Competition And The Structure Of Bird Communities Mpb 7 Volume 7

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Competition and the Structure of Bird Communities. (MPB-7), Volume 7

Author : Martin L. Cody
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 334 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2020-03-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691209333

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Competition and the Structure of Bird Communities. (MPB-7), Volume 7 by Martin L. Cody Pdf

Professor Cody's monograph emphasizes the role of competition at levels above single species populations, and describes how competition, by way of the niche concept, determines the structure of communities. Communities may be understood in terms of resource gradients, or niche dimensions, along which species become segregated through competitive interactions. Most communities appear to exist in three or four such dimensions. The first three chapters describe the resource gradients (habitat types, foraging sites, food types), show what factors restrict species to certain parts of the resource gradients and so determine niche breadths, and illustrate the important role of resource predictability in niche overlap between species for resources they share. Most examples are drawn from eleven North and South American bird communities, although the concepts and methodology are far more general. Next, the optimality of community structure is tested through parallel and convergent evolution on different continents with similar climates and habitats, and the direct influence of competitors on resource use is investigated by comparisons of species--poor island communities to species-rich mainland ones. Finally, the author discusses those sorts of environments in which the evolution of one species--one resource set is not achieved, and where alternative schemes of resource allocation, often involving several species that act ecologically as one, must be followed.

Competition and the Structure of Bird Communities

Author : Martin L. Cody
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 318 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 1974
Category : Bird populations
ISBN : 0691081344

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Competition and the Structure of Bird Communities by Martin L. Cody Pdf

Professor Cody's monograph emphasizes the role of competition at levels above single species populations, and describes how competition, by way of the niche concept, determines the structure of communities. Communities may be understood in terms of resource gradients, or niche dimensions, along which species become segregated through competitive interactions. Most communities appear to exist in three or four such dimensions. The first three chapters describe the resource gradients (habitat types, foraging sites, food types), show what factors restrict species to certain parts of the resource gradients and so determine niche breadths, and illustrate the important role of resource predictability in niche overlap between species for resources they share. Most examples are drawn from eleven North and South American bird communities, although the concepts and methodology are far more general. Next, the optimality of community structure is tested through parallel and convergent evolution on different continents with similar climates and habitats, and the direct influence of competitors on resource use is investigated by comparisons of species--poor island communities to species-rich mainland ones. Finally, the author discusses those sorts of environments in which the evolution of one species--one resource set is not achieved, and where alternative schemes of resource allocation, often involving several species that act ecologically as one, must be followed.

The Florida Scrub Jay (MPB-20), Volume 20

Author : Glen Everett Woolfenden,John W. Fitzpatrick
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 425 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2020-03-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691209982

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The Florida Scrub Jay (MPB-20), Volume 20 by Glen Everett Woolfenden,John W. Fitzpatrick Pdf

Florida Scrub Jays are an excellent example of a cooperative-breeding species, in which adult birds often help raise offspring not their own. For more than a decade Glen E. Woolfenden and John W. Fitzpatrick studied a marked population of these birds in an attempt to establish a demographic base for understanding the phenomenon of "helping at the nest." By studying both population biology and behavior, the authors found that habitat restraints, rather than kin selection, are the main source of the behavior of Florida Scrub Jays: the goal of increasing the number of close relatives other than descendants in future generations is of relatively minor importance in their cooperative-breeding behavior. The Florida Scrub Jay lives only in the Florida oak scrub. All acceptable habitat is constantly filled with breeders. Each year about half of the pairs are assisted by one to several nonbreeding helpers. This book provides extensive data on fecundity, survivorship, relatedness, and dispersal to establish the demographic milieu and to address questions arising out of observed helping behavior--whom, how, when, and why the helpers help.

