Nothing is more evocative of the Texas outdoors than the whistled call of the bobwhite. While the familiar two-note greeting is now just a memory for most of us who live in the state's growing urban sprawl, this bird is an economic commodity on par with crops and livestock in some regions of Texas. Three other native species of quail also inhabit Texas. Like the northern bobwhite, the scaled quail is significant as a game bird. The other two species, Gambel's quail and Montezuma quail, are found in limited areas of southwestern Texas and represent an important indicator of forest, rangeland, and habitat conditions. ""Texas Quails"" presents the first complete assessment of the four species of quail found in this vast state. Experts describe each of them and examine all geographic regions of the state for historical and current population trends, habitat status, and research needs. These experts also discuss management practices, hunting issues, economics, and diseases. With the recent creation of the Texas Quail Conservation Initiative, this volume provides a timely and comprehensive view of quail science and stewardship.

"Serengeti II: Dynamics, Management, and Conservation of an Ecosystem" brings together twenty years of research by leading scientists to provide the most most thorough understanding to date of the spectacular Serengeti-Mara ecosystem in East Africa, home to one of the largest and most diverse populations of animals in the world.
Building on the groundwork laid by the classic "Serengeti: Dynamics of an Ecosystem," published in 1979 by the University of Chicago Press, this new book integrates studies of the ecosystem at every level--from the plants at the bottom of the visible food chain, to the many species of herbivores and predators, to the system as a whole. Drawing on new data from many long-term studies and from more recent research initiatives, and applying new theory and computer technology, the contributors examine the large-scale processes that have produced the Serengeti's extraordinary biological diversity, as well as the interactions among species and between plants and animals and their environment. They also introduce computer modeling as a tool for exploring these interactions, employing this new technology to test and anticipate the effects of social, political, and economic changes on the entire ecosystem and on particular species, and so to shape future conservation and management strategies.

Microbial ecology is the study of interactions among microbes in natural environments and their roles in biogeochemical cycles, food web dynamics, and the evolution of life. Microbes are the most numerous organisms in the biosphere and mediate many critical reactions in elemental cycles and biogeochemical reactions. Because they are essential players in the carbon cycle and related processes, microbial ecology is a vital science for understanding the role of the biosphere in global warming and the response of natural ecosystems to climate change. This second edition has been fully revised, restructured, and updated while remaining concise and accessible. It discusses the major processes carried out by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and other protists - the microbes - in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems. The focus is on biogeochemical processes, starting with primary production and the initial fixation of carbon into cellular biomass, before exploring how that carbon is degraded in both oxygen-rich (oxic) and oxygen-deficient (anoxic) environments. These processes are in turn affected by ecological interactions, including competition for limiting nutrients, viral lysis, and predation by various protists in soils and aquatic habitats. The book neatly connects processes occurring at the micron scale to events happening at the global scale, including the carbon cycle and its connection to climate change issues. A final chapter is devoted to symbiosis and other relationships between microbes and larger organisms. Microbes have huge impacts not only on biogeochemical cycles, but also on the ecology and evolution of more complex forms of life, including humans.

In the tradition of Stephen Jay Gould, H. H. Shugart entertains and enlightens with parables from the amazing world of birds and mammals Although people have been altering earth's landscapes to some extent for tens of thousands of years, humankind today is causing massive changes to the planet. Such widespread environmental change is accompanied by accelerating rates of species extinction. In this book, noted ecologist H. H. Shugart presents important ecological concepts through entertaining animal parables. He tells the stories of particular birds and mammals-the packrat, ivory-billed woodpecker, penguin, dingo, European rabbit, and others-and what their fates reveal about the interactions between environmental change and the extinctions or explosions of species populations. Change is the root of many planetary problems, but it is also an intrinsic feature of our living planet. Shugart explores past environmental change, discusses the non-existence of a "balance of Nature," and documents how human alterations have affected plants, soils, and animals. He looks with hope toward a future in which thoughtful people learn-and use-ecological science to protect the landscapes upon which terrestrial creatures depend.

