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Introduction to Population Ecology by Introduction to Population Ecology, 2nd Edition is a comprehensive textbook covering all aspects of population ecology. It uses a wide variety of field and laboratory examples, botanical to zoological, from the tropics to the tundra, to illustrate the fundamental laws of population ecology. Controversies in population ecology are brought fully up to date in this edition, with many brand new and revised examples and data. Each chapter provides an overview of how population theory has developed, followed by descriptions of laboratory and field studies that have been inspired by the theory. Topics explored include single-species population growth and self-limitation, life histories, metapopulations and a wide range of interspecific interactions including competition, mutualism, parasite-host, predator-prey and plant-herbivore. An additional final chapter, new for the second edition, considers multi-trophic and other complex interactions among species. Throughout the book, the mathematics involved is explained with a step-by-step approach, and graphs and other visual aids are used to present a clear illustration of how the models work. Such features make this an accessible introduction to population ecology; essential reading for undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in population ecology, applied ecology, conservation ecology, and conservation biology, including those with little mathematical experience.
Climate Change and Coastal Ecosystems by Produced by a Leading Aquatic Scientist A narrative account of how estuaries around the world are being altered by human forces and human-induced global climate changes, Climate Change and Coastal Ecosystems: Long-Term Effects of Climate and Nutrient Loading on Trophic Organization chronicles a more than 40-year-old research effort conducted by Dr. Robert J. Livingston and his research team at Florida State University. Designed to evaluate system-level responses to natural and anthropogenic nutrient loading and long-term climate changes, the study focused on the northeast Gulf of Mexico river-bay systems, and concentrated on phytoplankton/benthic macrophyte productivity and associated food web organization. It addressed the changes of food web structure relative to long-term trends of climatological conditions, and was carried out using a combination of field-descriptive and experimental approaches. Details Climate Change, Climate Change Effects, and Eutrophication This book includes comparative analyses of how the trophic organization of different river-bay ecosystems responded to variations of both anthropogenic impacts and natural driving factors in space and time. It incorporates a climate database and evaluates the effects of climate change in the region. It also provides insights into the effects of nutrient loading and climate on the trophic organization of coastal systems in other global regions. Presents research compiled from consistent field sampling methods and detailed taxonomic identifications over an extended period of study Includes the methods and materials that the research team used to access the health and trophic organization of Florida's estuaries Provides an up-to-date bibliography of estuarine publications and reports Based on a longitudinal study of anthropogenic and natural driving factors on river-estuarine systems in the northeast Gulf of Mexico, Climate Change and Coastal Ecosystems: Long-Term Effects of Climate and Nutrient Loading on Trophic Organization is useful as a reference for researchers working on riverine, estuarine, and coastal marine systems.
Evolutionary Theory by The natural world is infinitely complex and hierarchically structured, with smaller units forming the components of progressively larger systems: molecules make up cells, cells comprise tissues and organs that are, in turn, parts of individual organisms, which are united into populations and integrated into yet more encompassing ecosystems. In the face of such awe-inspiring complexity, there is a need for a comprehensive, non-reductionist evolutionary theory. Having emerged at the crossroads of paleobiology, genetics, and developmental biology, the hierarchical approach to evolution provides a unifying perspective on the natural world and offers an operational framework for scientists seeking to understand the way complex biological systems work and evolve. Coedited by one of the founders of hierarchy theory and featuring a diverse and renowned group of contributors, this volume provides an integrated, comprehensive, cutting-edge introduction to the hierarchy theory of evolution. From sweeping historical reviews to philosophical pieces, theoretical essays, and strictly empirical chapters, it reveals hierarchy theory as a vibrant field of scientific enterprise that holds promise for unification across the life sciences and offers new venues of empirical and theoretical research. Stretching from molecules to the biosphere, hierarchy theory aims to provide an all-encompassing understanding of evolution and--with this first collection devoted entirely to the concept--will help make transparent the fundamental patterns that propel living systems.
