Rove beetles (Staphylinidae) are common elements of the soil biota, living in the litter and deeper soil layers. Although they are one of the most diverse and speciose groups of insects, no comprehensive books on their general evolution and ecology are as yet available. This book fills that gap, discussing significant aspects and active research examples in the fields of phylogeny and systematics, ecology and conservation, and reproduction and development. The combination of review chapters and case studies provides an excellent introduction to the biology of rove beetles and enables readers to become familiar with active research fields in this megadiverse group of beetles. Offering easy access to these fields, it also demonstrates how staphylinids are used as bioindicators in applied ecosystem research, including that concerning conservation issues. Experienced scientists and beginners alike find the diversity of subjects covered intriguing and inspiring for continuing and starting their own research. The book is intended for students and researchers in biology and zoology (entomology), including morphologists, ecologists, soil scientists, evolutionary biologists, paleontologists, biogeographers, taxonomists and systematists.

Source-sink theories provide a simple yet powerful framework for understanding how the patterns, processes and dynamics of ecological systems vary and interact over space and time. Integrating multiple research fields, including population biology and landscape ecology, this book presents the latest advances in source-sink theories, methods and applications in the conservation and management of natural resources and biodiversity. The interdisciplinary team of authors uses detailed case studies, innovative field experiments and modeling, and comprehensive syntheses to incorporate source-sink ideas into research and management, and explores how sustainability can be achieved in today's increasingly fragile human-dominated ecosystems. Providing a comprehensive picture of source-sink research as well as tangible applications to real world conservation issues, this book is ideal for graduate students, researchers, natural-resource managers and policy makers.

Leading paleontologist J. David Archibald explores the rich history of visual metaphors for biological order from ancient times to the present and their influence on humans' perception of their place in nature, offering uncommon insight into how we went from standing on the top rung of the biological ladder to embodying just one tiny twig on the tree of life. He begins with the ancient but still misguided use of ladders to show biological order, moving then to the use of trees to represent seasonal life cycles and genealogies by the Romans. The early Christian Church then appropriated trees to represent biblical genealogies. The late eighteenth century saw the tree reclaimed to visualize relationships in the natural world, sometimes with a creationist view, but in other instances suggesting evolution. Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859) exorcised the exclusively creationist view of the "tree of life," and his ideas sparked an explosion of trees, mostly by younger acolytes in Europe. Although Darwin's influence waned in the early twentieth century, by midcentury his ideas held sway once again in time for another and even greater explosion of tree building, generated by the development of new theories on how to assemble trees, the birth of powerful computing, and the emergence of molecular technology. Throughout Archibald's far-reaching study, and with the use of many figures, the evolution of "tree of life" iconography becomes entwined with our changing perception of the world and ourselves.

Biological Diversity provides an up to date, authoritative review of the methods of measuring and assessing biological diversity, together with their application. The book's emphasis is on quantifying the variety, abundance, and occurrence of taxa, and on providing objective and clear guidance for both scientists and managers. This is a fast-moving field and one that is the focus of intense research interest. However the rapid development of new methods, the inconsistent and sometimes confusing application of old ones, and the lack of consensus in the literature about the best approach, means that there is a real need for a current synthesis. Biological Diversity covers fundamental measurement issues such as sampling, re-examines familiar diversity metrics (including species richness, diversity statistics, and estimates of spatial and temporal turnover), discusses species abundance distributions and how best to fit them, explores species occurrence and the spatial structure of biodiversity, and investigates alternative approaches used to assess trait, phylogenetic, and genetic diversity. The final section of the book turns to a selection of contemporary challenges such as measuring microbial diversity, evaluating the impact of disturbance, assessing biodiversity in managed landscapes, measuring diversity in the imperfect fossil record, and using species density estimates in management and conservation.