This open access book summarizes the multi-disciplinary results of one of China's main primatological research projects on the endemic Tibetan macaque (Macaca thibetana), which had continued for over 30 years, but which had never been reported on systematically. Dedicated to this exceptional Old World monkey, this book makes the work of Chinese primatologists on the social behavior, cooperation, culture, cognition, group dynamics, and emerging technologies in primate research accessible to the international scientific community. One of the most impressive Asian monkeys, and the largest member of its genus, the Tibetan macaque deserves to be better known. This volume goes a long way towards bringing this species into the spotlight with many excellent behavioral analyses from the field. - Frans de Waal, Professor of Psychology, Emory University, USA. Macaques matter. To understand primate patterns and trends, and to gain important insight into humanity, we need to augment and expand our engagement with the most successful and widespread primate genus aside from Homo. This volume focuses on the Tibetan macaque, a fascinating species with much to tell us about social behavior, physiology, complexity and the macaque knack for interfacing with humans. This book is doubly important for primatology in that beyond containing core information on this macaque species, it also reflects an effective integrated collaboration between Chinese scholars and a range of international colleagues-exactly the type of collaborative engagement primatology needs. This volume is a critical contribution to a global primatology. - Agustin Fuentes, Professor of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, USA. I have many fond memories of my association with Mt. Huangshan research beginning in 1983, when together with Professor Qishan Wang we established this site. It is such a beautiful place and I miss it. It is gratifying to see how far research has progressed since we began work there, becoming more internationalized and very much a collaborative endeavor under the long-term direction of Professor Jin-Hua Li and colleagues. This book highlights the increased interest in this species, representing a variety of disciplines ranging from macro aspects of behavior, cognition and sociality, to micro aspects of microbes, parasites and disease, authored by a group of renowned Chinese and international primatologists. I applaud their efforts and expect more interesting work to come from this site in the years ahead. - Kazuo Wada, Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University, Japan.

The book brings to light the most recent findings on the biogeography, biodiversity, host plant induction and natural history of gall inducing insects in the Neotropical region. We attempt to summarize the work done so far in the region, promote several syntheses on many aspects such as host induction, host specialization, distribution among the several vegetation types and zones, the origin of super hosts and the mechanisms leading to geographical patterns in their distribution. Furthermore, the book constructs new perspectives for deeper understanding of galling insect evolutionary ecology and biogeopgraphy in the region.

Based on actual data of Soviet whaling, and reliable methodologies that existed at the time when this monograph was written, it examines the distribution and migration patterns of whales of the Southern Ocean. It defines distinct populations on the basis of phenes, as well as whale breeding zones, which are located in the adjacent to the Southern Ocean waters at lower latitudes. The book records the presence of a new species of killer whale in the Southern Ocean - Orcinus nana. Prenatal growth patterns, pregnancy and lactation duration, mean sizes of new-born whales are determined. Methods for the graphic recording of registering structures are described, and an original method for their decoding is proposed to determine animal age. The age of sexual and physical maturity, life expectancy is determined. Earlier unknown "pair formations" on the lower jaw of baleen whales and sperm whales are described, together with their macro, histological and electronic microscopic structure. The impact of the extermination of whales on the Southern Ocean ecosystem is examined, recommendations for control of the current state of whale populations are given, and perspectives of whale population recovery are estimated. Regions that could be used as testing areas for whale registration method are defined. The book is intended for biologist-cytologists, ecologists and other specialists interested in cetaceans, and for biology students.

