The definitive examination of oak forest evolutionary ecology. Seed
dispersal is a critical stage in the life cycle of most flowering
plants. The process can have far-reaching effects on a species'
biology, especially numerous aspects of its ecology and evolution.
This is particularly the case for the oaks, in which the dispersal
of the acorn is tied to numerous tree characteristics, as well as
the behavior and ecology of the animals that feed on and move these
seeds to their final destination. Forest structure, composition,
and genetics often follow directly from the dispersal process-while
also influencing it in turn. In Oak Seed Dispersal, Michael A.
Steele draws on three decades of field research across the globe
(e.g., the United States, Mexico, Central America, Europe, and
China) to describe the interactions between oaks and their seed
consumers. Rodents, birds, and insects, he writes, collectively
influence the survival, movement, and germination of acorns, as
well as the establishment of seedlings, often indicating a
coevolutionary bond between oaks and their seed consumers. This
bond can only be understood by unraveling the complex interactions
that occur in the context of factors such as partial seed
consumption due to acorn chemistry, scatterhoarding, predation of
the seed consumers by other organisms, and the limiting effects of
masting on insect, rodent, and jay damage. Offering new insights on
how animal-mediated dispersal drives ecological and evolutionary
processes in forest ecosystems, Oak Seed Dispersal also includes an
overview of threatened oak forests across the globe and explains
how a lack of acorn dispersal contributes to many important
conservation challenges. Highly illustrated, the book includes
photographs of key dispersal organisms and tactics, as well as a
foreword by Stephen B. Vander Wall, a leading authority on food
hoarding and animal-mediated seed dispersal, and beautiful artwork
by Tad C. Theimer, also an accomplished ecologist.
General
Imprint: |
Johns Hopkins University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
March 2021 |
First published: |
2020 |
Authors: |
Michael A. Steele
|
Dimensions: |
254 x 178 x 38mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
480 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-4214-3901-3 |
Categories: |
Books >
Science & Mathematics >
Biology, life sciences >
General
|
LSN: |
1-4214-3901-8 |
Barcode: |
9781421439013 |
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