Human induced biodiversity loss is greater now than at any time in human history, with extinctions occurring at rates hundreds of times higher than background extinction levels. The field of biodiversity economics analyses the socio-economic causes of and solutions to biodiversity loss by combining the disciplines of economics, ecology and biology. This field has shown a remarkable degree of transformation over the past four decades and now incorporates the analysis of the entire diversity of biological resources within the living world. Biodiversity Economics presents a series of papers that show how bio-economic analysis can be applied to the examination and evaluation of the problem of various forms of biodiversity loss. Containing insightful bio-economic research by some of prominent practitioners in the field, this volume will be an essential research tool to those working on biodiversity issues in the academic, policy and private sectors.

In 1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), signed by over 160 countries and hailed as the key symbol of a common vision for saving Earth's biodiversity, set forth three primary mandates: preserving biodiversity, using biodiversity components sustainably, and enabling economic benefit-sharing. The CBD-which gave signatory countries the ability to claim sovereignty over nonhuman genetic resources native to each nation-defined biodiversity through a politics of nationhood in ways that commodified genetic resources. In Biogenetic Paradoxes of the Nation Sakari Tamminen traces the ways in which the CBD's seemingly compatible yet ultimately paradox-ridden aims became manifest in efforts to create, conserve, and capitalize on distinct animal and plant species. In using Finland as a case study with which to understand the worldwide efforts to convert species into manifestations of national identity, Tamminen shows how the CBD's policies contribute less to biodiversity conservation than to smoothing the way for frictionless operation of biotechnologically assisted circuits of the global bioeconomy. Tamminen demonstrates how an intimate look at the high-level politics and technical processes of defining national genetic resources powerfully illuminates the limits of anthropocentric biopolitical theory.

The use of mathematical models is a fundamental aspect of modern science. With computers now allowing previously difficult calculations to be done quickly and easily, an understanding of mathematics and an appreciation for modelling is possible even in fields with traditionally less mathematical content. Modelling Nature introduces basic concepts in mathematical modelling applied to natural systems to tackle real-world problems from fields such as physics, ecology, geology and epidemiology. It shows how using models can help to unravel complex issues such as the melting of the Arctic ice, the spread of infectious disease and the age of the Earth. The text helps students to build steadily upon a basic level of mathematics, to a more advanced understanding of mathematical concepts, for a thorough understanding of a variety of mathematical techniques. Key features include: Worked through calculations, with clear steps that can be followed with just a calculator, pen and paper or popular software packages. Intuitive introduction of advanced mathematical techniques in the context of model building, for an understanding of real-life application. An emphasis on an overall philosophy of building models, drawing repeatedly from the key elements of data, physical processes and mathematical methods to develop and refine models.

This book is concerned with the paradox that humanity depends on biodiversity and landscape systems for its survival, yet, at the same time, the current burden of humanity's use of living resources places the existence of these natural systems at risk. The role of human values, technological society and social and political processes in the creation and solution of the paradox are explored in this volume, whose origins lie in an international discussion meeting held at the PennState Center for BioDiversity Research. Leading contributors to the fields of biodiversity conservation, ecology, economics, entomology, forestry, history, landscape management, philosophy and sociology draw from their unique disciplinary perspectives to consider the origins, bases and possible solutions to this pressing problem.

Human induced development activities are introduced with insufficient attention to their consequences for our living environment, even in cases where environmental assessments have been carried out. This apparent lack of attention to biodiversity in environmental assessment is rooted in the difficulties we have in adequately addressing biodiversity within the scope, time frame and budget allocated for assessments. This book provides a conceptual background and practical approaches to overcome these difficulties. It integrates the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, its ecosystem approach, and the conceptual framework of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment into a comprehensive approach to biodiversity in environmental assessment. It highlights the need to consider the value of biodiversity based on its use by each stakeholder, addresses the importance of both social and economic development to reach the Millennium Development Goals, and provides insights into ways to balance present and future needs.

