensive account of all aspects of biological invasions in South Africa, where research has been conducted over more than three decades, and where bold initiatives have been implemented in attempts to control invasions and to reduce their ecological, economic and social effects. It covers a broad range of themes, including history, policy development and implementation, the status of invasions of animals and plants in terrestrial, marine and freshwater environments, the development of a robust ecological theory around biological invasions, the effectiveness of management interventions, and scenarios for the future. The South African situation stands out because of the remarkable diversity of the country, and the wide range of problems encountered in its varied ecosystems, which has resulted in a disproportionate investment into both research and management. The South African experience holds many lessons for other parts of the world, and this book should be of immense value to researchers, students, managers, and policy-makers who deal with biological invasions and ecosystem management and conservation in most other regions.
Download or read book Invasion Biology written by Mark A. Davis and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-01-29 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the exception of climate change, biological invasions have probably received more attention during the past ten years than any other ecological topic. Yet this is the first synthetic, single-authored overview of the field since Williamson's 1996 book. Written fifty years after the publication of Elton's pioneering monograph on the subject, Invasion Biology provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the science of biological invasions while also offering new insights and perspectives relating to the processes of introduction, establishment, and spread. The book connects science with application by describing the health, economic, and ecological impacts of invasive species as well as the variety of management strategies developed to mitigate harmful impacts. The author critically evaluates the approaches, findings, and controversies that have characterized invasion biology in recent years, and suggests a variety of future research directions. Carefully balanced to avoid distinct taxonomic, ecosystem, and geographic (both investigator and species) biases, the book addresses a wide range of invasive species (including protists, invertebrates, vertebrates, fungi, and plants) which have been studied in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments throughout the world by investigators equally diverse in their origins. This accessible and thought-provoking text will be of particular interest to graduate level students and established researchers in the fields of invasion biology, community ecology, conservation biology, and restoration ecology. It will also be of value and use to land managers, policy makers, and other professionals charged with controlling the negative impacts associated with recently arrived species.
Download or read book Invasion Biology written by Jonathan M Jeschke and published by CABI. This book was released on 2018-04-25 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are many hypotheses describing the interactions involved in biological invasions, but it is largely unknown whether they are backed up by empirical evidence. This book fills that gap by developing a tool for assessing research hypotheses and applying it to twelve invasion hypotheses, using the hierarchy-of-hypotheses (HoH) approach, and mapping the connections between theory and evidence. In Part 1, an overview chapter of invasion biology is followed by an introduction to the HoH approach and short chapters by science theorists and philosophers who comment on the approach. Part 2 outlines the invasion hypotheses and their interrelationships. These include biotic resistance and island susceptibility hypotheses, disturbance hypothesis, invasional meltdown hypothesis, enemy release hypothesis, evolution of increased competitive ability and shifting defence hypotheses, tens rule, phenotypic plasticity hypothesis, Darwin's naturalization and limiting similarity hypotheses and the propagule pressure hypothesis. Part 3 provides a synthesis and suggests future directions for invasion research.
Download or read book The Environmental Consequences of War written by Jay E. Austin and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2000-10-26 with total page 720 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The environmental devastation caused by military conflict has been witnessed in the wake of the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the Kosovo conflict. This book brings together leading international lawyers, military officers, scientists and economists to examine the legal, political, economic and scientific implications of wartime damage to the natural environment and public health. The book considers issues raised by the application of humanitarian norms and legal rules designed to protect the environment, and the destructive nature of war. Contributors offer an analysis and critique of the existing law of war framework, lessons from peacetime environmental law, means of scientific assessment and economic valuation of ecological and public health damage, and proposals for future legal and institutional developments. This book provides a contemporary forum for interdisciplinary analysis of armed conflict and the environment, and explores ways to prevent and redress wartime environmental damage.
