Tropical Forest Community Ecology

Beschreibung

Historically, tropical ecology has been a science often contentwith descriptive and demographic approaches, which isunderstandable given the difficulty of studying these ecosystemsand the need for basic demographic information. Nonetheless, overthe last several years, tropical ecologists have begun to test moresophisticated ecological theory and are now beginning to address abroad array of questions that are of particular importance totropical systems, and ecology in general. Why are there are so manyspecies in tropical forests and what mechanisms are responsible forthe maintenance of that vast species diversity? What factorscontrol species coexistence? Are there common patterns of speciesabundance and distribution across broad geographic scales? What isthe role of trophic interactions in these complex ecosystems? Howcan these fragile ecosystems be conserved? Containing contributions from some of the world's leadingtropical ecologists, Tropical Forest CommunityEcology provides a summary of the key issues in thediscipline of tropical ecology: * Includes contributions from some of the world's leadingtropical ecologists * Covers patterns of species distribution, the maintenance ofspecies diversity, the community ecology of tropical animals,forest regeneration and conservation of tropical ecosystems

Autor*in

Walter Carson

Themen in »Tropical Forest Community Ecology«

Biowissenschaften Ecology & Organismal Biology Geographie Geography Geography Special Topics Life Sciences Ökologie u. Biologie der Organismen Spezialthemen Geographie Zoologie

Stimmen zu »Tropical Forest Community Ecology«

"Undoubtedly, this book needs to be on the shelves of everyscientist committed to disentangling the complexity veiled by thegrandeur of tropical forests. Nonetheless, we believe that it willalso provide inspiration to landscape ecologists who focus theirresearch in other regions of the Earth." (Landscape Ecol, 2011) "Whilst it will not be an easy book especially for thoseuncomfortable with mathematical formulae, it does provide avaluable insight into a key biome in the world, and at a reasonableprice for a substantial volume." (ExperimentalAgriculture , July 2009) "Tropical Forest Community Ecology may turn out tobe the elegy for rainforest ecology, or it may be the harbinger ofthings to come. Only time will tell, but meanwhile there is muchwork to be done, and Tropical Forest Community Ecologyprovides useful directions." (Ecology, 2009) "The recent advances in data collection and theory described inthis volume have made the past decade one of the most exciting andimportant periods in the study of tropical forests. Carson andSchnitzer and the many contributing authors capture this excitementand the tectonic shifts that are underway in this new book. If youintend to buy only one book on tropical forest ecology in the next20 years, buy this one. It is, simply put, outstanding." (Annalsof Botany, July 2009)
()

Details

Link teilen