Arctic and Subarctic North America is particularly affected by climate change, where average temperatures are rising three times faster than the global average. Documenting the changing climate/environment of the north requires a structured knowledge of indicator taxa that reflect the effects of climate changes.Aleocharine beetles are a dominant group of forest insects, which are being used in many projects as indicators of environmental change. Many species are forest specialists restricted to certain microhabitats, some are generalists and others are open habitat specialists. They represent many ecological niches and, as such, are good indicators for many other species as well. The majority of Canadian aleocharine beetle species (about 600 spp.) has been studied and published by Jan Klimaszewski et al. (2018, 2020), mainly from southern, central, and western Canada, while the northern taxa remain poorly known and documented. The aim of the present book is to summarize the knowledge on this insect group in the Arctic and Subarctic North America and to provide a diagnostic and ecological tool for scientists studying and monitoring insects in northern Canada and Alaska. The book includes a review of the literature, information on 238 species and their habitats, taxonomic review, images, and identification tools.

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Extinction is a natural process. In geological time there have been several periods of mass extinction. One of these periods is unfolding right now but all the evidence suggests that current extinction rates are between a hundred and a thousand times greater than the background rate. To put this in to context, a quarter of all known mammalian species is at risk. The current extinction crisis is unique, because it is caused by the impact of one species, humans, on all others. This acceleration of species loss, and the much more widespread reductions in the populations of many species, is not merely a tragedy in aesthetics, it is also a threat to the quality of human life, indeed to the entire human enterprise. Biodiversity, the diversity of life, is not only fascinating and beautiful, it is the engine of all the world's natural cycles, and the source of many of the resources on which humanity depends. Concern about biodiversity conservation is, therefore, not merely the preoccupation of a few enthusiastic naturalists - it is the lifeline business of everybody. In this Very Short Introduction, David Macdonald introduces the concept of biodiversity and the basic biological processes that it involves - evolutionary, ecological, and behavioral. He considers the various threats to biodiversity, their impacts, and some of the solutions to the problems; concluding by considering the future of biodiversity conservation. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Conservation genetics focuses on understanding the role and requirement of genetic variation for population persistence. However, considerable debate now surrounds the role of genetic factors (as opposed to non-genetic factors such as habitat destruction etc.) in population extinction, and a comprehensive synthesis is now timely. Can extinction be explained by habitat destruction alone or is lack of genetic variation a part of the explanation? The book thoroughly reviews the arguments for a role of genetics in the present biodiversity crisis. It describes the methods used to study genetic variation in endangered species and examines the influence of genetic variation in the extinction of species.
To date, conservation genetics has predominantly utilized neutral genetic markers e.g. microsatellites. However, with the recent advances in molecular genetics and genomics it will soon be possible to study 'direct gene action', following the fate of genetic variation at the level of DNA, through expression, to proteins in order to determine how such phenotypes fare in populations of free living organisms. Evolutionary Conservation Genetics explores these exciting avenues of future research potential, integrating ecological quantitative genetics with the new genome science. It is now more important than ever that we ask relevant questions about the evolutionary fate of endangered populations throughout the globe and incorporate our knowledge of evolutionary processes and the distribution of genetic diversity into effective conservation planning and action.

Understanding the mechanisms driving biological diversity remains a central problem in ecology and evolutionary biology. Traditional explanations assume that differences in selection pressures lead to different adaptations in geographically separated locations. This book takes a different approach and explores adaptive diversification--diversification rooted in ecological interactions and frequency-dependent selection. In any ecosystem, birth and death rates of individuals are affected by interactions with other individuals. What is an advantageous phenotype therefore depends on the phenotype of other individuals, and it may often be best to be ecologically different from the majority phenotype. Such rare-type advantage is a hallmark of frequency-dependent selection and opens the scope for processes of diversification that require ecological contact rather than geographical isolation.

Michael Doebeli investigates adaptive diversification using the mathematical framework of adaptive dynamics. Evolutionary branching is a paradigmatic feature of adaptive dynamics that serves as a basic metaphor for adaptive diversification, and Doebeli explores the scope of evolutionary branching in many different ecological scenarios, including models of coevolution, cooperation, and cultural evolution. He also uses alternative modeling approaches. Stochastic, individual-based models are particularly useful for studying adaptive speciation in sexual populations, and partial differential equation models confirm the pervasiveness of adaptive diversification.

