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"This spectacular book does full justice to the Compositae (Asteraceae), the largest and most successful flowering plant family with some 1700 genera and 24,000 species. It is an indispensable reference, providing the most up-to-date hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships in the family based on molecular and morphological characters, along with the corresponding subfamilial and tribal classification. The 2009 work not only integrates the extensive molecular phylogenetic analyses conducted in the last 25 years, but also uses these to produce a metatree for about 900 taxa of Compositae. The book contains 44 chapters, contributed by 80 authors, covering the history, economic importance, chara...
Foundations of Biogeography provides facsimile reprints of seventy-two works that have proven fundamental to the development of the field. From classics by Georges-Louis LeClerc Compte de Buffon, Alexander von Humboldt, and Charles Darwin to equally seminal contributions by Ernst Mayr, Robert MacArthur, and E. O. Wilson, these papers and book excerpts not only reveal biogeography's historical roots but also trace its theoretical and empirical development. Selected and introduced by leading biogeographers, the articles cover a wide variety of taxonomic groups, habitat types, and geographic regions. Foundations of Biogeography will be an ideal introduction to the field for beginning students and an essential reference for established scholars of biogeography, ecology, and evolution. List of Contributors John C. Briggs, James H. Brown, Vicki A. Funk, Paul S. Giller, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Lawrence R. Heaney, Robert Hengeveld, Christopher J. Humphries, Mark V. Lomolino, Alan A. Myers, Brett R. Riddle, Dov F. Sax, Geerat J. Vermeij, Robert J. Whittaker
Oceanic islands offer biologists unparalleled opportunities to study evolutionary processes and ecological phenomena. However, human activity threatens to alter or destroy many of these fragile ecosystems, with recent estimates suggesting that nearly half of the world's insular endemics are threatened with extinction. Bringing together researchers from around the world, this book illustrates how modern research methods and new concepts have challenged accepted theories and changed our understanding of island flora. Particular attention is given to the impact of molecular studies and the insights that they provide into topics such as colonisation, radiation, diversification and hybridisation. Examples are drawn from around the world, including the Hawaiian archipelago, Galapagos Islands, Madagascar and the Macronesian region. Conservation issues are also highlighted, with coverage of alien species and the role of ex situ conservation providing valuable information that will aid the formulation of management strategies and genetic rescue programmes.
"This multifarious volume does a splendid job of reflecting the breadth and depth of fundamental questions about the methods of systematics and biogeography, from the practical applications of conservation biology to issues of wide interest to evolutionary biologists."--Dr. Norman I. Platnick, American Museum of Natural History "A fun and informative volume that everyone interested in the subject will enjoy. This book is full of important discussions on Botany, Cladistics, and Biogeography."--Vicki Funk, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution "The Branching Of A Paradigm is the intriguing theme of this volume on the myriad of ways cladistics has impacted modern biology. Surprises from floristics to recent thoughts on epistemology await the reader."--Dennis Stevenson, New York Botanical Garden
The story of a nineteenth-century invention (essentially a tiny greenhouse) that allowed for the first time the movement of plants around the world, feeding new agricultural industries, the commercial nursery trade, botanic and private gardens, invasive species, imperialism, and more. Roses, jasmine, fuchsia, chrysanthemums, and rhododendrons bloom in gardens across the world, and yet many of the most common varieties have roots in Asia. How is this global flowering possible? In 1829, surgeon and amateur naturalist Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward placed soil, dried leaves, and the pupa of a sphinx moth into a sealed glass bottle, intending to observe the moth hatch. But when a fern and meadow grass s...
You really can Get the Funk Out! When you belly flop into another one of life's funks, learn what to do next! "Finally, a common sense approach to an all too common malady. Ms. Bernstein has assembled the tools to overcome our personal demons in words that are clear and concise. When I find a good book, I usually ‘can’t put it down’ but Get The Funk Out! demands time to absorb the inspirational stories and ponder the question of how faith can be so strong."—Gary Pihl, former guitarist for Sammy Hagar and current member of the band Boston "I love this book! A radically transparent look that teaches us to face life's hard knocks—instead of running away—and heal from the gifts that ...
This book provides a comprehensive view of the origin and evolution of the plants of an entire oceanic archipelago.