Tempests, Poxes, Predators, and People by Although scientists have discovered many fundamental physiological and behavioral mechanisms that comprise the stress response, most of current knowledge is based on laboratory experiments using domesticated or captive animals. Scientists are only beginning, however, to understand how stress impacts wild animals - by studying the nature of the stressful stimuli that animals in their natural environments have adapted to for survival, and what the mechanisms that allow that survival might be. This book summarizes, for the first time, several decades of work on understanding stress in natural contexts. The aim is two-fold. The first goal of this work is to place modern stress research into an evolutionary context. The stress response clearly did not evolve to cause disease, so that studying how animals use the stress response to survive in the wild should provide insight into why mechanisms evolved the way that they did. The second goal is to provide predictions on how wild animals might cope with the Anthropocene, the current period of Earth's history characterized by the massive human remodeling of habitats on a global scale. Conservation of species will rely upon how wild animals use their stress response to successfully cope with human-created stressors.
Community Ecology by Interactions between species are of fundamental importance to all living systems and the framework we have for studying these interactions is community ecology. This is important to our understanding of the planets biological diversity and how species interactions relate to the functioning of ecosystems at all scales. Species do not live in isolation and the study of community ecology is of practical application in a wide range of conservation issues. The study of ecological community data involves many methods of analysis. In this book you will learn many of the mainstays of community analysis including: diversity, similarity and cluster analysis, ordination and multivariate analyses. This book is for undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers seeking a step-by-step methodology for analysing plant and animal communities using R and Excel. Microsoft's Excel spreadsheet is virtually ubiquitous and familiar to most computer users. It is a robust program that makes an excellent storage and manipulation system for many kinds of data, including community data. The R program is a powerful and flexible analytical system able to conduct a huge variety of analytical methods, which means that the user only has to learn one program to address many research questions. Its other advantage is that it is open source and therefore completely free. Novel analytical methods are being added constantly to the already comprehensive suite of tools available in R. Mark Gardener is both an ecologist and an analyst. He has worked in a range of ecosystems around the world and has been involved in research across a spectrum of community types. His knowledge of R is largely self-taught and this gives him insight into the needs of students learning to use R for complicated analyses.
Plant Life by Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution, described the evolutionary origin of flowering plants, which appear to have risen abruptly during the late Cretaceous Period, as an "abominable mystery." The first seed plants appeared in the fossil record some 230 million years earlier,but the transitions leading to the flowering plants left few fossils and remain obscure. The evolutionary history of photosynthetic organisms is full of mysteries great and small, including the origin of photosynthesis itself, the origins of multiple independent lines of algae, the loss of flagellain the red algae, the origin of sporophytes in vascular and non-vascular plants, the early diversification of seed plants, and the origin of the unique monocots. In Plant Life: A Brief History, botanist Frederick Essig traces how familiar features of plants evolved sequentially over hundreds of millions of years as various environmental challenges and opportunities were met. This chronological narrative begins with the origin of photosynthesis and the riseof cyanobacteria, continues with the evolution and diversification of photosynthetic eukaryotes and their invasion of dry land, explores the varied adaptations for sexual reproduction and dispersal in the terrestrial environment, and concludes with the diverse growth forms of the flowering plants.As different groups of photosynthetic organisms are introduced, the book emphasizes the adaptations that enabled them to gain dominance in existing habitats or move into new habitats. Readers will acquire a deeper understanding of the diverse photosynthetic organisms humans depend upon for food,oxygen, medicine, building materials, and aesthetic pleasure.With accessible writing and a myriad of figures and illustrations, Essig provides a broad overview of plant evolution that will appeal to students and general audiences alike. Plant Life: A Brief History is a valiant step in the quest to unravel the "abominable mysteries" of plant evolution, andoffers a compelling introduction to the exciting and complex world of evolutionary biology.
