Oceanic island archipelagos are profoundly interesting ecosystems in which to ask questions about evolutionary patterns and processes, and may rightly be considered as one of the best places on earth to seek an understanding of the origin and elaboration of biological diversity. This 1998 volume brings together contributions covering a range of important issues in contemporary oceanic island plant biology, focusing on patterns and processes in Pacific and other islands (with emphasis on the Bonin, Hawaiian and Juan Fernandez Islands) to provide a stimulating view of the state of research and a possible agenda for future investigations. Topics addressed include chromosomal variation, macromolecular divergence, island biogeography theory, isolating mechanisms, modes of speciation and evolution of secondary plant products, resulting in a volume which reveals the special opportunities offered by oceanic archipelagos for investigating evolutionary phenomena in vascular plants.
Oceanic island archipelagos are profoundly interesting ecosystems in which to ask questions about evolutionary patterns and processes, and may rightly be considered as one of the best places on earth to seek an understanding of the origin and elaboration of biological diversity. This 1998 volume brings together contributions covering a range of important issues in contemporary oceanic island plant biology, focusing on patterns and processes in Pacific and other islands (with emphasis on the Bonin, Hawaiian and Juan Fernandez Islands) to provide a stimulating view of the state of research and a possible agenda for future investigations. Topics addressed include chromosomal variation, macromolecular divergence, island biogeography theory, isolating mechanisms, modes of speciation and evolution of secondary plant products, resulting in a volume which reveals the special opportunities offered by oceanic archipelagos for investigating evolutionary phenomena in vascular plants.
The field of plant taxonomy has transformed rapidly over the past fifteen years, especially with regard to improvements in cladistic analysis and the use of new molecular data. The second edition of t
Bringing together results from over 30 years of research on the Juan Fernández Archipelago off the coast of Chile, this book offers comprehensive coverage of the plants of these special islands. Despite its remote setting in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, the Juan Fernández Archipelago is in many ways an ideal place to ask and attempt to answer basic questions regarding the evolution of vascular plants in an oceanic island environment. By building upon a firm taxonomic base for the flora, a new level of understanding regarding evolution, biogeography, and conservation of the plants is presented. This book is an extensive investigation of the origin and evolution of the flora of an oceanic archipelago, and it serves as a valuable resource for researchers and scholars of island biology as well as for conservation biologists worldwide.
