Ecological Heterogeneity

Ecological Heterogeneity
Author: Jurek Kolasa
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 344
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1461230624

An attractive, promising, and frustrating feature of ecology is its complex ity, both conceptual and observational. Increasing acknowledgment of the importance of scale testifies to the shifting focus in large areas of ecology. In the rush to explore problems of scale, another general aspect of ecolog ical systems has been given less attention. This aspect, equally important, is heterogeneity. Its importance lies in the ubiquity of heterogeneity as a feature of ecological systems and in the number of questions it raises questions to which answers are not readily available. What is heterogeneity? Does it differ from complexity? What dimensions need be considered to evaluate heterogeneity ade quately? Can heterogeneity be measured at various scales? Is heterogeneity apart of organization of ecological systems? How does it change in time and space? What are the causes of heterogeneity and causes of its change? This volume attempts to answer these questions. It is devoted to iden tification of the meaning, range of applications, problems, and methodol ogy associated with the study of heterogeneity. The coverage is thus broad and rich, and the contributing authors have been encouraged to range widely in discussions and reflections. vi Preface The chapters are grouped into themes. The first group focuses on the conceptual foundations (Chapters 1-5). These papers exarnine the meaning of the term, historical developments, and relations to scale. The second theme is modeling population and interspecific interactions in hetero geneous environments (Chapters 6 and 7).

The Kruger Experience

The Kruger Experience
Author: Johan T. du Toit
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2003-10-01
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9781559639811

Kruger National Park in South Africa has one of the most extensive sets of records of any protected area in the world, and throughout its history has supported connections between science and management. In recognition of that long-standing tradition comes The Kruger Experience, the first book to synthesize/summarize a century of ecological research and management in two million hectares of African savanna. The Kruger Experience places the scientific and management experience in Kruger within the framework of modern ecological theory and its practical applications. The book uses a cross-cutting theme of ecological heterogeneity -- the idea that ecological systems function across a full hierarchy of physical and biological components, processes, and scales, in a dynamic space-time mosaic. Contributors, who include many esteemed ecologists who have worked in Kruger in recent years, examine a range of topics covering broad taxonomic groupings and ecological processes. The book's four sections explore: the historical context of research and management in Kruger, the theme of heterogeneity, and the current philosophy in Kruger for linking science with management the template of natural components and processes, as influenced by management, that determine the present state of the Kruger ecosystem how species interact within the ecosystem to generate further heterogeneity across space and time humans as key components of savanna ecosystems In addition to the editors, contributors include William J. Bond, Jane Lubchenco, David Mabunda, Michael G.L. ("Gus") Mills, Robert J. Naiman, Norman Owen-Smith, Steward T.A. Pickett, Stuart L. Pimm, and Rober J. Scholes. The book is an invaluable new resource for scientists and managers involved with large, conserved ecosystems as well as for conservation practitioners and others with interests in adaptive management, the societal context of conservation, links between research and management in parks, and parks/academic partnerships.

The Ecological Basis of Conservation

The Ecological Basis of Conservation
Author: Steward Pickett
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 492
Release: 1997-01-31
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0412098512

From its inception, the U.S. Department of the Interior has been charged with a conflicting mission. One set of statutes demands that the department must develop America's lands, that it get our trees, water, oil, and minerals out into the marketplace. Yet an opposing set of laws orders us to conserve these same resources, to preserve them for the long term and to consider the noncommodity values of our public landscape. That dichotomy, between rapid exploitation and long-term protection, demands what I see as the most significant policy departure of my tenure in office: the use of science-interdisciplinary science-as the primary basis for land management decisions. For more than a century, that has not been the case. Instead, we have managed this dichotomy by compartmentalizing the American landscape. Congress and my predecessors handled resource conflicts by drawing enclosures: "We'll create a national park here," they said, "and we'll put a wildlife refuge over there." Simple enough, as far as protection goes. And outside those protected areas, the message was equally simplistic: "Y'all come and get it. Have at it." The nature and the pace of the resource extraction was not at issue; if you could find it, it was yours.

Ecosystem Function in Heterogeneous Landscapes

Ecosystem Function in Heterogeneous Landscapes
Author: Gary M. Lovett
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 528
Release: 2005-12-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780387240893

This groundbreaking work connects the knowledge of system function developed in ecosystem ecology with landscape ecology's knowledge of spatial structure. The book elucidates the challenges faced by ecosystem scientists working in spatially heterogeneous systems, relevant conceptual approaches used in other disciplines and in different ecosystem types, and the importance of spatial heterogeneity in conservation resource management.

The Ecological Consequences of Environmental Heterogeneity

The Ecological Consequences of Environmental Heterogeneity
Author: British Ecological Society. Symposium
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 454
Release: 2000-08
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780521549356

A wide-ranging review of the effects of heterogeneity on individuals, populations, communities and biodiversity.

Landscape Heterogeneity and Disturbance

Landscape Heterogeneity and Disturbance
Author: Monica G. Turner
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 146124742X

Landscape pattern is generated by a variety of processes, including disturbances. In turn, the heterogeneity of the landscape may enhance or retard the spread of disturbance. The complex relationship between landscape pattern and disturbance is the subject of this book. It is designed to present an illustrative analysis of the topic, presenting the perspectives of several different disciplines. The book includes conceptual considerations, empirical studies, and management examples. Important features include: hypotheses about the spread of disturbance and the effects of scale changes in landscape studies; the multidisciplinary approach; and the explicit focus on the landscape level. The intended audience comprises graduate students, academics, and professionals interested in landscape ecology. The reader will receive a state-of-the-art treatment of a current topic in landscape ecology.

Ecosystem Function in Heterogeneous Landscapes

Ecosystem Function in Heterogeneous Landscapes
Author: Gary M. Lovett
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 494
Release: 2007-12-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0387240918

This groundbreaking work connects the knowledge of system function developed in ecosystem ecology with landscape ecology's knowledge of spatial structure. The book elucidates the challenges faced by ecosystem scientists working in spatially heterogeneous systems, relevant conceptual approaches used in other disciplines and in different ecosystem types, and the importance of spatial heterogeneity in conservation resource management.

Exploitation of Environmental Heterogeneity by Plants

Exploitation of Environmental Heterogeneity by Plants
Author:
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 449
Release: 2012-12-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0323139272

There is a new emerging interest in the effects of gaps and patches on succession and biodiversity. This innovative volume is a synthesis of studies of plant responses to temporal and spatial heterogeneity, the exploitation of resources from pulses and patches by plants, and their competition with neighbors in the face of this variability.Aboveground, the book focuses upon the nature of canopy patchiness, consequences of this heterogeneity for the light environment, and the mechanisms by which plants respond to and exploit this patchiness. Belowground, the text explores the heterogeneity of soil environments and how root systems obtain nutrients and water in the context of this temporal and spatial variability. As a new reference in an evolving and growing field, this text is sure to be a valuable tool for researchers and advanced students in plant physiology, ecology, agronomy, and forestry alike.