Showing that frequency-dependent interactions are an important driver of biological diversity, "Adaptive Diversification" provides a comprehensive theoretical treatment of adaptive diversification.

Habitat management is commonly used to maintain and enhance the biological interest of many areas of semi-natural habitat where natural processes no longer create suitable conditions for desired species. Habitat restoration and creation is increasingly being used to increase the extent of ecologically important habitats in order to mitigate the impacts of human development. The modification of past management techniques and the introduction of new ones can provide additional benefits.
Habitat Management for Conservation is a practical handbook which describes the general principles and techniques of managing and creating habitats throughout the world. The opening sections describe the general principles of managing land for biodiversity conservation. They include decision-making, mitigating the damaging effects of climate change, and monitoring the success of management. These are followed by a series of chapters which describe how to manage specific habitats: grasslands, shrublands, forests, scrub, freshwater wetlands, coastal habitats, arable land, urban areas and gardens. For each of these habitats the book discusses the main factors influencing their value for wildlife, highlights the key decisions that need to be made, and describes and compares the effects of individual management techniques.
This comprehensive guide will be essential reading for graduate students as well as an invaluable resource for land managers, land-use advisors and others involved in conservation land management worldwide.

In the past thirty years biodiversity has become one of the central organizing principles through which we understand the nonhuman environment. Its deceptively simple definition as the variation among living organisms masks its status as a hotly contested term both within the sciences and more broadly. In Eden's Endemics, Elizabeth Callaway looks to cultural objects-novels, memoirs, databases, visualizations, and poetry- that depict many species at once to consider the question of how we narrate organisms in their multiplicity. Touching on topics ranging from seed banks to science fiction to bird-watching, Callaway argues that there is no set, generally accepted way to measure biodiversity. Westerners tend to conceptualize it according to one or more of an array of tropes rooted in colonial history such as the Lost Eden, Noah's Ark, and Tree-of-Life imagery. These conceptualizations affect what kinds of biodiversities are prioritized for protection. While using biodiversity as a way to talk about the world aims to highlight what is most valued in nature, it can produce narratives that reinforce certain power differentials-with real-life consequences for conservation projects. Thus the choices made when portraying biodiversity impact what is visible, what is visceral, and what is unquestioned common sense about the patterns of life on Earth.

This book explores the epistemological and ethical issues at the foundations of environmental philosophy, emphasizing the conservation of biodiversity. Sahota Sarkar criticizes previous attempts to attribute intrinsic value to nature and defends an anthropocentric position on biodiversity conservation based on an untraditional concept of transformative value. Unlike other studies in the field of environmental philosophy, this book is as much concerned with epistemological issues as with environmental ethics. It covers a broad range of topics, including problems of explanation and prediction in traditional ecology and how individual-based models and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology is transforming ecology. Introducing a brief history of conservation biology, Sarkar analyzes the new consensus framework for conservation planning through adaptive management. He concludes with a discussion of the future directions for theoretical research in conservation biology and environmental philosophy.

Comprising well over half of all known animal species, insects are the most successful organisms on the planet. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that one cannot study agriculture, biology, and the environment, without a basic understanding of entomology. Furthermore, insects are indispensable to advances in molecular biology and genetics, and their ongoing decline in many parts of the world has stimulated much research in the crucial roles they play in global ecosystems. However, the sheer diversity of insects can be a challenge to every newcomer to entomology. Most entomology textbooks tend to focus on insect biology, leaving readers with only a superficial idea of insect diversity and evolution, while others delve into too much detail that will deter the novice. In contrast, Essential Entomology has a clear taxonomic structure that provides readers with the necessary framework to understand the diversity, life history, and taxonomy of insects in a new light. This fully revised edition provides the most up-to-date guide to insects and includes all the major developments in molecular biology and palaeontology of the last 20 years. This textbook is an essential read for undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in entomology, agriculture, and forestry. It will also appeal to a broad academic audience of ecologists, conservationists, natural resource managers, as well as to the far more numerous general readers who are interested in wildlife, nature, and the environment. With these diverse audiences in mind, the straightforward and accessible style of the first edition has been maintained, technical jargon has been kept to a minimum, and sufficient background information is provided to enable the reader to follow the text with ease.

