Conservation Biology
Conservation Biology

Author: Peggy L. Fiedler

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 523

ISBN-13: 1468464264

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• • • John Harper • • • Nature conservation has changed from an idealistic philosophy to a serious technology. Ecology, the science that underpins the technol ogy of conservation, is still too immature to provide all the wisdom that it must. It is arguable that the desire to conserve nature will in itself force the discipline of ecology to identify fundamental prob lems in its scientific goals and methods. In return, ecologists may be able to offer some insights that make conservation more practicable (Harper 1987). The idea that nature (species or communities) is worth preserv ing rests on several fundamental arguments, particularly the argu ment of nostalgia and the argument of human benefit and need. Nostalgia, of course, is a powerful emotion. With some notable ex ceptions, there is usually a feeling of dismay at a change in the sta tus quo, whether it be the loss of a place in the country for walking or rambling, the loss of a painting or architectural monument, or that one will never again have the chance to see a particular species of bird or plant.

Galápagos Marine Invertebrates
Galápagos Marine Invertebrates

Author: Matthew J. James

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-11-22

Total Pages: 466

ISBN-13: 1489906460

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Marine Invertebrate Evolution in the Galapagos Islands MATTHEW J. JAMES 1. Perspective of This Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2. Directions for Future Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3. Plan of This Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1. Perspective of This Volume Charles Darwin brought the Galapagos Islands to the attention of zoologists, botanists, and geologists following the six-week visit of H. M. S. Beagle to the islands in 1835. Since then published research on the biota of the islands, partic ularly in multiauthored volumes, has focused on terrestrial plants and animals. The present volume is designed specifically to provide a summary of work on the marine invertebrate fauna. One deviation from that objective was the inclusion of a chapter on land snails, which proved to be a good choice because the phylum Mollusca is now covered more thoroughly in this volume than in any single previous scholarly work on the Galapagos. The academic bottom line with this book is to elucidate the evolutionary responses of shallow water, benthic marine invertebrates to the unique set of insular conditions that exist in the Galapagos Islands. The route taken to that objective has many paths including taxonomic revision, determining biogeo graphic affinities, and examining the ecological requirements of species. The information presented here is for some groups from the islands the first stage in a thorough process that can eventually lead to an understanding of the phylogenetic relationships of these species.

Historical Ecology and Archaeology in the Galápagos Islands
Historical Ecology and Archaeology in the Galápagos Islands

Author: Peter W. Stahl

Publisher: University Press of Florida

Published: 2020-01-20

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 0813057388

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The Galápagos Islands are one of the world’s premiere nature attractions, home to unique ecosystems widely thought to be untouched and pristine. Historical Ecology and Archaeology in the Galápagos Islands reveals that the archipelago is not as isolated as many imagine, examining how centuries of human occupation have transformed its landscape. This book shows that the island chain has been a part of global networks since its discovery in 1535 and traces the changes caused by human colonization. Central to this history is the sugar plantation Hacienda El Progreso on San Cristóbal Island. Here, zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical evidence documents the introduction of exotic species and landscape transformations, and material evidence attests that inhabitants maintained connections to the outside world for consumer goods. Beyond illuminating the human history of the islands, the authors also look at the impact of visitors to Galápagos National Park today, raising questions about tourism’s role in biological conservation, preservation, and restoration. A volume in the series Society and Ecology in Island and Coastal Archaeology, edited by Victor D. Thompson

Galapagos
Galapagos

Author: Michael Hume Jackson

Publisher: University of Calgary Press

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 1895176077

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This book details the natural history of the plants and animals found in the Galapagos Islands. A list of the dominant plants according to vegetation zone is included. Of particular note is the discussion of the problems of colonisation by founding populations, biological evolution, and ecology, and of the evolutionary processes bringing about species diversity.

The Beak of the Finch
The Beak of the Finch

Author: Jonathan Weiner

Publisher: Vintage

Published: 1995-05-30

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 067973337X

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PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • A dramatic story of groundbreaking scientific research of Darwin's discovery of evolution that "spark[s] not just the intellect, but the imagination" (Washington Post Book World). “Admirable and much-needed.... Weiner’s triumph is to reveal how evolution and science work, and to let them speak clearly for themselves.”—The New York Times Book Review On a desert island in the heart of the Galapagos archipelago, where Darwin received his first inklings of the theory of evolution, two scientists, Peter and Rosemary Grant, have spent twenty years proving that Darwin did not know the strength of his own theory. For among the finches of Daphne Major, natural selection is neither rare nor slow: it is taking place by the hour, and we can watch. In this remarkable story, Jonathan Weiner follows these scientists as they watch Darwin's finches and come up with a new understanding of life itself. The Beak of the Finch is an elegantly written and compelling masterpiece of theory and explication in the tradition of Stephen Jay Gould.

Islands and Snakes
Islands and Snakes

Author: Marcio Martins

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2023-11-24

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 0197641520

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In this follow-up to Islands and Snakes, this book contains 15 chapters describing diversity and conservation of snakes on islands, with foci on selected island systems not previously summarized. Attendant topics include biogeography, plasticity and evolutionary responses to insular conditions, invasive species, importance and collapse of trophic systems, threats to insular snake populations, and strategies of conservation to save them. Chapters include descriptions of snake faunas on larger islands such as Borneo and New Guinea; reproductive biology of insular snakes; phenotypic evolution; physiology and growth patterns related to diet and environment; patterns of endemism; taxonomy of snake radiations; and history of invasions by snakes on islands. The final chapter presents a discussion of prospects and overview of conservation of snakes on islands. Chapters are contributed by international authorities on respective island-and-snake systems. The latter include some islands or archipelagos that are young, or of high importance, or support snake populations that were previously not well known. The content includes colourful photographs, informative illustrations, and in some cases synthesis of new data relevant to the importance of islands for understanding the ecological underpinnings and genesis of biodiversity. Each chapter is appropriately referenced with citations to scientific literature, and where useful, footnotes, tables and graphic information supporting the narrative of the respective subject matter. The overall presentation is intended to provide readers with an enhanced appreciation for islands and the spectacular snakes that might live there.