Population Ecology of Individuals. (MPB-25), Volume 25

Author : Adam Lomnicki
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 242 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2020-03-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691209616

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Population Ecology of Individuals. (MPB-25), Volume 25 by Adam Lomnicki Pdf

A common tendency in the field of population ecology has been to overlook individual differences by treating populations as homogeneous units; conversely, in behavioral ecology the tendency has been to concentrate on how individual behavior is shaped by evolutionary forces, but not on how this behavior affects population dynamics. Adam Lomnicki and others aim to remedy this one-sidedness by showing that the overall dynamical behavior of populations must ultimately be understood in terms of the behavior of individuals. Professor Lomnicki's wide-ranging presentation of this approach includes simple mathematical models aimed at describing both the origin and consequences of individual variation among plants and animals. The author contends that further progress in population ecology will require taking into account individual differences other than sex, age, and taxonomic affiliation--unequal access to resources, for instance. Population ecologists who adopt this viewpoint may discover new answers to classical questions of population ecology. Partly because it uses a variety of examples from many taxonomic groups, this work will appeal not only to population ecologists but to ecologists in general.

Geographic Variation, Speciation and Clines. (MPB-10), Volume 10

Author : John A. Endler
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 262 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2020-03-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691209456

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Geographic Variation, Speciation and Clines. (MPB-10), Volume 10 by John A. Endler Pdf

Geographic Variation, Speciation and Clines explores the origins and development of geographic variation, divergence, and speciation. In particular it is concerned with genetic divergence as it is usually found on continents, among groups of populations isolated only by distance. Although earlier writers on this topic considered the effects of geography and dispersal, intense geographic differentiation and speciation were thought to require complete isolation. Professor Endler shows how geographic differentiation and speciation may develop in spite of continuous gene flow. Following a review of the diverse and scattered literature on gene flow and population differentiation, the author discusses the relationships among gene flow, dispersal, and migration. He then summarizes the factors which limit the geographic extent of gene flow, and those which allow steep clines to develop in the absence of barriers to gene flow. His analysis draws on examples from the field, experiments, and single- and multiple-locus models. The mechanism and conditions for parapatric speciation are presented: steepening clines, development into hybrid zones, and the evolution of sexual isolation. In the final chapter the author considers the interpretation of natural clines and the associated geographic patterns of subspecies and species.

A Hierarchical Concept of Ecosystems. (MPB-23), Volume 23

Author : Robert V. O'Neill,Donald Lee Deangelis,J. B. Waide,Timothy F.H. Allen
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 266 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2021-09-14
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691236605

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A Hierarchical Concept of Ecosystems. (MPB-23), Volume 23 by Robert V. O'Neill,Donald Lee Deangelis,J. B. Waide,Timothy F.H. Allen Pdf

"Ecosystem" is an intuitively appealing concept to most ecologists, but, in spite of its widespread use, the term remains diffuse and ambiguous. The authors of this book argue that previous attempts to define the concept have been derived from particular viewpoints to the exclusion of others equally possible. They offer instead a more general line of thought based on hierarchy theory. Their contribution should help to counteract the present separation of subdisciplines in ecology and to bring functional and population/community ecologists closer to a common approach. Developed as a way of understanding highly complex organized systems, hierarchy theory has at its center the idea that organization results from differences in process rates. To the authors the theory suggests an objective way of decomposing ecosystems into their component parts. The results thus obtained offer a rewarding method for integrating various schools of ecology.

Theoretical Studies on Sex Ratio Evolution. (MPB-22), Volume 22

Author : Samuel Karlin,Sabin Lessard
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 333 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2020-03-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691210117

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Theoretical Studies on Sex Ratio Evolution. (MPB-22), Volume 22 by Samuel Karlin,Sabin Lessard Pdf

This book deals with a key area of population genetics: the ratio of the sexes in a population, or the allocation of resources to male versus female reproductive function. Samuel Karlin and Sabin Lessard establish the formal theoretical aspects of the evolution of sex ratio within the constraints of genetic mechanisms of sex determination. Their results generalize and unify existing work on the topic, strengthening previous conceptions in some cases and, in other instances, offering new directions of research. There are two main approaches to understanding the causes and effects of sex ratio. One approach focuses on the optimization and adaptive functions of sex allocation, while the other emphasizes the consequences of genetic sex determination mechanisms. In discussing the utility of these two approaches, Professors Karlin and Lessard examine the principal sex-determining mechanisms and facts involved in sex ratio representations, the various genetic and environmental factors that contribute to adaptive sex expression, and the evolution of sex determining systems and controls. From a population genetic perspective, the authors derive evolutionary properties in support of the high incidence of 1:1 sex ratio in natural populations and investigate the conditions that can explain the occurrence of biased sex ratio.

