Guide to Standard Floras of the World
Guide to Standard Floras of the World

Author: David G. Frodin

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2001-06-14

Total Pages: 1136

ISBN-13: 9781139428651

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This 2001 book provides a selective annotated bibliography of the principal floras and related works of inventory for vascular plants. The second edition was completely updated and expanded to take into account the substantial literature of the late twentieth century, and features a more fully developed review of the history of floristic documentation. The works covered are principally specialist publications such as floras, checklists, distribution atlases, systematic iconographies and enumerations or catalogues, although a relatively few more popularly oriented books are also included. The Guide is organised in ten geographical divisions, with these successively divided into regions and units, each of which is prefaced with a historical review of floristic studies. In addition to the bibliography, the book includes general chapters on botanical bibliography, the history of floras, and general principles and current trends, plus an appendix on bibliographic searching, a lexicon of serial abbreviations, and author and geographical indexes.

Tropical Forest Ecology
Tropical Forest Ecology

Author: Egbert Giles Leigh Jr.

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 1999-03-04

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 0195357264

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In Tropical Forest Ecology, Egbert G. Leigh, Jr., one of the world's foremost tropical ecologists, introduces readers to the tropical forest and describes the intricate web of interdependence among the great diversity of tropical plants and animals. Focusing on the tropical forest of Barro Colorado Island, Panama, Leigh shows what Barro Colorado can tell us about other tropical forests--and what tropical forests can tell us about Barro Colorado. This book considers three essential questions for understanding the ecological organization of tropical forests. How do they stay green with their abundance of herbivores? Why do they have such a diversity of plants and animals? And what role does mutualism play in the ecology of tropical forests? Beautifully written and abundantly illustrated, Tropical Forest Ecology will certainly appeal to a wide variety of scientists in the fields of evolution, tropical biology, botany, zoology, and natural history.

World Weeds
World Weeds

Author: LeRoy Holm

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 1997-03-05

Total Pages: 1158

ISBN-13: 9780471047018

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Responsible for a high proportion of the world's crop losses, weedstake away food that the world badly needs. They decrease thequality and quantity of vegetable fibers, wool, and hides, andinterfere with fishing, irrigation, hydroelectric power production,and the movement of shipping vessels. In order to recognize thetrue magnitude of the weed problem, and to be better equipped todesign effective weed control methods, it is vital to identify andlearn as much as possible about the many different species of thisdestructive agricultural predator. The culmination of four decades of global research, World Weedspresents comprehensive and up-to-date information on over 100weeds--addressing recent changes in such areas as crop tillagemethods, herbicide use, and agricultural runoff. This monumentalwork, featuring a wealth of original data from the authors,provides extensive coverage of the known biology of each species.Each entry contains a full botanical description, plus importantdetails on habitat requirements and distribution, seed production,ecology, physiology, crop impact, and more. Generously suppliedwith dozens of unique illustrations and species distribution mapscovering over 100 countries, this definitive resource boasts anextensive multilingual index of common names, and a massivebibliography with over 3,000 references to facilitate furtherreading and research. World Weeds is a truly masterful referencethat will be celebrated by weed and crop scientists, botanists, andothers for years to come.

Orders and Families of Malayan Seed Plants
Orders and Families of Malayan Seed Plants

Author: Hsuan Keng

Publisher: NUS Press

Published: 1987-12

Total Pages: 488

ISBN-13: 9780821405055

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The Malayan flora is one of the richest in the world. This book gives a brief systematic account of all the major groups of seed plants classified under 41 orders and 178 families which are represented by native or naturalised plants in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Within each order, a list of families, an account of the diagnostic characters, a key to the families, and a brief note on the systematic position, the evolutionary trends or other points of interest, are included. Within each family, a simple description, a short note on the distribution, and, in most cases, a key to the Malayan genera are presented. For easy reference, two appendices containing a list of orders and family names in Malay and Chinese, a simple artificial key to the common Malayan families, and a glossary are also provided.

Malayan Forest Primates
Malayan Forest Primates

Author: Dr David J. Chivers

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2013-12-20

Total Pages: 383

ISBN-13: 1475708785

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The prirnates that provide the central theme of these studies by David Chivers and his colleagues are the dominant large herbi vores of the tropical evergreen rain forest. Tothis extent, they are the ecological counterparts of the great herds of ungulates in habiting the savannahs of tropical Africa (and the monsoonal plains of Asia in their pristine state). Both groups comprise the chief primary consumers of living vegetable tissue in their respective environments. Members of each show appropriate anatomical adapt ations for such a diet. As efficient exploiters of a dispersed but generally abundant food source, each group collectively forms the main vertebrate component of animal biernass in the environment. Yet, despite superficial convergence, there are important differences in the biology and behaviour of members of these two groups of herbivores. Of greatest practical moment to the enquiring biologist are the ready visibility of most plains-dwelling ungulates, the ease with which the researcher can travel over (or above) their habitat by motor transport (or light aircraft) and the facility for near approach without causing disturbance that a closed vehicle has proved to offer. Given the additional attractions of wide, open views and stupendaus scenery, generally invigorating climate and easy life-style, it is perhaps not surprising that in past decades much research effort has focussed on the larger herbivorous mammals of the tropical savannahs.