Author : Martin Williams
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 653 pages
File Size : 13,33 MB
Release : 2014-08-11
Category : Nature
ISBN : 1107016916
A synthesis of the environmental and climatic history of every major desert and desert margin, for researchers and advanced students.
Author : Julie Murphy
Publisher : Capstone
Page : 18 pages
File Size : 27,74 MB
Release : 2011-07
Category : Science
ISBN : 1429660309
"Simple text and photographs describe desert animal adaptations"--Provided by publisher.
Author : Pulak K. Ghosh
Publisher :
Page : 492 pages
File Size : 32,37 MB
Release : 1988
Category : Nature
ISBN :
Author : Karen van Rheede van Oudtshoorn
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 266 pages
File Size : 39,54 MB
Release : 1998-12-04
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783540648864
Dispersal processes have important effects on plant distribution and abundance. Although adaptations to long range dispersal (telechory) are by no means rare in desert plants, many desert plant species do not possess any features to promote dispersal (atelechory), while others have structures that hamper dispersal (antitelechory). The high frequency with which atelechorous and antitelechorous mechanisms are present in plants inhabiting arid areas indicates the importance of these adaptations. Among the benefits derived from these adaptations are the spreading of germination over time, the provision of suitable conditions for germination and subsequent seedling establishment, and the maintenance of a reservoir of available seeds (seed bank). This book describes the ways and means - anatomical, morphological and ecological - by which dispersal in desert plants has evolved to ensure the survival of these species in their harsh and unpredictable environment.
Author : Yitzchak Gutterman
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 372 pages
File Size : 16,48 MB
Release : 2002-08-28
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783540431725
Annual desert plant species of unrelated taxa in the Negev Desert of Israel have developed complementary sets of adaptations and survival strategies as ecological equivalents with physiological, morphological and anatomical resemblances, in the various stages of their life cycles. After 40 years of research in hot deserts Yitzchak Gutterman provides a comprehensive treatise of such adaptations and strategies. In doing so he covers the following topics: post-maturation primary seed dormancy, which prevents germination of maturing seeds before the summer; seed dispersal mechanisms with escape or protection strategies; cautious or opportunistic germination strategies; seedling drought tolerance. The day-length is an important factor in regulating flowering as well as the phenotypic plasticity of seed germination which is also affected by maternal factors.
Author : Allan A. Degen
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 308 pages
File Size : 44,71 MB
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 3642603513
Since small mammals have a large surface to mass ratio, one would expect them to quickly dehydrate and perish at high environmental temperatures. Nonetheless, a large number of small mammal species inhabit deserts. This fascinating phenomenon is investigated by Prof. A. Allan Degen in his book. The majority of small desert mammals are rodents, but shrews of several grams and small foxes of 1 kg are also present. Their survival is due mainly to behavioural adaptations and habitat selection, however, physiological adaptations also contribute to the success. Interestingly, many small mammals that live in different deserts of the world show similarities in their adaptive traits although they have different taxonomic affinities.
Author : Kamal H. Batanouny
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 195 pages
File Size : 40,38 MB
Release : 2013-11-11
Category : Science
ISBN : 3662044803
Usually authors write introductions for their books, although they know that not many readers will read it. Despite this, authors insist on writing an introduction and no publisher will publish a book without one. I would like to inform my dear readers that I have spent almost all of the first quarter of my life in a village in the Nile Delta, 65 km north of Cairo. The everyday scenery there was the beautiful green landscape dissected with canals full of running water. All of these were bordered with the huge sycamore, mulberry and acacia trees. The desert was something unknown to me at that time, except for the very basic information given in geography books, which explained that the desert is a place without water or cultiva tion. Some of my ideas about the desert came to me from the stories in the history of Islam and the desert lands where Islam originated. My real attraction to the desert developed in the last year of my under graduate studies. This was during the field courses in Ecology (Prof. A.M.
Author : Julie J Laity
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 360 pages
File Size : 25,77 MB
Release : 2009-01-28
Category : Science
ISBN : 1444300741
Taking a global perspective, this book provides a concise overviewof drylands, including their physical, biological, temporal, andhuman components. Examines the physical systems occurring in desert environments,including climate, hydrology, past and present lakes, weathering,hillslopes, geomorphic surfaces, water as a geomorphic agent, andaeolian processes Offers an accessible introduction to the physical, biological,temporal, and human components of drylands Investigates the nature, environmental requirements, andessential geomorphic roles of plants and animals in this stressfulbiological environment Highlights the impact of human population growth on climate,desertification, water resources, and dust storm activity Includes an examination of surface/atmosphere interactions andthe impact of ENSO events.
Author : Avinoam Danin
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 182 pages
File Size : 25,65 MB
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 3642609759
Based on three decades of field experience in southwest Asia, southern Africa, and the southwest United States, the author summarizes the major adaptations of plants to desert dunes. This integrative study of plant and diaspore morphology, reactive growth, life cycles, and environmental factors explains and predicts plant distribution. Many kinds of dune syndromes, plant case studies and vegetation transects are discussed and illustrated to clarify the significance of adaptations to specific habitat factors. Although the focus is on vascular plants, the development of microbiotic soil crust, its function, and its composition are discussed as well.
Author : Walter G. Whitford
Publisher : Academic Press
Page : 476 pages
File Size : 21,12 MB
Release : 2019-08-20
Category : Science
ISBN : 0081026552
Nearly one-third of the land area on our planet is classified as arid or desert. Therefore, an understanding of the dynamics of such arid ecosystems is essential to managing those systems in a way that sustains human populations. This second edition of Ecology of Desert Systems provides a clear, extensive guide to the complex interactions involved in these areas. This book details the relationships between abiotic and biotic environments of desert ecosystems, demonstrating to readers how these interactions drive ecological processes. These include plant growth and animal reproductive success, the spatial and temporal distribution of vegetation and animals, and the influence of invasive species and anthropogenic climate change specific to arid systems. Drawing on the extensive experience of its expert authors, Ecology of Desert Systems is an essential guide to arid ecosystems for students looking for an overview of the field, researchers keen to learn how their work fits in to the overall picture, and those involved with environmental management of desert areas. - Highlights the complexity of global desert systems in a clear, concise way - Reviews the most current issues facing researchers in the field, including the spread of invasive species due to globalized trade, the impact of industrial mining, and climate change - Updated and extended to include information on invasive species management, industrial mining impacts, and the current and future role of climate change in desert systems