Population Ecology of the Cooperatively Breeding Acorn Woodpecker. (MPB-24), Volume 24

Author : Walter D. Koenig,Ronald L. Mumme
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 458 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2020-03-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691209623

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Population Ecology of the Cooperatively Breeding Acorn Woodpecker. (MPB-24), Volume 24 by Walter D. Koenig,Ronald L. Mumme Pdf

Ever since the acorn woodpecker was observed and described by Spanish explorers, its behavior--particularly the unique habit of caching acorns in specialized storage trees or granaries--has impressed observers. Acorn woodpeckers are also one of the few temperate zone species in which young are reared communally in family groups. This demographic study investigates the complexities of acorn storage and group living in acorn woodpeckers at Hastings Reservation in central coastal California. It is one of the most thorough studies of any avian social system to date.

Population Harvesting (MPB-27), Volume 27

Author : Wayne M. Getz,Robert G. Haight
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 414 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2020-03-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691209630

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Population Harvesting (MPB-27), Volume 27 by Wayne M. Getz,Robert G. Haight Pdf

Whether in felling trees for wood, rearing insects for biological control, or culling animals for conservation purposes, efficient management of biological systems requires quantitative analysis of population growth and harvesting policies. Aiming to encourage the exchange of ideas among scientists involved in the management of fisheries, wildlife, forest stands, and pest control, the authors of this work present a general framework for modeling populations that reproduce seasonally and that have age or stage structure as an essential component of management strategy. The book represents the first time that examples from such diverse areas of biological resource management have been brought together in a unified modeling framework using the standard notation of mathematical systems theory. In addition, the authors combine a nonlinear extension of Leslie matrix theory and certain linear elements, thereby permitting interesting analytical results and the creation of compact, realistic simulation models of resource systems.

Mate Choice in Plants (MPB-19), Volume 19

Author : Nancy Burley,Mary F. Willson
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 270 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2020-03-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691209500

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Mate Choice in Plants (MPB-19), Volume 19 by Nancy Burley,Mary F. Willson Pdf

This book maintains that higher plants manifest some degree of sexual selection, and it begins to build a framework that unifies many features of plant reproduction previously considered unrelated. Reviewing evidence for sexual selection in plants, the authors discuss possible male-female interactions, concluding with an extensive set of hypotheses for testing. Mechanisms that could be employed in sexual selection in plants include various cellular mechanisms, such as both nuclear and cytoplasmic genetics, B chromosomes, and paternal contributions to the zygote, as well as abortion, double fertilization, delayed fertilization, and certain forms of polyembryony. This study compares the consequences of these processes for the evolution of mate choice in "gymnosperms" and angiosperms.

Adaptive Geometry of Trees (MPB-3), Volume 3

Author : Henry S. Horn
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 162 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2020-03-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691209296

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Adaptive Geometry of Trees (MPB-3), Volume 3 by Henry S. Horn Pdf

Through use of the models Professor Horn has devised, plant ecologists, foresters, and botanists will be able to predict the growth and productivity of a forest, the invading and senile species in a forest, the effect of shade tolerance on forest succession, and similar questions.

