Book Description
Species invasions present significant conservation challenges, but they also provide invaluable information about the functioning of natural systems. In this edited book, experts from the fields of ecology, evolution, and biogeography explore the unique insights species invasions provide. Several key advances emerge in each discipline, and collectively they provide a template for new research that transforms invasion biology into a powerful tool for basic research in ecology, evolution, and biogeography
Customer Reviews:
better as supplement to other readings.......2006-12-13
This was my textbook for an upper level college invasive species class. Although this book referenced some great case studies, while providing overall generalizations on invasive species, I don't think it was the most effective tool as a study aid. If you want to read about studies on invasive species, it is much more effective to read the studies themselves, and if you are just interested in reading about invasive species for fun, this book is too technical. If you really want to learn about invasive species, I would not trust this book to stand alone.
A Coordinated Series of Articles.......2005-08-11
Species Invasion has been around about as long as have species. Before mankind entered the scene with ships and aircraft birds and streams carried seeds to new locations. Of late with the advent of air transport we live in a time when there is virtually an explosion of invading species.
This book is a series of articles broken into three major parts providing an insight into Ecology, Evolution, or Biogeography. The articles are written my masters of their respective field and together they bring modern thinking on every aspect of such invasions into view.
Early in the project it was suggested to bring the contributors together for a workshop. This was done in March of 2004 at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. This provided for much synthesis as these presentations and discussions enabled the author to present their findings and to use questions from other authors to refine their findings.
Book Description
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of biological invasion by non-native species. Highlighting important research findings associated with each stage of invasion, Invasion Ecology provides an overview of the invasion process from transportation patterns and causes of establishment success to ecological impacts, invader management, and post-invasion evolution.Increasing awareness of the problems associated with invasion has led to a rapid growth in research into the dynamics of non-native species and their adverse effects on native biota and human economies. This book provides a synthesis of this fast growing field of research, and is an essential text for undergraduate and graduate students in ecology and conservation management.
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding book on invasion ecology.......2007-03-26
This book is an up to date, thorough treatment on invasive ecology. It could be used to learn about invasive ecology or for a senior undergraduate and/or graduate class. The book is well organized and written. They have chosen to present many of the main issues in invasive ecology, comparing and contrasting different results in different areas (such as plants and animals). Their book builds on itself, so that as you continue to read, they remind the reader of examples already talked about in other parts of the book. This helps the reader to remember the concepts, and see different ideas from different points of view. They are not shy about the lack of evidence and research for some of the main hypotheses in this branch of ecology. At the end of each chapter, they present the reader with current papers on further complexity as well as companion papers. As a community college instructor and a PhD student, I found this book to be top quality. I hope there is a book so up to date, and well organized for me to teach invasive ecology from when I finish my degree.
Average customer rating:
|
Biological Invasions: Theory and Practice (Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution)
Nanako Shigesada , and
Kohkichi Kawasaki
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Evolution
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Natural History
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Biomathematics
| Applied
| Mathematics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Epidemiology
| Infectious Disease
| Internal Medicine
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
Conservation
| Environment
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Evolution
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Sciences
| New & Used Textbooks
| Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Medicine
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Outdoors & Nature
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Professional
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Science
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0198548516 |
Book Description
When a species colonizes an area that it has not previously inhabited, it is called an "invasion", and it can result in the extinction of endemic species. The increase in numbers of humans travelling the world presents opportunities for invasions by organisms and the spread of diseases such as
rabies and smallpox. Using the large amount of data from studies in pest control and epidemiology, it is possible to construct mathematical models that can predict which species will become invaders, which habitats are susceptible to invasion, and the biological impact. This book presents a clear
and accessible introduction to the modeling of biological invasions. It demonstrates the latest theories and models, and includes data and examples from various case studies showing how these models can be applied to problems from deadly human diseases to the spread of weeds.
Book Description
Ecological economics addresses one of the fundamental flaws in conventional economics--its failure to consider biophysical and social reality in its analyses and equations. Ecological Economics: Principles and Applications is an introductory-level textbook that offers a pedagogically complete examination of this dynamic new field.
As a workbook accompanying the text, this volume breaks new ground in applying the principles of ecological economics in a problem- or service-based learning setting. Both the textbook and this workbook are situated within a new interdisciplinary framework that embraces the linkages among economic growth, environmental degradation, and social inequity in an effort to guide policy in a way that respects fundamental human values. The workbook takes the approach a step further in placing ecological economic analysis within a systems perspective, in order to help students identify leverage points by which they can help to affect change. The workbook helps students to develop a practical, operational understanding of the principles and concepts explored in the text through real-world activities, and describes numerous case studies in which students have successfully completed projects.