Download or read book When the Invasion of Land Failed written by George R. McGhee Jr. and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2013-10-22 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The invasion of land by ocean-dwelling plants and animals was one of the most revolutionary events in the evolution of life on Earth, yet the animal invasion almost failed—twice—because of the twin mass extinctions of the Late Devonian Epoch. Some 359 to 375 million years ago, these catastrophic events dealt our ancestors a blow that almost drove them back into the sea. If those extinctions had been just a bit more severe, spiders and insects—instead of vertebrates—might have become the ecologically dominant forms of animal life on land. This book examines the profound evolutionary consequences of the Late Devonian extinctions and the various theories proposed to explain their occurrence. Only one group of four-limbed vertebrates exists on Earth, while other tetrapod-like fishes are extinct. This gap is why the idea of "fish with feet" seems so peculiar to us, yet such animals were once a vital part of our world, and if the Devonian extinctions had not happened, members of these species, like the famous Acanthostega and Ichthyostega, might have continued to live in our rivers and lakes. Synthesizing decades of research and including a wealth of new discoveries, this accessible, comprehensive text explores the causes of the Devonian extinctions, the reasons vertebrates were so severely affected, and the potential evolution of the modern world if the extinctions had never taken place.
Download or read book The Biology of Terrestrial Isopods written by Spyros Sfenthourakis and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2003-12-01 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Oniscids are wonderful model organisms for studies addressing more general biological questions, and they arguably demonstrate the best evolutionary progression in any extant group of organisms. Their unique properties as terrestrial crustaceans living in a wide range of habitats from coast to desert offer great advantages to study physiological and behavioural adaptations, ecological, phylogenetic, and biogeographical patterns, and evolutionary processes. This volume contains contributions, which were presented at the 5th International Symposium on the Biology of Terrestrial Isopods that took place on Crete, May 2001, and which was dedicated to the memory of the late Marie Flasarova. All papers have been peer-reviewed before inclusion in the book. The contributions give a well balanced account of current research on all aspects - covering systematics, ecology, biogeography, morphology, physiology, immunology, endocrinology, behaviour, and hostparasite relationships - of biology of the remarkable creatures included in the Isopoda suborder Oniscidae, the only crustaceans that have conquered almost all terrestrial habitat types. This book will prove useful to all crustacean researchers, working on either terrestrial, freshwater or marine organisms.
Download or read book How Vertebrates Left the Water written by Michel Laurin and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2010-11-02 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than three hundred million years ago—a relatively recent date in the two billion years since life first appeared—vertebrate animals first ventured onto land. This usefully illustrated book describes how some finned vertebrates acquired limbs, giving rise to more than 25,000 extant tetrapod species. Michel Laurin uses paleontological, geological, physiological, and comparative anatomical data to describe this monumental event. He summarizes key concepts of modern paleontological research, including biological nomenclature, paleontological and molecular dating, and the methods used to infer phylogeny and character evolution. Along with a discussion of the evolutionary pressures that may have led vertebrates onto dry land, the book also shows how extant vertebrates yield clues about the conquest of land and how scientists uncover evolutionary history.
Download or read book The Terrestrialization Process written by Marco Vecoli and published by Geological Society of London. This book was released on 2010 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The invasion of the land by plants (terrestrialization) was one of the most significant evolutionary events in the history of life on Earth, and correlates in time with periods of major palaeoenvironmental perturbations. The development of a vegetation cover on the previously barren land surfaces impacted on the global biogeochemical cycles and the geological processes of erosion and sediment transport. The terrestrialization of plants preceded the rise of major new groups of animals, such as insects and tetrapods, the latter numbering some 24 000 living species, including ourselves. Early land-plant evolution also correlates with the most spectacular decline of atmospheric CO2 concentration of Phanerozoic times and with the onset of a protracted period of glacial conditions on Earth. This book includes a selection of papers covering different aspects of the terrestrialization, from palaeobotany to vertebrate palaeontology and geochemistry, promoting a multidisciplinary approach to the understanding of the co-evolution of life and its environments during Early to Mid-Palaeozoic times.
Download or read book Invasion Dynamics written by Cang Hui and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017-01-26 with total page 607 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Humans have moved organisms around the world for centuries but it is only relatively recently that invasion ecology has grown into a mainstream research field. This book examines both the spread and impact dynamics of invasive species, placing the science of invasion biology on a new, more rigorous, theoretical footing, and proposing a concept of adaptive networks as the foundation for future research. Biological invasions are considered not as simple actions of invaders and reactions of invaded ecosystems, but as co-evolving complex adaptive systems with emergent features of network complexity and invasibility. Invasion Dynamics focuses on the ecology of invasive species and their impacts in recipient social-ecological systems. It discusses not only key advances and challenges within the traditional domain of invasion ecology, but introduces approaches, concepts, and insights from many other disciplines such as complexity science, systems science, and ecology more broadly. It will be of great value to invasion biologists analyzing spread and/or impact dynamics as well as other ecologists interested in spread processes or habitat management.
