Biological Diversity
The Coexistence of Species

This book discusses the factors and processes affecting biodiversity and its preservation.

Michael A. Huston (Author)

9780521369305, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 15 September 1994

704 pages, 193 b/w illus. 24 tables
22.8 x 15 x 3.8 cm, 1.11 kg

'I would whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone with an interest in biological diversity and commend the author and the publisher on a major contribution to a developing and important topic.' Paddy Coker, Progress in Physical Geography

The key to preserving and managing biodiversity is understanding which processes are important at different scales, and how changes affect different components of biodiversity. In this book, existing theories on diversity are synthesised into a logical framework. Global and landscape-scale patterns of biodiversity are described in the first section. In the second, the spatial and temporal dynamics of diversity are emphasised. The third section develops an integrated set of mechanistic explanations for diversity patterns at the levels of population, community, ecosystem and landscape. Finally, case studies examine diversity patterns in marine and terrestrial ecosystems and the effects of biological invasions. The book concludes with a discussion of the economics of preserving biological diversity. This book will interest research workers and students of ecology, biology and conservation.

1. Introduction
Part I. Raw Materials and Tools: 2. General patterns of species diversity
3. The assessment of species diversity
Part II. Theories of Species Diversity: Equilibrium and Non-Equilibrium: 4. Equilibrium processes and the maintenance of landscape-scale species diversity
5. Non-equilibrium processes and the maintenance of local species diversity
Part III. Mechanisms that Regulate Biological Diversity at Various Spatial and Temporal Scales: 6. Diversity within populations
7. Individual properties and the structure of communities and ecosystems
8. Landscape patterns: disturbance and diversity
9. Landscape patterns: succession and temporal change
10. Landscape patterns: gradients and zonation
Part IV. Case Studies: Patterns and Hypotheses: 11. Case studies: endemism and invasions
12. Case studies: species diversity in marine ecosystems
13. Case studies: species diversity in fire-influenced ecosystems
14. Case studies: species diversity in tropical rain forests
15. Concluding comments: the economics of biological diversity.

Subject Areas: Applied ecology [RNC]