|
Showing 1 - 2 of
2 matches in All Departments
Coral communities are among the most fascinating of all biotic
assemblages on earth. It is their rich diversity and the strong
biological interactions which characterize these communities that
provides the focus for this book. Here I describe patterns of
diversity, species interactions, and community organization as well
as the processes which influence these structural attributes.
Although this treatment of the subject will to some degree blend
evolutionary and ecological phenomena, I am primarily interested in
the dynamic properties of living coral communities. Hence, such
processes as succession, competition, predation, herbivory, and
disturbances will be emphasized in ecological terms, but not to the
exclusion of evolutionary considerations. The former influence the
maintenance of diversity in coral communities and local
distribution and abundance patterns. The latter deal primarily with
the origins of diversity, adaptations to the local environment,
biogeographic distributions, and longevity in the fossil record.
With the recent resurgence of interest in historical and
large-scale geographical effects on the local diversity of
ecological communities, ecological and evolutionary perspectives
are beginning to be integrated into our understanding of community
organization and dynamics. Hence, a synthesis of these perspectives
is attempted in the final chapter of this book. This effort emerges
as a consequence of academic experiences, research interests, and
the strong influence of several individuals. My first exposure to
ecology occurred at Pomona College where three faculty members
guided my early explorations into this subject.
Coral communities are among the most fascinating of all biotic
assemblages on earth. It is their rich diversity and the strong
biological interactions which characterize these communities that
provides the focus for this book. Here I describe patterns of
diversity, species interactions, and community organization as well
as the processes which influence these structural attributes.
Although this treatment of the subject will to some degree blend
evolutionary and ecological phenomena, I am primarily interested in
the dynamic properties of living coral communities. Hence, such
processes as succession, competition, predation, herbivory, and
disturbances will be emphasized in ecological terms, but not to the
exclusion of evolutionary considerations. The former influence the
maintenance of diversity in coral communities and local
distribution and abundance patterns. The latter deal primarily with
the origins of diversity, adaptations to the local environment,
biogeographic distributions, and longevity in the fossil record.
With the recent resurgence of interest in historical and
large-scale geographical effects on the local diversity of
ecological communities, ecological and evolutionary perspectives
are beginning to be integrated into our understanding of community
organization and dynamics. Hence, a synthesis of these perspectives
is attempted in the final chapter of this book. This effort emerges
as a consequence of academic experiences, research interests, and
the strong influence of several individuals. My first exposure to
ecology occurred at Pomona College where three faculty members
guided my early explorations into this subject.
|
You may like...
Gloria
Sam Smith
CD
R407
Discovery Miles 4 070
Loot
Nadine Gordimer
Paperback
(2)
R398
R330
Discovery Miles 3 300
|