Structured-Population Models in Marine, Terrestrial, and Freshwater Systems (Population and Community Biology Series)

Book Description

This indispensable guide provides a comprehensive treatment of the construction and analysis of models for age- and stage-classified populations. It covers methods based on projection matrices, delay-differential equations, and partial-differential equations. The book addresses both field and laboratory studies on a wide range of specific ecosystems and taxa, as well as problems in evolution, genetics, conservation biology and epidemiology.

Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems: Biological-Physical Interactions in the Oceans

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Very good book!
Mann & Lazier review
"BELOW SURFACE CHANGES!"

Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems: Biological-Physical Interactions in the Oceans
Kenneth Mann , and John R. Lazier
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1405111186

Book Description

The new edition of this widely respected text provides comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of the effects of biological -physical interactions in the oceans from the microscopic to the global scale. Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems considers the influence of physical forcing on biological processes in a wide range of marine habitats including coastal estuaries, shelf-break fronts, major ocean gyres, coral reefs, coastal upwelling areas, and the equatorial upwelling system.The third edition of Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems fully considers recent significant developments in this rapidly advancing field. Of particular note is new research suggesting that long-term variability in the global atmospheric circulation affects the circulation of ocean basins, which in turn brings about major changes in fish stocks. This discovery opens up the exciting possibility of being able to predict major changes in global fish stocks.Written in an accessible, lucid style, Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems is essential reading for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students studying marine ecology and biological oceanography.

Customer Reviews:

Very good book!.......2006-08-28

This books deals shows some features in oceanic dynamics and ecology in different scales, from millimetres to thousand of kilometres. Maybe not the easiest reading book, because is deep and sound, but it's essential for oceanographers and marine biologists and ecologists, researchers and graduate students.

Mann & Lazier review.......2006-07-03

I am a graduate student in oceanography, and I have extensively used Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems by Mann and Lazier to study for exams. Mann & Lazier take the time to explain the concepts of physical oceanography in simple terms and are careful to relate all of the physical processes to biological systems. There is, of course, some math, but advanced calculus is not required. The authors are from Nova Scotia, and my only criticism is that they mostly cite examples from the North Atlantic and neglect other oceans. I have used two companion books with this volume: Introduction to Physical Oceanography by John Knauss, which is more physics and less biology, and Biological Oceanography by Charles Miller, which is more biology and less physics.

"BELOW SURFACE CHANGES!".......2006-02-10

Are you studying and working in the area of marine ecology and biological oceanography? If you are, this book is for you! Authors K. H. Mann and J. R. N. Lazier, have written an outstanding 3rd edition of a book about the ecology of open-ocean communities.

Mann and Lazier, begin with an overview of marine ecology and how it has come of age. Then, they explore the intimate relationships between the small-scale processes in sea water and the lives of plants and animals. The authors continue by discussing the physical processes that affect the vertical distributions of light, heat, and nutrients, so as to better understand the dynamics of phytoplankton production. In addition, they also discuss the vertical structure in coastal waters--freshwater run-off and tidal mixing. The authors also examine the special places where wind-induced upwelling is the dominant mechanism for bringing new nutrients to the surface. Then, the authors investigate the distinctive physical and biological properties found in each type of coastal waters fronts. Next, they explore some of the interesting consequences of tidally induced water movement. Then, the authors begin to consider the ocean basins in their entirety. Next, they review some of the most exciting developments of the decade (1995-2005). The authors continue by describing the mechanism of global warming and the present-day global carbon cycle. Finally, the authors discuss questions for the future.

This excellent book also includes discussions of the physical-biological interactions and how they provide plausible mechanisms by which the atmospheric changes might be linked to the food webs and the fish-stock changes. Furthermore, the book has clearly met a need and found a very receptive audience, in the authors' review of the developments in marine ecology, as an integrated physical, chemical, and biological discipline.

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An excellent account of marine community ecology

Marine Community Ecology
Mark D. Bertness
Manufacturer: Sinauer Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0878930574

Book Description

Marine Community Ecology was written to give advanced undergraduate and graduate students a current overview of what is known about the structure and organization of the assemblages of organisms that live on the sea floor. Each of the nineteen chapters is written by leading researchers to give students a look at our understanding of these communities, and what remains to be learned about them.

