Evolution in Changing Environments

Professor Levins, one of the leading explorers in the field of integrated population biology, considers the mutual interpenetration and joint evolution of organism and environment, occurring on severa

Are we humans destroying the environments in which we live, or is environmental change inevitable and natural? How has the relationship between human societies and environments changed since pre-histo

Natural environments, and the human interactions that occur within, are continuously changing and evolving. This comprehensive volume explores how the impacts of climate change, natural and man-made d

While there is no shortage of of books on the environment there are few introductory texts that outline the social theory that informs human geographical approaches to the interactions between ecology

One of the key challenges facing ecologists is to understand and predict the effect of human-induced changes such as pollution or long-term climate change. This book provides the ecological background

Predicting how terrestrial ecosystems might respond in the future to large-scale human-generated changes is a major challenge for ecologists. In Terrestrial Ecosystems in Changing Environments, Herman H. Shugart describes the fundamental ecological concepts, theoretical developments, and quantitative analyses involved in understanding the responses of natural systems to change. The key ecological concepts described include the ecosystem paradigm, niche theory, vegetation/climate relationships, landscape ecology and ecological modelling. A variety of ecological models are presented, and their applications in predicting responses to change are considered. The challenge of producing ecological models capable of predicting long-term and large-area ecosystem dynamics is reviewed and several examples are provided. Finally, some of the exciting findings regarding terrestrial landscapes and their feedback with their climatic setting are discussed in the context of human land-use and global ch

Islands represent unique opportunities to examine human interaction with the natural environment. They capture the human imagination as remote, vulnerable and exotic, yet there is comparatively little understanding of their basic geology, geography, or the impact of island colonization by plants, animals and humans. This detailed study of island environments focuses on nine island groups, including Hawaii, New Zealand and the British Isles, exploring their differing geology, geography, climate and soils, as well as the varying effects of human actions. It illustrates the natural and anthropogenic disturbances common to island groups, all of which face an uncertain future clouded by extinctions of endemic flora and fauna, growing populations of invasive species, and burgeoning resident and tourist populations. Examining the natural and human history of each island group from early settlement onwards, the book provides a critique of the concept of sustainable growth and offers realistic

Islands represent unique opportunities to examine human interaction with the natural environment. They capture the human imagination as remote, vulnerable and exotic, yet there is comparatively little understanding of their basic geology, geography, or the impact of island colonization by plants, animals and humans. This detailed study of island environments focuses on nine island groups, including Hawaii, New Zealand and the British Isles, exploring their differing geology, geography, climate and soils, as well as the varying effects of human actions. It illustrates the natural and anthropogenic disturbances common to island groups, all of which face an uncertain future clouded by extinctions of endemic flora and fauna, growing populations of invasive species, and burgeoning resident and tourist populations. Examining the natural and human history of each island group from early settlement onwards, the book provides a critique of the concept of sustainable growth and offers realistic

The second volume of “Adaptation and Evolution in Marine Environments – The Impacts of Global Change on Biodiversity” from the series “From Pole to Pole” integrates the marine biology contribution of

This edited volume critically engages with ecofeminist scholarship. It tracks the ongoing dialogue between women’s issues and environmental change by republishing the work of pioneering scholars and a

The first palaeoecology book to focus on evolutionary palaeoecology, in both marine and terrestrial environments. Discusses reconstruction of the past ecological world at population, community and bi

Global warming is accelerating faster than the ability for natural repair, and environmental stresses are damaging ecosystems, all affecting physical and biological systems on Earth. A new Nasa-led st

Orsucci (Institute for Complexity Studies, Rome) recounts his journey seeking a general theory of mind and its applications, as it led him through cognitive science, philosophy, medicine, psychiatry,

Organization Development: Strategies for Changing Environments helps managers of the future plan for and manage changes successfully in the workplace. The book teaches students how to conceptual

International contributors in civil engineering, project management, construction management, economics, and international management reveal the latest work in traditional and emerging approaches to p

A book on the path dependent and path creating structures and attitudes of business interest associations in a world of Europeanization and internationalization of markets.

"This chapter provides background information for the scope, purpose and structure of this book. Here, we introduce the main themes that are explored in the book, and provide information that is commo

This book aims to reconcile theoretical models of population dynamics with what is currently known about the population dynamics of large mammalian herbivores. It arose from a working group establishe

This book aims to reconcile theoretical models of population dynamics with what is currently known about the population dynamics of large mammalian herbivores. It arose from a working group establishe

This book summarizes the key adaptations enabling extremophile fishes to survive under harsh environmental conditions. It reviews the most recent research on acidic, Antarctic, cave, desert, hypersali

The goal of IAU Symposium 359 on 'Galaxy Evolution and Feedback across Different Environments' (GALFEED) was to bring together the active galactic nuclei (AGN) and galaxy evolution scientific communities. The AGN phase occurs in most galaxies and critically influences their evolution, so it is important to study the two processes together and for researchers, in both topics, to learn from one another. They ask key questions such as: How do galaxies acquire their gas and how efficiently is it transformed into stars? How is the supermassive black hole in a galaxy center fuelled to become an AGN? What is the main physical mechanism that quenches star formation? How powerful are the stellar and AGN feedback processes in regulating galaxy evolution? And what is the role of the environment on galaxy evolution and AGN triggering? Astronomers engage in these discussions spanning from early galaxies to the present day.

The poles undergo climate changes exceeding those in the rest of the world in terms of their speed and extent, and have a key role in modulating the climate of the Earth. Ecosystems adapted to polar e

The poles undergo climate changes exceeding those in the rest of the world in terms of their speed and extent, and have a key role in modulating the climate of the Earth. Ecosystems adapted to polar e

How do international norms evolve? This book examines the manner in which sovereignty, a bedrock norm of international relations since the seventeenth century, has evolved in response to changing conc

How do international norms evolve? In the modern era, the critically important norm of sovereignty has evolved from a norm once considered absolute to one deemed conditional-to the point where states

We live in a changing world; one in which there is much concern and discussion about the topics of global change, loss of biodiversity, and increasing threats to the sustainability of ecosystems. The

This book identifies and analyzes livelihood impacts of recent environmental and socio-economic changes in urban and rural settings of the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh, north western Himalaya

Biological and machine systems exist within a complex and changing three-dimensional world. We appear to have no difficulty understanding this world, but how do we go about forming a perceptual model of it? Centred around three key themes: depth processing and stereopsis; motion and navigation in 3D; and natural scene perception, this volume explores the latest cutting-edge research into the perception of three dimension environments. It features contributions from top researchers in the field, presenting both biological and computational perspectives. Topics covered include binocular perception; blur and perceived depth; stereoscopic motion in depth; and perceiving and remembering the shape of visual space. This unique book will provide students and researchers with an overview of ongoing research as well as perspectives on future developments in the field. Colour versions of a selection of the figures are available at www.cambridge.org/9781107001756.