Ecological Economics: A Workbook for Problem-Based Learning represents an important new resource for undergraduate and graduate environmental studies courses focusing on economics, environmental policy, and environmental problem-solving.
Customer Reviews:
not for a beginner .......2007-01-30
This book is made up of mostly case studies that require a fairly firm graps of biological and ecological principles.
Average customer rating:
- A Gem
- silence of the birds
|
And No Birds Sing: A True Ecological Thriller Set in a Tropical Paradise
Mark Jaffe
Manufacturer: Barricade Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Rain Forests
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Ornithology
| Zoology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Endangered Species
| Conservation
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Birdwatching
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Tropical
| Ecosystems
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Vertebrate Biology
-
A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America
ASIN: 1569801096 |
Customer Reviews:
A Gem.......2001-02-18
This account of efforts to understand and deal with threatened exotic-caused extinctions on Guam is a gem. The paper back's blurbs focus on Jaffe's "ecological detective thriller." But it's the seamlessness of the book's widely-informed joined elements -- including biographical and political sketches of great pith, accessible population biology, and How Modern Science Works to try to save avian species -- that's most compelling. This deftness in weaving many individually fascinating threads recalled for me Neal Ascherson's astonishing "Black Sea."
The paperback's Index lists only passing references to DDT -- on pages 26, 27 and 72. Because the bad guy is not a chemical, not one of our products. No, he's one of us. And after the paucity and untimeliness of the legislative response to the Guamanian situation had sunk into my consciousness, it was ironic that in the end, an air force base on the island established the 50-acre "environmental reclamation experiment" Jaffe hopes could begin to turn it all around. Like the ending of William Golding's little masterpiece, with the navy warship rescuing the tribe of island-stranded boys from themselves.
silence of the birds.......1998-10-30
My God! You won't find any birds singing in this masterpiece! Rachel Carson has nothing on this guy! The DDT chapter broke my heart!!!
Book Description
Much as Rachel Carson's Silent Spring was a call to action against the pesticides that were devastating bird populations, Charles S. Elton's classic The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants sounded an early warning about an environmental catastrophe that has become all too familiar today—the invasion of nonnative species. From kudzu to zebra mussels to Asian long-horned beetles, nonnative species are colonizing new habitats around the world at an alarming rate thanks to accidental and intentional human intervention. One of the leading causes of extinctions of native animals and plants, invasive species also wreak severe economic havoc, causing $79 billion worth of damage in the United States alone.
Elton explains the devastating effects that invasive species can have on local ecosystems in clear, concise language and with numerous examples. The first book on invasion biology, and still the most cited, Elton's masterpiece provides an accessible, engaging introduction to one of the most important environmental crises of our time.
Charles S. Elton was one of the founders of ecology, who also established and led Oxford University's Bureau of Animal Population. His work has influenced generations of ecologists and zoologists, and his publications remain central to the literature in modern biology.
"History has caught up with Charles Elton's foresight, and The Ecology of Invasions can now be seen as one of the central scientific books of our century."—David Quammen, from the Foreword to Killer Algae: The True Tale of a Biological Invasion
Customer Reviews:
A classic.......2007-02-25
This is the classic text for invasion biology and a good read. A lot of what Eltion writes still applies today and he presents a lot of the basic issues that tend to be reidscovered by others.
A classic on biological invasions.......2006-12-10
This is a classic work (originally published in 1958) by the British scientist, Charles Elton. It is a must read for those who are interested in the field of bioinvasions, even if modern researchers do not agree with every point Elton made.
Elton gives examples of species that have been transported from one part of the world to another, sometimes becoming established pests. He shows how biogeographic areas may start to blend in, if not be lost, if biological invasions occur continuously.
Another issue Elton looks at is the use of pesticides and the resulting resistant strains of the pests the chemicals were meant to eliminate or control.
In the end, Elton calls for conservation - a co-existance between humankind and nature, and ecological variety.
Book Description
The U.S. government defines invasive species as "an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health." What are these species? Which ones exist in the Pacific Northwest? How did they get there, and what effects are their invasions having on our environment?
Invasive Species in the Pacific Northwest examines invasive species of fish, plants, invertebrates, mammals, and birds, such as the American bullfrog, blackberries, domestic cats and pigs, European fruit flies, Japanese eelgrass, Mediterranean mussels, rats, and terrestrial mollusks. For each of 108 species, the book includes:
• Species description and current range
• Impacts on communities and native species
• Control methods and management
• Life histories and species overview
• History of invasiveness
Other features of the book include:
• 20 suggestions to help reduce the spread of invasive species
• Habitat preferences of Pacific Northwest invasive species
• A questionnaire to evaluate ecological impact and invasive potential
Invasive species have been recognized as an environmental issue since Charles Darwin's voyage on the H.M.S. Beagle. In Invasive Species in the Pacific Northwest, editors P. D. Boersma, S. E. Reichard, and A. N. Van Buren explore the intentional and accidental introductions of invasive species. Whether these species were deliberately brought to the Northwest for agricultural, horticultural, aquacultural, or hunting and fishing purposes, or accidentally introduced as stowaways and contaminants, knowledge about them is integral to the protection of our environment.