Since the release of the documentary Blackfish in 2013, millions around the world have focused on the plight of the orca, the most profitable and controversial display animal in history. Yet, until now, no historical account has explained how we came to care about killer whales in the first place. Drawing on interviews, official records, private archives, and his own family history, Jason M. Colby tells the exhilarating and often heartbreaking story of how people came to love the ocean's greatest predator. Historically reviled as dangerous pests, killer whales were dying by the hundreds, even thousands, by the 1950s-the victims of whalers, fishermen, and even the US military. In the Pacific Northwest, fishermen shot them, scientists harpooned them, and the Canadian government mounted a machine gun to eliminate them. But that all changed in 1965, when Seattle entrepreneur Ted Griffin became the first person to swim and perform with a captive killer whale. The show proved wildly popular, and he began capturing and selling others, including Sea World's first Shamu. Over the following decade, live display transformed views of Orcinus orca. The public embraced killer whales as charismatic and friendly, while scientists enjoyed their first access to live orcas. In the Pacific Northwest, these captive encounters reshaped regional values and helped drive environmental activism, including Greenpeace's anti-whaling campaigns. Yet even as Northwesterners taught the world to love whales, they came to oppose their captivity and to fight for the freedom of a marine predator that had become a regional icon. This is the definitive history of how the feared and despised "killer" became the beloved "orca"-and what that has meant for our relationship with the ocean and its creatures.

With more than 500 species distributed all around the Northern Hemisphere, the genus Quercus L. is a dominant element of a wide variety of habitats including temperate, tropical, subtropical and mediterranean forests and woodlands. As the fossil record reflects, oaks were usual from the Oligocene onwards, showing the high ability of the genus to colonize new and different habitats. Such diversity and ecological amplitude makes genus Quercus an excellent framework for comparative ecophysiological studies, allowing the analysis of many mechanisms that are found in different oaks at different level (leaf or stem). The combination of several morphological and physiological attributes defines the existence of different functional types within the genus, which are characteristic of specific phytoclimates. From a landscape perspective, oak forests and woodlands are threatened by many factors that can compromise their future: a limited regeneration, massive decline processes, mostly triggered by adverse climatic events or the competence with other broad-leaved trees and conifer species. The knowledge of all these facts can allow for a better management of the oak forests in the future.

The Systems Ecology Paradigm (SEP) incorporates humans as integral parts of ecosystems and emphasizes issues that have significant societal relevance such as grazing land, forestland, and agricultural ecosystem management, biodiversity and global change impacts. Accomplishing this societally relevant research requires cutting-edge basic and applied research. This book focuses on environmental and natural resource challenges confronting local to global societies for which the SEP methodology must be utilized for resolution. Key elements of SEP are a holistic perspective of ecological/social systems, systems thinking, and the ecosystem approach applied to real world, complex environmental and natural resource problems. The SEP and ecosystem approaches force scientific emphasis to be placed on collaborations with social scientists and behavioral, learning, and marketing professionals. The SEP has given environmental scientists, decision makers, citizen stakeholders, and land and water managers a powerful set of tools to analyse, integrate knowledge, and propose adoption of solutions to important local to global problems.

Biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources has remained one of the key challenges for development agencies and concerned stakeholders for decades together. The huge threat of climate change has only added to this complexity. In this context, the present book Biodiversity, Community, and Climate Change is designed to help in guiding the various principles of biodiversity conservation, effects of climate change and role of communities at various levels and landscapes. A total of 19 chapters are covered in this book and they encompass a wide range of topics including tools of biodiversity assessment ranging from conventional ecological and social survey methods to the use of latest technology such as Geographical Information System (GIS) and remote sensing. It includes: a description of biodiversity conservation with focus on the status of biodiversity from lower to higher flora and fauna; an assessment of evaluation of impacts of allelopathic compounds on growth of native plant species; significant emphasis on the usefulness of geospatial techniques for monitoring urban ecosystem and biodiversity; specific focus on community, livelihood, and management of biodiversity; and an analysis of participatory conservation and forest management case studies to further strengthen conservation approaches. It focuses on the vital importance of community forestry, agriculture sector and biodiversity conservation in addressing the threats of climate change.

