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Diversity within and among living organisms is both a biological
impera tive and a biological conundrum. Phenotypic and genotypic
diversity is the critical currency ofecological interactions and
the evolution of life. Thus, it is not unexpected to find vast
phytochemical diversity among plants. However, among the most
compelling questions which arise among those interested in
ecological phytochemistry is the extent, nature, and reasons for
the diversity of chemieals in plants. The idea that natural
products (secondary metabolites) are accidents of metabolism and
have no biological function is an old one which has resurfaced
recently under a new term "redundancy. " Redundancy in the broader
sense can be viewed as duplication of effort. The co-occurrence of
several classes of phytochemieals in a given plant may be
redundancy. Is there unnecessary duplication of chemical defense
systems and ifso, why? What selective forces have produced this
result? On the other hand, why does the same compound often have
multiple functions? At a symposium of the Phytochemical Society of
North America held in August 1995, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario,
Canada, the topic "Phytochernical Redundancy in Ecological
Interactions" was discussed. The chapters in this volume are based
on that symposium. They both stimulate thought and provide some
working hypotheses for future research. It is being increasingly
recognized that functional diversity and multiplicity of function
of natural products is the norm rather than the exception."
Diversity within and among living organisms is both a biological
impera tive and a biological conundrum. Phenotypic and genotypic
diversity is the critical currency ofecological interactions and
the evolution of life. Thus, it is not unexpected to find vast
phytochemical diversity among plants. However, among the most
compelling questions which arise among those interested in
ecological phytochemistry is the extent, nature, and reasons for
the diversity of chemieals in plants. The idea that natural
products (secondary metabolites) are accidents of metabolism and
have no biological function is an old one which has resurfaced
recently under a new term "redundancy. " Redundancy in the broader
sense can be viewed as duplication of effort. The co-occurrence of
several classes of phytochemieals in a given plant may be
redundancy. Is there unnecessary duplication of chemical defense
systems and ifso, why? What selective forces have produced this
result? On the other hand, why does the same compound often have
multiple functions? At a symposium of the Phytochemical Society of
North America held in August 1995, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario,
Canada, the topic "Phytochernical Redundancy in Ecological
Interactions" was discussed. The chapters in this volume are based
on that symposium. They both stimulate thought and provide some
working hypotheses for future research. It is being increasingly
recognized that functional diversity and multiplicity of function
of natural products is the norm rather than the exception.
Today, 55% of the world's human population lives in urban areas. By
2030, up to 90% of the global human population will live in cities
and the global population is expected to increase by 68% by 2050.
Although land cover categorized as "urban" is a relatively small
fraction of the total surface of the Earth, urban areas are major
driving forces in global environmental change, habitat loss,
threats to biodiversity, and the loss of terrestrial carbon stored
in vegetation biomass. These and many other factors highlight the
need to understand the broad-scale impacts of urban expansion as it
effects the ecological interactions between humans, wildlife and
plant communities. In a series of essays by leading experts this
book defines urban ecology, and provides much-needed focus on the
main issues of this increasingly important subdiscipline such as
the impacts of invasive species, protecting pollinators in urban
environments, the green cities movement and ecological corridors.
The book stresses the importance of understanding ecological forces
and ecosystem services in urban areas and the integration of
ecological concepts in urban planning and design. The creation of
urban green spaces is critical to the future of urban areas,
enhancing human social organization, human health and quality of
life. Urban ecology is becoming a foundational component of many
degree programs in universities worldwide and this book will be of
great interest to students and researchers in ecology and
conservation science, and those involved in urban planning and
urban environmental management.
This book addresses the fundamental issues of predator-prey
interactions, with an emphasis on predation among arthropods, which
have been better studied, and for which the database is more
extensive than for the large and rare vertebrate predators. The
book should appeal to ecologists interested in the broad issue of
predation effects on communities.
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