Book Description
Now as never before, exotic animals and plants are crossing the globe, borne on the swelling tide of human traffic to places where nature never intended them to be. Bird-eating snakes hitchhike to Hawaii in the landing gear of airliners; pernicious European zebra mussels, riding in ships’ ballast water, disrupt aquatic ecosystems across the United States; feral camels and poisonous foreign toads plague Australia; giant Indonesian pythons lurk beneath homes in suburban Miami. As alien species jump from place to place and increasingly crowd native and endangered species out of existence, biologists speak fearfully of “the homogenization of the world.” Never mind bulldozers and pesticides: the fastestgrowing threat to biological diversity may be nature itself.
Out of Eden is a dazzling personal journey through this strange and shifting landscape. Alan Burdick tours the front lines of ecological invasion in the company of world-class scientists: in Hawaii, Tasmania, Guam, San Francisco; in lush rain forests, aboard an Alaska-bound oil tanker, inside a spacecraft-assembly facility at NASA. Wry and reflective, animated and provocative, Out of Eden is a search both for scientific answers and for ecological authenticity, from a writer of remarkable range and talent.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Introduction to subject of Invasive Species.......2006-12-12
The subject of invasive species is not one that comes across most peoples' minds regularly. Yet to millions of people along the Great Lakes and the Mississippi, the Zebra mussel is an irritant that costs countless millions of dollars and various problems. Similarly with the brown tree snake in Guam. These animals came from other parts of the world and now are wreaking havoc in their alien habitats. Burdick gives us an excellent intro to this topic. He's not a scientist, rather a journalist, so his perspective is unique and does not assume any background knowledge. He has some factual errors, unfortunately. But he also gives us accounts of the individuals involved in the struggle against invasive species which I liked. For those of us interested in this topic, or ecology in general, I highly recommend this book.
Comprehensive study on invasive species.......2006-03-24
This book is an excellent glimpse at how non-native, invasive, alien species can affect entire ecosystems. Anyone reading Alan Burdick's Out of Eden: An Odyssey of Ecological Invasion should be encouraged to do all they can to curb the inflow of intusive animal species.
Aliens Among Us.......2006-01-31
Here Alan Burdick explores the problem of ecological invasions, or the introduction of foreign plant and animal species into other environments where they become a threat to native species. In recent times this process has mostly advanced in conjunction with human travels and activities (either accidental or purposeful), with fragile ecosystems suffering great damage and multitudes of species becoming extinct. However, this book is more of an uncorroborated writing exercise and travelogue, with a pop science style that is more pop than science. The result is an especially verbose and directionless book that keeps on repeating its main points, but when it comes to overall knowledge there is little to show for the book's considerable length. In fact, most of the science is borrowed from existing sources, particularly the influential ecologist Charles Elton, while Burdick's writing is generally observational. In short, we learn much about Burdick's travels and thoughts, but little of any real use about the subject he is covering.
Most of the book covers Burdick's sojourns to three different locations where invasive species are an important concern for scientists – Guam, Hawaii, and San Francisco Bay. Burdick mostly reports on the activities of field researchers and larger issues in the science of ecology, while occasionally throwing in philosophical musings on humanity's relationship with nature. That is the main weakness of the book, regardless of the fact that Burdick raises some worthwhile rhetorical questions. For example, if the movement of species to new ecosystems is really so unnatural, if completely natural species migrations are better or worse than those aided by humans, if fighting such invasions can make the problem worse, and if worldwide biological diversity is falling to a type of globalized sameness in which only the most destructive organisms (including humans) will survive. These are important issues for the reader to ponder, but Burdick offers little intellectual nourishment, instead dwelling endlessly on the activities of his interview subjects, or uselessly tackling impossible philosophical matters like "what is nature?" and the like. This is all presented in florid and ponderous prose that is occasionally impressive from a literary standpoint, but inconsequential for the task at hand. [~doomsdayer520~]
An Important Book on a Growing Ecological Problem.......2005-11-06
With engaging prose and a style reminiscent of John McPhee, Alan Burdick weaves together science, history, and culture, and introduces us to people on the front lines of invasion biology. Burdick begins with the now classic invasive species story of the brown tree snake in Guam. He then goes to Hawaii, arguably the invasive species capitol of the world, and finishes with a thorough look at the spread of marine invaders via ship ballast.
