Ecology of Desert Systems

Ecology of Desert Systems
Author :
Publisher : Academic Press
Total Pages : 476
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780081026557
ISBN-13 : 0081026552
Rating : 4/5 (57 Downloads)

Synopsis Ecology of Desert Systems by : Walter G. Whitford

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

The Ecology of Desert Communities

The Ecology of Desert Communities
Author :
Publisher : University of Arizona Press
Total Pages : 470
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780816552450
ISBN-13 : 0816552452
Rating : 4/5 (50 Downloads)

Synopsis The Ecology of Desert Communities by : Gary A. Polis

"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

Desert Ecology

Desert Ecology
Author :
Publisher :
Total Pages : 218
Release :
ISBN-10 : UCSD:31822029832656
ISBN-13 :
Rating : 4/5 (56 Downloads)

Synopsis Desert Ecology by : John Sowell

"Unlike books that merely identify which plants and animals live in the desert, Desert Ecology explores how these organisms live where they do.

Sustainable Land Use in Deserts

Sustainable Land Use in Deserts
Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages : 473
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9783642595608
ISBN-13 : 364259560X
Rating : 4/5 (08 Downloads)

Synopsis Sustainable Land Use in Deserts by : Siegmar-W. Breckle

Changing desert areas for land use implies a lot of ecological problems. These and related ones are dealt with in this book covering various interdisciplinary and international aspects. Large areas in arid and semi-arid regions are already polluted in various ways. One of the biggest problems is the anthropogenic salinization by inadequate means of agriculture and irrigation. Additionally, most arid areas in the world are dramatically overgrazed. Methods and practices of a sustainable land use in deserts are urgently needed in many arid regions. This book gives a broad survey on some of the affected regions of the world as well as some case studies from elsewhere (Aral Sea, Negev desert, Namib desert etc.). Thus, basic and applied sciences are brought together. Water management in deserts, grazing systems or reclamation of desertified areas are among the topics of this book, as well as social and economic aspects.

Desert Biomes

Desert Biomes
Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages : 248
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780313087738
ISBN-13 : 0313087733
Rating : 4/5 (38 Downloads)

Synopsis Desert Biomes by : Joyce A. Quinn

This volume in the Greenwood Guides to Biomes of the World focuses on deserts, the seemingly desolate—but actually quite lively—regions that are home to some of the most interesting and beautiful flora and fauna in the world. Desert Biomes examines three different types of biomes: warm/hot deserts (such as the Mojave and Sahara deserts), cold deserts (such as Patagonia in South America), and the West Coast Fog Desert biomes, which occur on certain regions of the western edge of major continents. The volumes examines how these biomes are unique in terms of their vegetation, geographical distribution, soil, challenges posed by the environment, adaptation of the plants and animals to the environment, and conservation efforts. Maps, photos, diagrams, drawings, and tables accompany the text, as do sidebars that highlight habitats, species, and ecological relationships. The volume includes a bibliography of accessible resources for further research.

A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration

A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration
Author :
Publisher : Island Press
Total Pages : 411
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781610910828
ISBN-13 : 1610910826
Rating : 4/5 (28 Downloads)

Synopsis A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration by : David A. Bainbridge

Dryland degradation and desertification now affect almost a billion people around the world. Tragically, the biological resources and productivity of millions of acres of land are lost to desertification each year because people remain unaware of strategies and techniques that could improve yields, reduce risk, and begin healing the world's deserts. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration is the first book to offer practical, field-tested solutions to this critical problem. Author David Bainbridge has spent more than 25 years actively involved in restoring lands across the American Southwest. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration presents the results of his years of fieldwork, as well as research and experience from scientists and practitioners around the globe. The book discusses the ecology of desert plants, explores the causes of desertification and land abuse, and outlines the processes and procedures needed to evaluate, plan, implement, and monitor desert restoration projects. It sets forth economical and practical field-tested solutions for understanding site characteristics, selecting and growing plants, and ensuring that they survive with a minimal amount of water and care. Each chapter represents a guide to a critical topic for environmental restoration; extensive photographs, diagrams and drawings give detailed information for immediate application, and additional resources are included in appendixes. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration is the first comprehensive book focused on restoring arid regions, and clearly demonstrates that arid lands can be successfully rehabilitated. In addition to restorationists, the book will be an invaluable resource for anyone working in arid lands, including farmers, ranchers, gardeners, landscapers, outdoor recreation professionals, and activists.

