Molecular Methods in Ecology

Molecular Methods in Ecology

Author: Allan Baker

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2009-04-01

Total Pages: 349

ISBN-13: 1444311417

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The incorporation of molecular methods in ecological research has added an exciting new dimension to conventional studies, and opened windows into previously intractable areas of research, at the interface between ecology and genetics. Using these new methods it has now become routine to use genetic markers to study ecological phenomena, from molecular sexing of individuals and parentage of offspring, through to population structure of species and phylogenetic relationships of taxa. These methods have stimulated an explosion of empirical and analytical developments in molecular ecology, which have in turn, increasingly attracted students and professional biologists eager to employ them in their studies. Molecular Methods in Ecology traces the development of molecular ecology by reviewing basic molecular biological techniques and earlier methods such as protein electrophoresis, DNA-DNA hybridisation, restriction analysis of DNA, and DNA fingerprinting. Later chapters review methods using newer classes of markers such as microsatellites, introns, MHC, SSRs and AFLP markers in plants and molecular sexing in animals. The strengths and limitations of methods are discussed and guidance is provided in selecting the most appropriate methods for particular problems in ecology. This book will provide both postgraduates and researchers with a guide to choosing and employing appropriate methodologies for successful research in the field of molecular ecology. Provides up-to-date summaries of the latest molecular approaches in this rapidly expanding field. Gives guidance on the appropriate choice of methods for particular problems in ecology, and their strengths and limitations. Provides brief laboratory protocols for each molecular method and summaries of software available for analysis of data in molecular ecology. Outlines examples of the latest research results from studies of both plants and animals, integrated within the framework of molecular ecology.


Molecular Techniques in the Microbial Ecology of Fermented Foods

Molecular Techniques in the Microbial Ecology of Fermented Foods

Author: Luca Cocolin

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2007-12-15

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 0387745203

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With the application of new analytical techniques, the field of food fermentation has grown in recent years. This book provides the latest information and relevant advances on the microbial ecology of fermented foods and the application of molecular methods. This book serves as a guide for students and researchers on the most advanced techniques to identify bacteria and helps in choosing the most appropriate tools to study fermented food from a microbiological point of view.


Molecular Ecology and Evolution: Approaches and Applications

Molecular Ecology and Evolution: Approaches and Applications

Author: B. Schierwater

Publisher: Birkhäuser

Published: 2013-06-29

Total Pages: 615

ISBN-13: 3034875274

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The past 25 years have witnessed a revolution in the way ecologists and evolutionary biologists approach their disciplines. Modern molecular techniques are now reshaping the spectrum of questions that can be addressed while studying the mechanisms and consequences of the ecology and evolution of living organisms. "Molecular Ecology and Evolution: Approaches and Applications" describes, from a molecular perspective, several methodological and technical approaches used in the fields of ecology, evolution, population biology, molecular systematics, conservation genetics, and development. Modern techniques are introduced, and older, more classic ones refined. The advantages, limitations, and potentials of each are discussed in detail, and thereby illustrate the widening range of cross-field research and applications which this modern technology is stimulating. This book will serve as an important textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate students, and as a key reference work for researchers


Molecular Microbial Ecology Manual

Molecular Microbial Ecology Manual

Author: Antoon D. L. Akkermans

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-01-13

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 9400902158

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For a long time microbial ecology has been developed as a distinct field within Ecology. In spite of the important role of microorganisms in the environment, this group of 'invisible' organisms remained unaccessable to other ecologists. Detection and identification of microorganisms remain largely dependent on isolation techniques and characterisation of pure cul tures. We now realise that only a minor fraction of the microbial com munity can be cultivated. As a result of the introduction of molecular methods, microbes can now be detected and identified at the DNA/RNA level in their natural environment. This has opened a new field in ecology: Molecular Microbial Ecology. In the present manual we aim to introduce the microbial ecologist to a selected number of current molecular techniques that are relevant in micro bial ecology. The first edition of the manual contains 33 chapters and an equal number of additional chapters will be added this year. Since the field of molecular ecology is in a continuous progress, we aim to update and extend the Manual regularly and will invite anyone to depo sit their new protocols in full detail in the next edition of this Manual. We hope this book finds its place where it was born: at the lab bench! Antoon D.L. Akkermans, Jan Dirk van Elsas and Frans J. de Bruijn March 1995 Molecular Microbial Ecology Manual 1.3.6: 1-8, 1996. © 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers.


Molecular Ecology

Molecular Ecology

Author: Joanna R. Freeland

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2006-03-30

Total Pages: 403

ISBN-13: 0470090634

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Molecular Ecology provides a comprehensive introduction to the many diverse aspects of this subject. The book unites theory with examples from a wide range of taxa in a logical and progressive manner, and its accessible writing style makes subjects such as population genetics and phylogenetics highly comprehensible to its readers. The first part of the book introduces the essential underpinnings of molecular ecology, starting with a review of genetics and a discussion of the molecular markers that are most frequently used in ecological research. This leads into an overview of population genetics in ecology. The second half of the book then moves on to specific applications of molecular ecology, covering phylogeography, behavioural ecology and conservation genetics. The final chapter looks at molecular ecology in a wider context by using a number of case studies that are relevant to various economic and social concerns, including wildlife forensics, agriculture, and overfishing * comprehensive overview of the different aspects of molecular ecology * attention to both theoretical and applied concerns * accessible writing style and logical structure * numerous up-to-date examples and references This will be an invaluable reference for those studying molecular ecology, population genetics, evolutionary biology, conservation genetics and behavioural ecology, as well as researchers working in these fields.


Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry

Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry

Author: Eldor Paul

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2014-11-14

Total Pages: 603

ISBN-13: 0123914116

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The fourth edition of Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry updates this widely used reference as the study and understanding of soil biota, their function, and the dynamics of soil organic matter has been revolutionized by molecular and instrumental techniques, and information technology. Knowledge of soil microbiology, ecology and biochemistry is central to our understanding of organisms and their processes and interactions with their environment. In a time of great global change and increased emphasis on biodiversity and food security, soil microbiology and ecology has become an increasingly important topic. Revised by a group of world-renowned authors in many institutions and disciplines, this work relates the breakthroughs in knowledge in this important field to its history as well as future applications. The new edition provides readable, practical, impactful information for its many applied and fundamental disciplines. Professionals turn to this text as a reference for fundamental knowledge in their field or to inform management practices. - New section on "Methods in Studying Soil Organic Matter Formation and Nutrient Dynamics" to balance the two successful chapters on microbial and physiological methodology - Includes expanded information on soil interactions with organisms involved in human and plant disease - Improved readability and integration for an ever-widening audience in his field - Integrated concepts related to soil biota, diversity, and function allow readers in multiple disciplines to understand the complex soil biota and their function


Methods in Gut Microbial Ecology for Ruminants

Methods in Gut Microbial Ecology for Ruminants

Author: Harinder P.S. Makkar

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2006-02-23

Total Pages: 221

ISBN-13: 1402037910

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Asaresultofvarioushumanactivities,suchasincreaseinhumanpopulation,decrease in arable land due to soil degradation, urbanization, industrialization and associated increase in the demand for livestock products, dramatic changes are occurring in the global ruminant livestock sector. These changes includeshift inthesize of regional livestock populations and in the types of management and feeding systems under which ruminant livestock are held, and increased demand of a wider range of quality attributes from animal agriculture, not just of the products themselves but also of the methods used in their production. The livestock sector will need to respond to newchallengesofincreasinglivestockproductivitywhileprotectingenvironmentand human health and conservingbiodiversity and natural resources. The micro-organisms in the digestive tracts of ruminant livestock have a profound in?uence on the conversion offeedinto end products, which can impact on the- imal and theenvironment. As the livestock sector grows particularly in developing countries, there will be an increasing need to understand these processes for b- ter management and use ofbothfeed and other natural resources that underpinthe development of sustainable feeding systems.


Ecological Genomics

Ecological Genomics

Author: Christian R. Landry

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-11-25

Total Pages: 358

ISBN-13: 9400773471

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Researchers in the field of ecological genomics aim to determine how a genome or a population of genomes interacts with its environment across ecological and evolutionary timescales. Ecological genomics is trans-disciplinary by nature. Ecologists have turned to genomics to be able to elucidate the mechanistic bases of the biodiversity their research tries to understand. Genomicists have turned to ecology in order to better explain the functional cellular and molecular variation they observed in their model organisms. We provide an advanced-level book that covers this recent research and proposes future development for this field. A synthesis of the field of ecological genomics emerges from this volume. Ecological Genomics covers a wide array of organisms (microbes, plants and animals) in order to be able to identify central concepts that motivate and derive from recent investigations in different branches of the tree of life. Ecological Genomics covers 3 fields of research that have most benefited from the recent technological and conceptual developments in the field of ecological genomics: the study of life-history evolution and its impact of genome architectures; the study of the genomic bases of phenotypic plasticity and the study of the genomic bases of adaptation and speciation.


Molecular Markers, Natural History and Evolution

Molecular Markers, Natural History and Evolution

Author: J. C. Avise

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 522

ISBN-13: 1461523818

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Molecular approaches have opened new windows on a host of ecological and evolutionary disciplines, ranging from population genetics and behavioral ecology to conservation biology and systematics. Molecular Markers, Natural History and Evolution summarizes the multi-faceted discoveries about organisms in nature that have stemmed from analyses of genetic markers provided by polymorphic proteins and DNAs. The first part of the book introduces rationales for the use of molecular markers, provides a history of molecular phylogenetics, and describes a wide variety of laboratory methods and interpretative tools in the field. The second and major portion of the book provides a cornucopia of biological applications for molecular markers, organized along a scale from micro-evolutionary topics (such as forensics, parentage, kinship, population structure, and intra-specific phylogeny) to macro-evolutionary themes (including species relationships and the deeper phylogenetic structure in the tree of life). Unlike most prior books in molecular evolution, the focus is on organismal natural history and evolution, with the macromolecules being the means rather than the ends of scientific inquiry. Written as an intellectual stimulus for the advanced undergraduate, graduate student, or the practicing biologist desiring a wellspring of research ideas at the interface of molecular and organismal biology, this book presents material in a manner that is both technically straightforward, yet rich with concepts and with empirical examples from the world of nature.