The book is organized into three parts. The first eight chapters explore general processes that generate pattern in benthic communities. These introductory chapters examine how physical and biological forces interacting with historical and genetic constraints operate to structure marine communities. The middle part examines the ecology of specific marine benthic community types, ranging from rocky shores and soft substrate habitats to seagrass beds and coral reefs. These chapters are intended to be the most up-to-date summaries available of our understanding of these communities. The book closes with three chapters examining conservation and management issues of marine communities. These closing chapters emphasize how pervasively benthic marine communities are impacted by humans and outline how we can use our understanding of these systems to manage marine populations and communities and to design marine reserves.

Marine Community Ecology is extensively referenced and includes a bibliography of over 5,000 citations. It is suitable as a text for advanced marine ecology courses and seminars, as well as a general reference for students and researchers.

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An excellent account of marine community ecology.......2004-11-08

This is an excellent book, written by some of the best marine ecologists worldwide. It provides (to 2001) the latest knowledge on marine community organization and dynamics. Models summarizing current ideas or concepts are used frequently, while gray areas in our knowledge are pointed out, which should help and guide future research. Due to the academic orientation of most chapter authors, there is a prevalence of coastal ecology in the book. The extension and level of detail of the book probably prevents it from being used as an undergraduate textbook, but many excellent examples given throughout chapters can certainly be used independently in class. The style of the book is generally easy to follow, but, besides that, it is simply enjoyable to read it.

Quantitative Analysis of Marine Biological Communities: Field Biology and Environment

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Quantitative Analysis of Marine Biological Communities: Field Biology and Environment
Gerald J. Bakus
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0470044403

Book Description

Quantitative methods specifically tailored for the marine biologist

While there are countless texts published on quantitative methods and many texts that cover quantitative terrestrial ecology, this text fills the need for the special quantitative problems confronting marine biologists and biological oceanographers. The author combines common quantitative techniques with recent advances in quantitative methodology and then demonstrates how these techniques can be used to study marine organisms, their behaviors, and their interactions with the environment. Readers learn how to better design experiments and sampling, employ sophisticated mathematical techniques, and accurately interpret and communicate the results.

Most of this text is written at an introductory level, with a few topics that advance to more complex themes. Among the topics covered are plot/plotless sampling, biometrics, experimental design, game theory, optimization, time trends, modeling, and environmental impact assessments.

Even readers new to quantitative methods will find the material accessible, with plenty of features to engage their interest, promote learning, and put their knowledge into practice:
* One or more examples are provided to illustrate each individual quantitative technique presented in the text
* The accompanying CD-ROM features two multimedia programs, several statistical programs, help to run complex statistical programs, and additional information amplifying topics covered in the text
* References lead readers to additional information to pursue individual topics in greater depth

Quantitative Analysis of Marine Biological Communities, with its extensive use of examples, is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students in marine biology. Marine biologists, regardless of their level of experience, will also discover new approaches to quantitative analysis tailored to the particular needs of their field.

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The history of reefs - a biological perspective

Reef Evolution
Rachel Wood
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0198577842

Book Description

Reefs are an extraordinary natural phenomenon. Visible from outer space, coral reefs are the largest biologically constructed features known; in close proximity their spectacular beauty and abundance of life is dazzling. Reefs are estimated to occupy only a small percentage of the oceans, but their importance to the marine environment is many-faceted and global. Reefs create harbours and allow the development of shallow basins with associated mangrove or seargrass communities; they protect coastlines from erosion; reefs are involved in the regulation of atmospheric carbon, which in turn contributes to climate control; ancient reefs can provide extensive oil and gas reservoirs. From a biological standpoint, however, the great significance of reefs lies in their ability to generate and maintain a substantial proportion of tropical marine biodiversity. This text documents those biological innovations which have moulded the evolution of reef ecosystems and given rise to the highly complex communities found today. The appearance of clonality, the acquisition of photosymbiosis and the radiation of predator groups are all discussed in depth. Throughout the book, Rachel Wood uses data from the fossil record to document the evolutionary development of reef ecosystems. This interdisciplinary approach has the aim of providing an analytical text which will be of value not only to advanced undergraduates and postgraduate courses, but also to researchers in ancient reef ecology. Rachel Wood is Royal Society University Research Fellow, and Fellow, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge

Customer Reviews:

The history of reefs - a biological perspective.......2000-07-15

All too often reefs have been described as merely geological phenomena. In her book, Rachel Wood takes a different approached missing for a long time: she treats reefs mainly from the biological perspective, i.e. as phenomena with biological intercations in its ecological community. Appropriate space is devoted to the discussion of reef-builder ecology (clonality vs. modularity), predators, herbivores, and symbionts.