This book describes about 30 years of theoretical, empirical, and experimental work on butterfly sperm competition. It considers the reproductive morphology and sperm utilisation interests of males and females, which shape the mating tactics of each sex. Females of most butterfly species mate multiple times throughout their lives. The reasons are explored, as well as the numerous adaptations males have developed to prevent future mating and fertilisation by the sperm of other males. In particular, this volume focuses on the role of apyrene sperm. Eupyrene and apyrene sperm dimorphism is most likely a key factor in sperm competition, and the study in butterflies promotes understanding of sexual selection across animal species with sperm polymorphism. This book, describing the evolutionary causes and consequences of the sperm competition in butterflies, is a recommended read for students of behavioural ecology.

This work addresses the current need for a holistic approach in comparative and evolutionary biology and offers numerous applications of the modern methods of phylogenetic systematics and historical ecology, using the North American fish fauna as its case study. This major synthesis, the first published work of its kind, provides a theoretical and methodological foundation for future studies in ichthyology, evolutionary biology, or other fields of comparative biology. Several introductory pieces present major statements of general principles, detailed examinations of the diversity and distributions of North American freshwater fishes, and what is known of their systematic relationships. The rest of the volume's 30 papers then contribute new phylogenetic hypotheses for a significant number of taxa.

Consisting of more than six thousand species, amphibians are more diverse than mammals and are found on every continent save Antarctica. Despite the abundance and diversity of these animals, many aspects of the biology of amphibians remain unstudied or misunderstood. "The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians" aims to fill this gap in the literature on this remarkable taxon. It is a celebration of the diversity of amphibian life and the ecological and behavioral adaptations that have made it a successful component of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Synthesizing seventy years of research on amphibian biology, Kentwood D. Wells addresses all major areas of inquiry, including phylogeny, classification, and morphology; aspects of physiological ecology such as water and temperature relations, respiration, metabolism, and energetics; movements and orientation; communication and social behavior; reproduction and parental care; ecology and behavior of amphibian larvae and ecological aspects of metamorphosis; ecological impact of predation on amphibian populations and antipredator defenses; and aspects of amphibian community ecology. With an eye towards modern concerns, "The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians" concludes with a chapter devoted to amphibian conservation.
An unprecedented scholarly contribution to amphibian biology, this book is eagerly anticipated among specialists.

The authors of The Distribution and Abundance of Animals have now written The Ecological Web, an extended and careful synthesis of theory and field research, which provides an illuminating analysis of how environment influences the distribution and abundance of animals. The work also provides the first comprehensive account, illustrated by numerous case histories, of P. J. den Boer's theory of 'spreading the risk.' . . . Andrewartha and Birch, by shifting the emphasis away from abstract theory and back to consideration of animals in their complex natural environments, have provided a useful guide for ecologically sound conservation and management.--Animal Behaviour
The Ecological Web presents an entirely fresh look at ecology from the autecological perspective, and is a worthy successor to the authors' classic work, The Distribution and Abundance of Animals. The work is original--indeed unique--and the detailed coverage of case histories is unprecedented. The point of view will be controversial, but every ecologist will be impressed with the competence and completeness with which the arguments are mustered. A 'must' for every ecologist and environmental scientist.--Paul R. Ehrlich
This book is the naturalist's vision of population ecology. The authors do not intend a formal description of the environment, but are seeking a way of functional analysis, a workable framework of theory within which to ask questions that will help us understand the distribution and abundance of animals in natural populations. The Ecological Web should be studied carefully by every population ecologist and should take a prominent place in the teaching of ecology. It marks a very significant period in our science as we change from one paradigm to another.--P. J. den Boer

Beginning with Darwin's work in the 1870s, "Foundations of Animal Behavior" selects the most important works from the discipline's first hundred years--forty-four classic papers--and presents them in facsimile, tracing the development of the field. These papers are classics because they either founded a line of investigation, established a basic method, or provided a new approach to an important research question.
The papers are divided into six sections, each introduced by prominent researchers. Sections one and two cover the origins and history of the field and the emergence of basic methods and approaches. They provide a background for sections three through six, which focus on development and learning; neural and hormonal mechanisms of behavior; sensory processes, orientation, and communication; and the evolution of behavior.
This outstanding collection will serve as the basis for undergraduate and graduate seminars and as a reference for researchers in animal behavior, whether they focus on ethology, behavioral ecology, comparative psychology, or anthropology.
"Published in association with the Animal Behavior Society"