Natural Selection in the Wild. (MPB-21), Volume 21

Author : John A. Endler
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 352 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2020-03-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691209517

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Natural Selection in the Wild. (MPB-21), Volume 21 by John A. Endler Pdf

Natural selection is an immense and important subject, yet there have been few attempts to summarize its effects on natural populations, and fewer still which discuss the problems of working with natural selection in the wild. These are the purposes of John Endler's book. In it, he discusses the methods and problems involved in the demonstration and measurement of natural selection, presents the critical evidence for its existence, and places it in an evolutionary perspective. Professor Endler finds that there are a remarkable number of direct demonstrations of selection in a wide variety of animals and plants. The distribution of observed magnitudes of selection in natural populations is surprisingly broad, and it overlaps extensively the range of values found in artificial selection. He argues that the common assumption that selection is usually weak in natural populations is no longer tenable, but that natural selection is only one component of the process of evolution; natural selection can explain the change of frequencies of variants, but not their origins.

Plant Strategies and the Dynamics and Structure of Plant Communities. (MPB-26), Volume 26

Author : David Tilman
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 376 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2020-03-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691209593

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Plant Strategies and the Dynamics and Structure of Plant Communities. (MPB-26), Volume 26 by David Tilman Pdf

Although ecologists have long considered morphology and life history to be important determinants of the distribution, abundance, and dynamics of plants in nature, this book contains the first theory to predict explicitly both the evolution of plant traits and the effects of these traits on plant community structure and dynamics. David Tilman focuses on the universal requirement of terrestrial plants for both below-ground and above-ground resources. The physical separation of these resources means that plants face an unavoidable tradeoff. To obtain a higher proportion of one resource, a plant must allocate more of its growth to the structures involved in its acquisition, and thus necessarily obtain a lower proportion of another resource. Professor Tilman presents a simple theory that includes this constraint and tradeoff, and uses the theory to explore the evolution of plant life histories and morphologies along productivity and disturbance gradients. The book shows that relative growth rate, which is predicted to be strongly influenced by a plant's proportional allocation to leaves, is a major determinant of the transient dynamics of competition. These dynamics may explain the differences between successions on poor versus rich soils and suggest that most field experiments performed to date have been of too short a duration to allow unambiguous interpretation of their results.

Resource Competition and Community Structure. (MPB-17), Volume 17

Author : David Tilman
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 310 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2020-03-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691209654

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Resource Competition and Community Structure. (MPB-17), Volume 17 by David Tilman Pdf

One of the central questions of ecology is why there are so many different kinds of plants and animals. Here David Tilman presents a theory of how organisms compete for resources and the way their competition promotes diversity. Developing Hutchinson's suggestion that the main cause of diversity is the feeding relations of species, this book builds a mechanistic, resource-based explanation of the structure and functioning of ecological communities. In a detailed analysis of the Park Grass Experiments at the Rothamsted Experimental Station in England, the author demonstrates that the dramatic results of these 120 years of experimentation are consistent with his theory, as are observations in many other natural communities. The consumer-resource approach of this book is applicable to both animal and plant communities, but the majority of Professor Tilman's discussion concentrates on the structure of plant communities. All theoretical arguments are developed graphically, and formal mathematics is kept to a minimum. The final chapters of the book provide some testable speculations about resources and animal communities and explore such problems as the evolution of "super species," the differences between plant and animal community diversity patterns, and the cause of plant succession.

The Theory of Sex Allocation. (MPB-18), Volume 18

Author : Eric L. Charnov
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 369 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2020-03-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691210056

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The Theory of Sex Allocation. (MPB-18), Volume 18 by Eric L. Charnov Pdf

This book is the first comprehensive treatment of sex allocation from the standpoint of modern evolutionary theory. It shows how the determination of sex ratio, resource allocation to sperm versus egg within simultaneous hermaphroditism, and the evolution of sex reversal can he explained as examples of a single process. The genetical theory, developed mostly with graphical arguments, also specifies when hermaphroditism and dioecy are themselves evolutionary stable. The work balances theory with field and laboratory research, providing critical tests of the theory by empirical studies of sex ratio in parasitoid wasps and mites, sex reversal in shrimp and coral reef fish, and allocation of resources to pollen versus seeds in higher plants. In addition, the author oilers an encyclopedic review of the field and laboratory work of other scientists, reviews many as yet untested hypotheses in sex allocation, and points toward numerous plant and animal systems that hold promise for future tests.