Part I of the book rather briefly (90 pp.) deals with reefs in Earth history and excessively (30 pp.) discussions the effects of mass extinctions on reefs. This chapter is oriented mainly at major episodes of constructor consortia blooms, whereas times of reduced reef growth do not receive much attention (although the discussion of the reasons for this reduction seem at least as interesting). Part II of the volume (40 pp.) is concerned with environmental controls of reef growth and does not provide much new information; nonetheless, these issues need to be mentioned within the given scope. Part III certainly is the most interesting and supplies the reader with several new interpretations of biological interactions in reefs: Growth form and autecology of reef builders are seen in close correlation; the role of biological disturbance is discussed at length; the origins and consequences of photosymbiosis are treated as well as the means and ways of competition among reef organisms. With its 150 pages, this chapter is the most rewarding and well justifies buying this book.

A few criticisms have to be raised, however. The contents are skewed towards the author's favourite subject (Archaeocyatha); the importance of bioerosion is not stressed adequately and remains rather sketchy; the geological time-scale used is a little outdated; and the ethymologically incorrect form "microbialite" (instead of microbolite) is used throughout.

Nonetheless, the text is very well-structured and arranged logically, with meaningful headings providing rapid orientation. An index further contributes to the easy access. Up-to-date references and a glossary for the non-specialist are additional positive features. All in all, this volume is well worth reading from the first to the last page for everyone interested in this fascinating facet of biological and physical interaction. Compulsory for the palaeontology teacher, and at least every library focussing on Earth Sciences should have it available!

Book Description

This book examines the application of fish community characteristics to evaluate the sustainability and biological integrity of freshwaters. Topics include perspectives on use of fish communities as environmental indicators in program development, collaboration, and partnership forming; influence of specific taxa on assessment of the IBI; regional applications for areas where the IBI had not previously been developed; and specific applications of the IBI developed for coldwater streams, inland lakes, Great Lakes, reservoirs, and tailwaters.

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The Ecology of Atlantic Shorelines
Mark D. Bertness
Manufacturer: Sinauer Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0878930566

Book Description

The Ecology of Atlantic Shorelines is an introduction to the plant and animal communities on the Atlantic shores of North America. Written as a field guide to the physical and biological processes that generate patterns on Western Atlantic shorelines, it is intended for a wide audience ranging from undergraduate students and amateur naturalists to professionals in other disciplines.

The first four chapters are an introduction to various processes that shape assemblages of organisms on shorelines. The opening chapter examines the history of the Atlantic coast, tides, introduced species, and the role of water movement in shaping shoreline communities. "The Economy of the Shoreline" then discusses the production and consumption of resources in shoreline assemblages. The unusual reproductive problems faced by shoreline organisms and the important role played by recruitment in shaping these communities are explored in the third chapter. A final introductory chapter describes the biological processes that affect shoreline organisms once they have settled on the shore.

The final three chapters discuss the ecology of three habitat types that dominate the Atlantic coast-rocky shores, soft sediment beaches, and salt marshes. These chapters will prepare students and naturalists for visits to these habitats. Each chapter ends with a brief summary and list of suggested readings.

Book Description

First published in 1993, this book has been referred to as international research at its best and an invaluable reference. This second edition retains the format that made the first edition a popular bestseller, while updating the information with the latest research results available. The book describes the physico-chemical environment and, in a logical sequence, covers phytoplankton and primary production, the sea ice microbial communities and the secondary consumers, the zooplankton. The author includes a chapter on the biology and ecology of Antarctic krill that highlights its central position in the Southern Ocean food web. One of the most authoritative resources in the field, this volume covers all aspects of this important marine ecosystem.

Marine rocky shores and community ecology: An experimentalist's perspective (Excellence in ecology)

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Marine rocky shores and community ecology: An experimentalist's perspective (Excellence in ecology)
Robert T Paine
Manufacturer: Ecology Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006F7FCA

The Cincinnati Arch: Learning From Nature In The City

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A contemporary nature classic
One of Our Finest Writers Synthesizes Wilderness & City

The Cincinnati Arch: Learning From Nature In The City
John Tallmadge
Manufacturer: University of Georgia Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0820326909

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"What wilderness lover," asks John Tallmadge, "would ever dream of settling deep in the Rust Belt astride polluted rivers?" The Cincinnati Arch holds the provocative answer to Tallmadge's question, which was prompted by his unplanned relocation from rural Minnesota to urban Ohio. Tallmadge tells of dismaying early encounters with the city's seeming barenness, his growing awareness of its vitality and abundance, and finally his new vision of all nature, from the vacant lots of his neighborhood to our great New England forests and Western deserts.