Molecular Biology by Molecular Biology, Second Edition, introduces the basic concepts of molecular biology while incorporating primary literature from today's leading researchers. This new edition reflects the massive surge in our understanding of the molecular foundations of genetics, thanks to major scientific revolutions in genetics and computer technology. It explains how living organisms function at a molecular level and how DNA, RNA, and proteins interact to provide the cell with genetic information. This volume goes far beyond the flowing text, annotation, and hyperlinking available in most ebooks. Unique features include interactive quizzes for enhanced student understanding and self-testing; narrated animations to clarify complex content; and study guides equipped with 62 full-text Cell Press journal articles, all in one downloadable package. Also new to this second edition are updated chapters on genomics and systems biology, proteomics, bacterial genetics, and molecular evolution and RNA. A fully revised art completes the updates made in this ebook. This book will be of interest to undergraduate students taking a course in Molecular Biology, as well as upper-level students studying Cell Biology, Microbiology, Genetics, Biology, Pharmacology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry and Agriculture. Winner of a 2013 Texty Award from the Text and Academic Authors Association Includes interactive elements for enhanced student understanding and self-testing; animations to clarify complex content; and study guides equipped with full-text Cell Press journal articles New to second edition: updated chapters on genomics and systems biology; proteomics; bacterial genetics; and molecular evolution and RNA Fully revised art
Synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering in Plants and Microbes by Synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering in Plants and Microbes, Part B, the latest volume in the Methods in Enzymology series, continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. This volume covers research methods, synthetic biology, and metabolic engineering in plants and microbes, and includes sections on such topics as the usage of integrases in microbial engineering, biosynthesis, and engineering of tryptophan derived metabolites, regulation and discovery of fungal natural products, and elucidation and localization of plant pathways. Continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field of enzymology Contains two volumes covering research methods in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering in plants and microbes Includes sections on such topics as the uses of integrases in microbial engineering, biosynthesis and engineering of tryptophan derived metabolites, regulation and discovery of fungal natural products, and elucidation and localization of plant pathways
Aquacutlure, Resource Use, and the Environment by Aquaculture, Resource Use, and the Environment places aquaculture within the larger context of global population growth, increased demand for sustainable, reliable sources of food, and the responsible use of natural resources. Aquaculture production has grown rapidly in recent decades as over-exploitation and environmental degradation have drastically reduced wild fish stocks. As fish production has increased, questions have persisted about the environmental sustainability of current aquaculture practices. Aquaculture, Resource Use, and the Environment is a timely synthesis and analysis of critical issues facing the continued growth and acceptance of aquaculture practices and products. Chapters look at the past, present, and future demands for food, aquaculture production, and tackle key issues ranging from environmental impacts of aquaculture to practical best management practices in aquaculture production. Providing broad coverage of issues that are essential to the continued development of aquaculture production, Aquaculture, Resource Use, and the Environment will be vital resource for anyone involved in the field of aquaculture.
The Selection Process of Biomass Materials for the Production of Bio-Fuels and Co-Firing by A functional discussion of the crop selection process for biomass energy The Selection Process of Biomass Materials for the Production of Bio-fuels and Co-firing provides a detailed examination and analysis for a number of energy crops and their use as a source for generating electricity and for the production of bio-fuels. Renowned renewable energy expert and consultant Dr. Najib Altawell begins with the fundamentals of bio-fuels and co-firing and moves on to the main feature, which is the methodology that assists energy scientists and engineers to arrive at the most suitable biomass materials tailored to each company's business and economic environments and objectives. This methodology provides a framework whereby power-generating companies can insert their own values for each factor, whether business factor (BF) or scientific & technical factors (S&T) or both simultaneously. The methodology provides a list of factors related to the biomass energy business. The average values have been obtained from the survey method and laboratory tests. These values are the standard values power companies can use if they need or wish to use them. The Selection Process of Biomass Materials for the Production of Bio-fuels and Co-firing has been designed and compiled for the widest possible range of readers, researchers, businesspeople, and economists who are connected to the renewable energy field in general, and biomass energy in particular. Because of its focus on practical data and applications, the book is also accessible for general readers who may or may not have a technical or scientific background.
The Fungal Kingdom by Fungi research and knowledge grew rapidly following recent advances in genetics and genomics. This book synthesizes new knowledge with existing information to stimulate new scientific questions and propel fungal scientists on to the next stages of research. This book is a comprehensive guide on fungi, environmental sensing, genetics, genomics, interactions with microbes, plants, insects, and humans, technological applications, and natural product development.Call number links = browse the catalog by call number. Word links = browse the catalog by subject.
Note that the Kornhauser Health Sciences Library uses a different classification scheme than the other libraries. MeSH, or Medical Subject Headings, are used throughout that library.