Ecological morphology examines the relation between an animal's anatomy and physiology--its form and function--and how the animal has evolved in and can inhabit a particular environment. Within the past few years, research in this relatively new area has exploded. "Ecological Morphology" is a synthesis of major concepts and a demonstration of the ways in which this integrative approach can yield rich and surprising results.
Through this interdisciplinary study, scientists have been able to understand, for instance, how bat wing design affects habitat use and bat diet; how the size of a predator affects its ability to capture and eat certain prey; and how certain mosquitoes have evolved physiologically and morphologically to tolerate salt-water habitats. "Ecological Morphology" also covers the history of the field, the role of the comparative method in studying adaptation, and the use of data from modern organisms for understanding the ecology of fossil communities.
This book provides an overview of the achievements and potential of ecological morphology for all biologists and students interested in the way animal design, ecology, and evolution interact.

Red Knots are in the sandpiper family. They are barely ten inches long and weigh about twenty ounces. Each spring they breed in the Arctic, but in the year that follows they will migrate to the southern tip of South America and back again in their quest for food. Why and how they travel more than 18,000 miles each year, often as many as 2,500 miles nonstop (and at speeds averaging between thirty and forty miles per hour), is the subject of this engrossing and beautifully illustrated book. Based on a popular NOVA series on migration, The Flight of the Red Knot is the story of an ornithological marvel by one of the world's foremost authorities. Here we learn of the marvelous physical equipment of the long-distance flyers, their extraordinary food storage capacity, and the nature of their ever-moving food supply. The methods of research into the Red Knots' life cycle are also described. Bird lovers especially, but also any one interested in nature will love this book.

How does the environment shape the ways an animal processes information and makes decisions? How do constraints imposed on nervous systems affect an animal's activities? To help answer these questions, "Cognitive Ecology" integrates evolutionary ecology and cognitive science, demonstrating how studies of perception, memory, and learning can deepen our understanding of animal behavior and ecology.
Individual chapters consider such issues as the evolution of learning and its influence on behavior; the effects of cognitive mechanisms on the evolution of signaling behavior; how neurobiological and evolutionary processes have shaped navigational activities; functional and mechanical explanations for altered behaviors in response to changing environments; how foragers make decisions and how these decisions are influenced by the risks of predation; and how cognitive mechanisms affect partner choice.
"Cognitive Ecology" will encourage biologists to consider how animal cognition affects behavior, and will also interest comparative psychologists and cognitive scientists.

Highlighting more than a century of research, from Darwin's work in the 1870s to major contributions of the early 1970s, Foundations and Animals Behavior presents fourty-four classic papers in facsimile. These papers are classics because they either founded a line of investigation, established a basic method, or provided a new way of thinking about an important problem in studies of animal behavior. The papers are divided into six sections, each introduced by prominent researchers in that area. Sections one and two cover the origins and history of the field and the emergence of basic methods and approaches to studying animal behavior, providing a background for sections three through six, which focus on the specific subfields of development and learning; neural and hormonal mechanisms of behavior; sensory processes, orientation, and communication; and the revolution of behavior. This outstanding collection will serve as the basis for undergraduate and graduate seminars and as a reference for researchers in animal behavior, whether they focus on ethology, behavioral ecology, comparative psychology, or anthropology.

Seeking common principles of social evolution in different taxonomic groups, the contributors to this volume discuss eighteen groups of birds and mammals for which long-term field studies have been carried out. They examine how social organization is shaped by the interaction between proximate ecological pressures and culture"--the social traditions already in place and shaped by local and phylogenetic history. Originally published in 1987. 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.