Ecology and Natural History of Desert Lizards

Ecology and Natural History of Desert Lizards
Author :
Publisher :
Total Pages : 0
Release :
ISBN-10 : 0691611149
ISBN-13 : 9780691611143
Rating : 4/5 (49 Downloads)

Synopsis Ecology and Natural History of Desert Lizards by : Eric R. Pianka

Eric Pianka offers a synthesis of his life's work on the comparative ecology of lizard assemblages in the Great Basin. Mojave and Sonoran deserts of western North America, the Kalahari semi-desert of southern Africa, and the Great Victoria desert of Western Australia. Originally published in 1986. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Ecology of Desert Rivers

Ecology of Desert Rivers
Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Total Pages : 342
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780521818254
ISBN-13 : 0521818257
Rating : 4/5 (54 Downloads)

Synopsis Ecology of Desert Rivers by : Richard Kingsford

Summarises current understanding of desert river ecology and its dependence on unpredictable river flows.

Ecosystems of California

Ecosystems of California
Author :
Publisher : Univ of California Press
Total Pages : 1008
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780520278806
ISBN-13 : 0520278801
Rating : 4/5 (06 Downloads)

Synopsis Ecosystems of California by : Harold Mooney

This long-anticipated reference and sourcebook for CaliforniaÕs remarkable ecological abundance provides an integrated assessment of each major ecosystem typeÑits distribution, structure, function, and management. A comprehensive synthesis of our knowledge about this biologically diverse state, Ecosystems of California covers the state from oceans to mountaintops using multiple lenses: past and present, flora and fauna, aquatic and terrestrial, natural and managed. Each chapter evaluates natural processes for a specific ecosystem, describes drivers of change, and discusses how that ecosystem may be altered in the future. This book also explores the drivers of CaliforniaÕs ecological patterns and the history of the stateÕs various ecosystems, outlining how the challenges of climate change and invasive species and opportunities for regulation and stewardship could potentially affect the stateÕs ecosystems. The text explicitly incorporates both human impacts and conservation and restoration efforts and shows how ecosystems support human well-being. Edited by two esteemed ecosystem ecologists and with overviews by leading experts on each ecosystem, this definitive work will be indispensable for natural resource management and conservation professionals as well as for undergraduate or graduate students of CaliforniaÕs environment and curious naturalists.

Physiological Ecology of North American Plant Communities

Physiological Ecology of North American Plant Communities
Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages : 704
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9789400948303
ISBN-13 : 9400948301
Rating : 4/5 (03 Downloads)

Synopsis Physiological Ecology of North American Plant Communities by : Brain F. Chabot

Although, as W.D. Billings notes in his chapter in this book. the development of physiological ecology can be traced back to the very beginnings of the study of ecology it is clear that the modern development of this field in North America is due in the large part to the efforts of Billings alone. The foundation that Billings laid in the late 1950s came from his own studies on deserts and subsequently arctic and alpine plants, and also from his enormous success in instilling enthusiasm for the field in the numerous students attracted to the plant ecology program at Duke University. Billings' own studies provided the model for subsequent work in this field. Physiological techniques. normally confined to the laboratory. were brought into the field to examine processes under natural environmental conditions. These field studies were accompanied by experiments under controlled conditions where the relative impact of various factors could be assessed and further where genetic as opposed to environmental influences could be separated. This blending of field and laboratory approaches promoted the design of experiments which were of direct relevance to understanding the distribution and abundance of plants in nature. Physiological mechanisms were studied and assessed in the context of the functioning of plants under natural conditions rather than as an end in itself.