New to the city, Tallmadge saw only its concrete, glass, smog, and debris. Soon his interest, stirred by the wonder of his children at their surroundings, focused Tallmadge to the "buzzing, flapping, scurrying, chewing, photosynthesizing life forms" around him. More deeply, Tallmadge began to learn from, and not just about, the city. Nature's persistence--within him and wherever he looked--wore away at old notions of wilderness that made no allowances for human culture.

The "arch" of the book's title is richly resonant: as the name of a geologic formation molding the urban landscape Tallmadge comes to love; as an archetypal building form; and, in its parabolic shape, as a metaphor for life's journey. Filled with luminous lessons of mindfulness, attentiveness, and other spiritual practices, this is a hopeful guide to finding nature and balance in unlikely places.

Customer Reviews:

A contemporary nature classic.......2006-07-21

Nature educators have a way of getting young people to look more intently at the natural world. They place a circle of string -- or even a hula hoop -- on the ground, and ask students to inventory just that enclosed part of the yard. The lesson is that even such a small patch will reveal more life than one might expect, and that what one finds there is a symbolic microcosm of Earth's entire environment. In "The Cincinnati Arch," John Tallmadge has thrown an invisible hula hoop around a city that he never expected to call home and one where he never expected to find Nature or the wild. He takes to heart Thoreau's admonition that "In Wildness is the preservation of the world," and he's surprised to find wildness in this new urban setting. It's not the wild of Minnesota's Boundary Waters or John Muir's Yosemite, of course, but it is Nature unleashed, albeit in small parcels.

What he discovers can be translated to any other urban or suburban environment. After a brief treatise on civilization's focus on time, money, and work, Tallmadge gets down to the dichotomies of nature study: indoor life and outdoor life; wildness and wilderness "out there" and "right here;" stewardship / husbandry and dominion; wildness and landscape restoration; old growth and succession; night and day; water and pollution; war and peace; and our relationship with nature and with other human beings. His observations include such succinct statements as "My backyard is still wilder than most of Europe," (p. 62), and "[W]e are the preeminent alien species." (p. 109) In typical Thoreauvian fashion, Tallmadge sometimes dissects words in order to study their original meanings, before we attached diluted definitions to them. In some discussions, he deftly includes both biblical legends and scientific explanations (like evolution), thus seamlessly covering both camps without favoring or insulting either one. He even approaches the idea of an afterlife, concluding that "One day we may wake up to discover that we have been living in heaven all along." (p. 215) In Cincinnati? Who knew?

In the middle of the book, Tallmadge interrupts his city study to take a side trip with a class of adult students to the Escalante region of Utah. The western canyonland is about as far as you can get from the concrete streets of Cincinnati, and the diversion offers a respite for the readers as well. We and the travelers have time to think about the concepts of beauty, our connectedness to the earth, and what it takes to really KNOW a place. Good lessons, all.

Another side trip is in the offing when Tallmadge visits his family-owned 40-acre woodlot in New Hampshire, intending to make the big decision: to keep it and preserve it, or to sell its resources to a logging company. His commitment to a place of his ancestral roots is admirable, as is his verdict: "[W]hat we do with the land always matters, even if we merely let it alone. We cannot escape playing a part in the story. All we can do is try to understand our choices and then choose as wisely and as responsibly as we can." (p. 182) That sentiment should be sent to every legislator and politician in America today.

I began reading a library copy of this book but soon realized I would have to buy my own so I could underline and savor the best passages. The writings of John Tallmadge belong on the natural history shelves between those of Gary Snyder and Henry David Thoreau. Or if you're filing books by title, put "The Cincinnati Arch" right next to "Desert Solitaire." This volume deserves more attention than it's gotten. Share it with your environmental friends and every nature-blind city-dweller you know.

One of Our Finest Writers Synthesizes Wilderness & City.......2005-01-01

John Tallmadge is one of the country's finest writers, widely acclaimed for his work on the wilderness. This new book creates a long-overdue synthesis between the natural world and what we ordinarily view as the artificial world of the city. Read it and understand your environment (and your humanity)in a startlingly new light.

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