Whether we want it or not, whether we believe it or not, every one of us is engaged in a spiritual battle. Evil is smart. It doesn’t come at us with temptations clearly labeled “evil.” It quietly plays to our fears. It slyly preys on our desires. “The Weevil Strategies” playfully turns the lights on some seriously dark attempts to ruin our lives. By becoming aware of the strategies of our spiritual enemy, we are empowered to overcome all that would keep us from living to the max of freedom, joy, and fruitfulness.
Sitka spruce, the largest of the world's spruces, is an important component of British Columbia's coastal forests. Its ecology gives it a special place in the sustainable management of the province's forests. However, in west coast forestry it is poorly known in comparison with its main coniferous companions -- Douglas-fir, western redcedar, and western hemlock. As an important international forestry resource, it is crucial that Sitka spruce -- its ecology and the ecosystems in which it occurs -- be clearly understood by those who are involved with its management.
Pest Control Strategies is a compilation of papers presented at the symposium held at Cornell University in June 1977. It covers various aspects and issues on pest control. It also discusses the risks and benefits of using pesticides on human health as well as on the economy and environment. Composed of four parts, the book provides an overview of the various alternative pest control techniques and identifies possible solutions on crop pest problems. Part 1 discusses the role of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the integrated pest management programs and policy. The following part discusses the complexity of pest management in terms of socioeconomic and legal aspects. Part 3 presents the different case studies about pest management. These case studies include the potentials for research and implementation of integrated pest management on deciduous tree-fruits and other agricultural crops. The last part of this collection describes the current status, needs, and future developments of integrated pest management. This book will be relevant to extension leaders, educators, government officials, and agriculturists as well as to students, teachers, and researchers who are interested in the integrated pest management program.
The study of alternative reproductive tactics (the behavioural strategies used by individuals to increase their reproductive success) is an evolutionary puzzle, and one of great interest to researchers. For instance, why do some males guard both nest and eggs, while others sneak into nests while pairs are spawning and fertilise those eggs? The field offers a special opportunity to study the evolution and functional causes of phenotypic variation, which is a general problem in the field of evolutionary biology. By integrating both mechanistic (psychological) and evolutionary (behavioural ecology) perspectives and by covering a great diversity of species, Alternative Reproductive Tactics addresses this integrated topic of longstanding interest, bringing together a multitude of otherwise scattered information in an accessible form that is ideal for graduate students and researchers.
The definitive examination of oak forest evolutionary ecology. Seed dispersal is a critical stage in the life cycle of most flowering plants. The process can have far-reaching effects on a species' biology, especially numerous aspects of its ecology and evolution. This is particularly the case for the oaks, in which the dispersal of the acorn is tied to numerous tree characteristics, as well as the behavior and ecology of the animals that feed on and move these seeds to their final destination. Forest structure, composition, and genetics often follow directly from the dispersal process—while also influencing it in turn. In Oak Seed Dispersal, Michael A. Steele draws on three decades of field research across the globe (e.g., the United States, Mexico, Central America, Europe, and China) to describe the interactions between oaks and their seed consumers. Rodents, birds, and insects, he writes, collectively influence the survival, movement, and germination of acorns, as well as the establishment of seedlings, often indicating a coevolutionary bond between oaks and their seed consumers. This bond can only be understood by unraveling the complex interactions that occur in the context of factors such as partial seed consumption due to acorn chemistry, scatterhoarding, predation of the seed consumers by other organisms, and the limiting effects of masting on insect, rodent, and jay damage. Offering new insights on how animal-mediated dispersal drives ecological and evolutionary processes in forest ecosystems, Oak Seed Dispersal also includes an overview of threatened oak forests across the globe and explains how a lack of acorn dispersal contributes to many important conservation challenges. Highly illustrated, the book includes photographs of key dispersal organisms and tactics, as well as a foreword by Stephen B. Vander Wall, a leading authority on food hoarding and animal-mediated seed dispersal, and beautiful artwork by Tad C. Theimer, also an accomplished ecologist.
