Oceanic island archipelagos provide many clues about evolutionary patterns and processes, and may rightly be considered as among the best places on earth to seek an understanding of the origin and elaboration of biological diversity. This volume brings together contributions covering a range of important issues in contemporary oceanic island plant biology, focusing on patterns and processes in various island groups (with emphasis on the Bonin, Hawaiian and Juan Fernandez Islands) to provide a stimulating view of the current state of research and a possible agenda for future investigations. Topics addressed include chromosomal variation, macromolecular divergence, island biogeography theory, isolating mechanisms, modes of speciation and evolution of secondary plant products. The result is a volume that reveals the special opportunities offered by oceanic archipelagos for investigating evolutionary phenomena in vascular plants.

Oceanic island archipelagos are profoundly interesting ecosystems in which to ask questions about evolutionary patterns and processes, and may rightly be considered as one of the best places on earth to seek an understanding of the origin and elaboration of biological diversity. This 1998 volume brings together contributions covering a range of important issues in contemporary oceanic island plant biology, focusing on patterns and processes in Pacific and other islands (with emphasis on the Bonin, Hawaiian and Juan Fernandez Islands) to provide a stimulating view of the state of research and a possible agenda for future investigations. Topics addressed include chromosomal variation, macromolecular divergence, island biogeography theory, isolating mechanisms, modes of speciation and evolution of secondary plant products, resulting in a volume which reveals the special opportunities offered by oceanic archipelagos for investigating evolutionary phenomena in vascular plants.

Bringing together results from over 30 years of research on the Juan Fernandez Archipelago off the coast of Chile, this book offers comprehensive coverage of the plants of these special islands. Despite its remote setting in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, the Juan Fernandez Archipelago is in many ways an ideal place to ask and attempt to answer basic questions regarding the evolution of vascular plants in an oceanic island environment. By building upon a firm taxonomic base for the flora, a new level of understanding regarding evolution, biogeography, and conservation of the plants is presented. This book is an extensive investigation of the origin and evolution of the flora of an oceanic archipelago, and it serves as a valuable resource for researchers and scholars of island biology as well as for conservation biologists worldwide.

The Juan Fernandez Archipelago is located in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile at 33 Degrees S latitude. Robinson Crusoe Island is 667 km from the continent and approximately four million years old; Alejandro Selkirk Island is an additional 181 km west and only one million years old. The natural impacts of subsidence and erosion have shaped the landscapes of these islands, resulting in progressive changes to their subtropical vegetation. The older island has undergone more substantial changes, due to both natural causes and human impacts. After the discovery of Robinson Crusoe Island in 1574, people began cutting down forests for lumber to construct boats and homes, for firewood, and to make room for pastures. Domesticated plants and animals were introduced, some of which have since become feral or invasive, causing damage to the local vegetation. The wealth of historical records on these activities provides a detailed chronicle of how human beings use their environment for survival in a new ecosystem. This book offers an excellent case study on the impacts that people can have on the resources of an oceanic island.

The Juan Fernandez Archipelago is located in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile at 33 Degrees S latitude. Robinson Crusoe Island is 667 km from the continent and approximately four million years old; Alejandro Selkirk Island is an additional 181 km west and only one million years old. The natural impacts of subsidence and erosion have shaped the landscapes of these islands, resulting in progressive changes to their subtropical vegetation. The older island has undergone more substantial changes, due to both natural causes and human impacts. After the discovery of Robinson Crusoe Island in 1574, people began cutting down forests for lumber to construct boats and homes, for firewood, and to make room for pastures. Domesticated plants and animals were introduced, some of which have since become feral or invasive, causing damage to the local vegetation. The wealth of historical records on these activities provides a detailed chronicle of how human beings use their environment for survival in a new ecosystem. This book offers an excellent case study on the impacts that people can have on the resources of an oceanic island.

Flavonoids are secondary plant products that have previously been shown to be helpful in determining relationships among plant groups. This work presents comprehensively the occurrence, patterns of variation, and systematic and evolutionary importance of flavonoids in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), the largest family of flowering plants (23,000 species). It gathers together the more than 2500 reports of flavonoids in Asteraceae published between 1950 to the present and interprets these data in context of new taxonomic (especially generic) alignments. The authors discuss flavonoid patterns with reference to modern phylogenetic studies based on morphology and DNA data. This book provides, therefore, the most exhaustive synthesis and evaluation of the systematic and evolutionary import of flavonoids ever accomplished for any large family of angiosperms.

The field of plant taxonomy has transformed rapidly over the past fifteen years, especially with regard to improvements in cladistic analysis and the use of new molecular data. The second edition of this popular resource reflects these far-reaching and dramatic changes by adding more than 3,000 new references and figures. Synthesizing current research and trends, this book now provides the most up-to-date overview of plant taxonomy in relation to monographic, biodiversity, and evolutionary studies, and continues to be an essential resource for students and scholars.

This volume introduces students to the philosophical and theoretical aspects of plant taxonomy. The text is divided into two parts: Part 1 explains the principles of taxonomy, including the importance of systematics, characters, concepts of categories, and different approaches to biological classification. Part 2 outlines the different types of data used in plant taxonomic studies with suggestions on their efficacy and modes of presentation and evaluation. This section also lists the equipment and financial resources required for gathering each type of data. References throughout the book illuminate the historical development of taxonomic terminology and philosophy while citations offer further study. More than just a reference, "Plant Taxonomy" is also a personal story of what it means to be a practicing taxonomist and to view these activities within a meaningful conceptual framework. Tod F. Stuessy recalls the progression of his own work and thoughts and shares his belief that the most creative taxonomy is done by those who have a strong conceptual grasp of their own research.

Designed to help students make better taxonomic judgments, this case book contains exercises and case studies which describe how to recognize similarities and differences in sets of comparative data. It explains interpretation with reference to the various ranks in the Linnean hierarchy.