Burdick's is an even-handed treatment that considers many of the central questions in the burgeoning field of invasion biology. What distinguishes "natural" invaders from "unnatural" ones? After all, species have been moving around, colonizing new areas, from time immemorial. How do species change the physical and biotic structure of the ecosystems they invade? Are more diverse, stable communities more resistant to invasion than those with less biodiversity?
As a resident of Hawaii who has birded in the Mariana Islands, I was dismayed by the many factual errors I encountered in the book. Hawaii has no native fruit bat (p. 72), although we do have a species of insectivorous bat. Bird lovers will be relieved to hear that the Akohekohe is not yet extinct (p. 77). The Tinian Monarch, described by Burdick as "a saffron finch" (p. 41) is neither a finch, nor is its plumage particularly saffron. And, to my knowledge, DDT was never used as a defoliant (pp. 29-30). Such errors cast doubt on the veracity of other facts and figures he uses. Another serious drawback of the book, pointed out by other reviewers here, is the absence of a bibliography and index.
Still, the book is well worth reading and should play an important role in heightening public awareness of this growing ecological problem.
A Great Read.......2005-11-04
I enjoyed this book very much. It is an interesting and accessible discussion of the biological impact of invasive species. More than strictly a scientific book, this book discusses the incredible diversity of life forms and how they can thrive and survive in the most harsh environments, including outer space. A very pleasant read.
Average customer rating:
|
Island Colonization: The Origin and Development of Island Communities (Ecological Reviews)
Ian Thornton
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Conservation
| Environment
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0521854849 |
Book Description
New or recently sterilized islands (for example through volcanic activity), provide ecologists with natural experiments in which to study colonization, development and establishment of new biological communities. Studies carried out on islands like this have provided answers to fundamental questions as to what general principles are involved in the ecology of communities and what processes underlie and maintain the basic structure of ecosystems. These studies are vital for conservation biology, especially when evolutionary processes need to be maintained in systems in order to maintain biodiversity. The major themes are how animal and plant communities establish, particularly on 'new land' or following extirpations by volcanic activity. This book comprises a broad review of island colonization, bringing together succession models and general principles, case studies with which Professor Ian Thornton was intimately involved, and a synthesis of ideas, concluding with a look to the future for similar studies.
Book Description
A real-life, scientific detective story with serious worldwide environmental consequences is clearly articulated for young readers ALIENS ARE ON THE MOVE! They spread out underwater, smothering sea plants and destroying fish eggs in the Mediterranean Sea. They multiply and invade wooded areas in Australia and Hawaii, killing off the native flora and fauna. They travel by air, water, boat…even on the shoes and clothes of humans! Award-winning science writer Mary Batten introduces young readers to the serious and ongoing environmental problems caused by invasive plant and animal species. Citing numerous examples, including the accidental release of the gypsy moth into the United States in 1869 and the deliberate introduction of rabbits to Australia by English settlers, Batten shows how in each case the delicate balance of the local ecosystem is threatened or even destroyed by the foreign intrusion. At the end of the book, Batten offers readers a glossary and a list of ideas they can use to minimize their own impact on local environments. Artist Beverly Doyle's realistic, full-color illustrations and maps highlight the diversity of the natural world and outline the global routes taken by animal and plant invaders.
Books:
- Stochastic Population Dynamics in Ecology and Conservation (Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution)
- Student Study Guide for Biology
- The Basics of Bioethics
- The Cooperative Gene: How Mendel's Demon Explains the Evolution of Complex Beings
- The Diversity of Life
- The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA
- The Expanded Family Life Cycle: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives (An Allyn & Bacon Classics Edition) (with MyHelpingLab) (3rd Edition) (Allyn and Bacon Classics Edition)
- The Fiber35 Diet: Nature's Weight Loss Secret
- The Human Body (An Illustrated Guide to Its Structure, Function, and Disorders)
- The Last Town on Earth: A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Caged Virgin: An Emancipation Proclamation for Women and Islam
- Monkey Business: 7 Laws of the Jungle for Becoming the Best of the Bunch
- Flashman in the Great Game: A Novel
- Hornet's Nest
- History: Fiction or Science
- Gene Cloning and DNA Analysis: An Introduction
- Life Stories: Profiles from The New Yorker
- The Federal Art Project in Illinois: 1935-1943
- Environmental Field Testing and Analysis Ready Reference Handbook
- Ferns of Nainital
The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants
Alien Species and Evolution: The Evolutionary Ecology of Exotic Plants, Animals, Microbes, and Interacting Native Species
Invasion Ecology
Invasive Alien Species: A New Synthesis (Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) Series)
Conceptual Ecology and Invasion Biology: Reciprocal Approaches to Nature (Invading Nature - Springer Series in Invasion Ecology)
