[PDF] Biogeography And Ecology In The Canary Islands eBook

Author : G. Kunkel
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 543 pages
File Size : 48,56 MB
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 940101566X

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When asked by the General Editor to prepare a book-length treatment concerning the nature of the Canary Islands, our aims were rather ambitious. A general monograph was to be written, embracing all the disciplines of natural history applicable to these islands, and over twenty scientists were approached for contributions. However scientists are 'time machines' ; our proposed list of contents has changed a good many times. Cooporation of other authors was gained and, finally, a fairly rounded project appeared revealing different and lesser known aspects of Canary Island Nature. Since Centuries the Canary Islands have attracted the attention of travellers. Earliest reports may be traced back some two thousand years but real scientific investigation began about 1800, the time of Alexander von Humboldt and his visit to the islands; older reports are scarce, sometimes rather confusing because of geographic inaccuracies. But the 19th Century will remain as the century of fundamental explorations, connected with names such as Leopold von Buch, F. C. MacGregor, Sabin Berthelot, Philip Barker Webb, J. Viera y Clavijo, F. von Fritsch, C. Bolle, D. H. Christ, O. Simony, G. Hartung, H. Mayer etc. , all familiar and intimately connected with our knowledge of the natural history of the archipelago. Even the much criticised Ernst Haeckel has provided us with lively descriptions of his visit to one of the 'Fortunate Islands'. The 20th Century brought new interest, new fields to be explored, and new expeditions to the islands.

Author : Robert J. Whittaker
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 497 pages
File Size : 14,46 MB
Release : 2023-06-22
Category : Science
ISBN : 0192639129

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Island biogeography is the study of the distribution and dynamics of species in island environments. Due to their isolation from more widespread continental species, islands are ideal places for unique species to evolve, but they are also places of concentrated extinction. Consequently, they are widely studied by ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and conservationists. This accessible textbook builds on the success and reputation of its predecessors, documenting the recent advances in this exciting field and explaining how islands have contributed to both theory development and testing. In addition, the book describes the main processes of island formation, subsequent dynamics, and eventual demise, explaining the relevance of island environmental history to island biogeography. The authors demonstrate the significance of islands as hotspots of biodiversity and of prehistoric and historic anthropogenic extinction. Since island species continue to feature disproportionally in the lists of threatened species today, the book examines both the chief threats to their persistence and some of the mitigation measures that can be put in play, with conservation strategies specifically tailored to islands.

Author : Marcelino J. del Arco Aguilar
Publisher : Springer
Page : 437 pages
File Size : 25,42 MB
Release : 2018-07-18
Category : Science
ISBN : 3319772554

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The volcanic and oceanic nature of the Canary Islands, its rich plant biodiversity and high rate of endemism, as well as the relict character of some of its plant communities make it a territory of great biological interest. The main geographic, climatic, bioclimatic, biogeographic and floristic features of the Islands are shown and related to the distributional pattern of potential communities along an altitudinal gradient. Current vegetation units and their ecology are described and illustrated with numerous pictures. Potential vegetation units are summarized and comprehensive maps of the potential natural vegetation for each island are given. Human impact on the natural landscape, the occurrence of invasive plants, and the probable impact of climate change on the flora and vegetation are discussed. The conservation status of flora and vegetation are assessed. Four appendixes include a syntaxonomical scheme, a brief history of botanical studies and explorations in the Islands, ethnobotanical notes, and a list of selected literature.

Author : Robert J. Whittaker
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 416 pages
File Size : 29,98 MB
Release : 2007
Category : Nature
ISBN : 0198566115

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Isolation, extinction, conservation, biodiversity, hotspots.

Author : Xoaquín Moreira
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 248 pages
File Size : 28,82 MB
Release : 2024-01-03
Category : Science
ISBN : 3031478142

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Theory and early empirical work posed that herbivore pressure should be lower on islands than on the mainland owing to lower herbivore abundance and diversity in insular systems. Consequently, plant taxa found on islands are expected to be less protected or even to have lost their defences completely. While early observational studies supported the prediction of lower herbivory and plant defences on islands, recent island-mainland comparisons have yielded mixed results, with some studies finding no differences between islands and mainlands or, surprisingly, higher herbivory and plant defences on islands. In this book, the authors aim to re-assess current theory and initiate a new generation of work on insularity effects on plant-herbivore interactions. This book aims to fill the research gaps by integrating the research that has been done to date and by compiling and summarising new research on insularity effects on plant-herbivore interactions. It provides a critical examination of the patterns in light of classical theory and identifies potential mechanisms or underlying processes. It also aims to raise new questions that will form the basis for a revised and more robust research programme.

Author : Eduardo Garcia-del-Rey
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 189 pages
File Size : 42,20 MB
Release : 2020-10-01
Category : Nature
ISBN : 147298322X

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An essential guide to birds of the Canary Islands, an area with an impressive range of species This comprehensive guide covers all bird species found in the Canary Islands, a group of beautiful islands that are home to endemics such as the Blue Chaffinch, and are one of the best places in the world to see a number of rare species. The book covers every species recorded in the Canary Islands, including vagrants. Included are 73 colour plates illustrating more than 300 species, with text on facing pages for quick and easy reference. The concise text covers status, distribution, habitat, identification, voice and taxonomy. Also incorporated is an introduction with information on the geography and climate of the Canary Islands, plus habitats, birding sites and conservation.

Author : K. Kuhbièr
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 701 pages
File Size : 34,46 MB
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 9400965397

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A large part of this book is dedicated to the geology of the Pityusic Archipelago, followed by contributions on climate and geography. Funguses, mosses and leeks are the subjects of taxonomical botany, and a further paper deals with the vegetation of the islands. Another large part of this book is concerned with zoology: faunal lists on fleas, bees, wasps, ants, butterflies, beetles, snails, amphibians and reptiles, birds and mammals, the latter with their epi- and endofaunas as well as their subfossil remains are presented in 13 different papers. Three of them deal with the special problems of isolation and evolution of new races on rocks and small islets: tenebrionid beetles, lizards and terrestrial snails. Man, as an important factor in the Pityusic Islands, is dealt with in six contributions: prehistory, which means pre-Phoenician and which is treated for the first time, folk architecture, the 'endemic' dialect of the Catalonian language, exploitation of some natural resources and finally the problems of inbreeding and related matters on Formentera. The book closes with an outlook on the present state of the Pityusic nature and tries to show ways of conserving all important parts of the archipelago, so that 'our' two islands may preserve some of their typical vegetation, plants and animals and, thus, of their character.