BIOPROSPECTING OF PLANT BIODIVERSITY FOR INDUSTRIAL MOLECULES A comprehensive collection of recent translational research on bioresource utilization and ecological sustainability Bioprospecting of Plant Biodiversity for Industrial Molecules provides an up-to-date overview of the ongoing search for biodiverse organic compounds for use in pharmaceuticals, bioceuticals, agriculture, and other commercial applications. Bringing together work from a panel of international contributors, this comprehensive monograph covers natural compounds of plants, endophyte enzymes and their applications in industry, plant bioprospecting in cosmetics, marine bioprospecting of seaweeds, and more. Providing global perspectives on bioprospecting of plant biodiversity, the authors present research on enzymes, mineral micro-nutrients, biopesticides, algal biomass, and other bioactive molecules. In-depth chapters assess the health impacts and ecological sustainability of the various biomolecules and identify existing and possible applications ranging from ecological restoration to production of essential oils and cosmetics. Other topics include, bio-energy crops as alternative fuel resources, the role of plants in phytoremediation of industrial waste, and the industrial applications of endophyte enzymes. This comprehensive resource: Includes a through introduction to plant biodiversity and bioprospecting Will further the knowledge of application of different plants and improve research investigation techniques. Summarizes novel approaches for researchers in food science, microbiology, biochemistry, and biotechnology Bioprospecting of Plant Biodiversity for Industrial Molecules is an indispensable compendium of biological research for scientists, researchers, graduate and postgraduate students, and academics in the areas of microbiology, food biotechnology, industrial microbiology, plant biotechnology, and microbial biotechnology.

This book provides a first synthetic view of an emerging area of ecology and biogeography, linking individual- and population-level processes to geographic distributions and biodiversity patterns. Problems in evolutionary ecology, macroecology, and biogeography are illuminated by this integrative view. The book focuses on correlative approaches known as ecological niche modeling, species distribution modeling, or habitat suitability modeling, which use associations between known occurrences of species and environmental variables to identify environmental conditions under which populations can be maintained. The spatial distribution of environments suitable for the species can then be estimated: a potential distribution for the species. This approach has broad applicability to ecology, evolution, biogeography, and conservation biology, as well as to understanding the geographic potential of invasive species and infectious diseases, and the biological implications of climate change.

The authors lay out conceptual foundations and general principles for understanding and interpreting species distributions with respect to geography and environment. Focus is on development of niche models. While serving as a guide for students and researchers, the book also provides a theoretical framework to support future progress in the field.

Winner of the 2022 Marsh Book of the Year Award A long-awaited volume in the New Naturalist series examining the trees of Britain. Trees are immensely valuable. They give shape to our lives with wood, the material that makes our homes, our books, our belongings; they nourish us with the air we breathe and the fruits we eat; and they sustain us, with their shade and the comfort of their presence. They are also fascinating - they are the biggest and oldest living organisms on the planet and are essential components of many of the landscapes of Britain. Trees have been vital in determining the ecology of our planet as well as the development of human cultures and communities, yet how much do we really understand about them? How do trees live? How do they fit into their environments? Why are they so important to ecosystems on earth, and to us? And what does the future hold for trees? Can they solve the problems of climate change by absorbing enough carbon dioxide, and would we run out of oxygen if all the world's trees disappeared? Do trees really talk to each other? There is much to learn about these silent giants. Ecologist Peter Thomas explores all these questions and many more, delving into the often hidden life of trees, using examples from around the world, from common trees to the unusual and bizarre. This comprehensive introduction to all aspects of tree biology and ecology presents the latest scientific and botanical discoveries and explores the wonders and mysteries of trees.