Adaptive Herbivore Ecology

Adaptive Herbivore Ecology PDF Author: R. Norman Owen-Smith
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521810616
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 398

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Book Description
A unique monograph describing plant-herbivore interactions in the context of large African herbivorous mammals.

Adaptive Herbivore Ecology

Adaptive Herbivore Ecology PDF Author: R. Norman Owen-Smith
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521810616
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 398

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Book Description
A unique monograph describing plant-herbivore interactions in the context of large African herbivorous mammals.

Large Herbivore Ecology, Ecosystem Dynamics and Conservation

Large Herbivore Ecology, Ecosystem Dynamics and Conservation PDF Author: Kjell Danell
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139455842
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 489

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Book Description
Most large herbivores require some type of management within their habitats. Some populations of large herbivores are at the brink of extinction, some are under discussion for reintroduction, whilst others already occur in dense populations causing conflicts with other land use. Large herbivores are the major drivers for forming the shape and function of terrestrial ecosystems. This 2006 book addresses the scientifically based action plans to manage both the large herbivore populations and their habitats worldwide. It covers the processes by which large herbivores not only affect their environment (e.g. grazing) but are affected by it (e.g. nutrient cycling) and the management strategies required. Also discussed are new modeling techniques, which help assess integration processes in a landscape context, as well as assessing the consequences of new developments in the processes of conservation. This book will be essential reading for all involved in the management of both large herbivores and natural resources.

Complex Population Dynamics

Complex Population Dynamics PDF Author: Peter Turchin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691090211
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 470

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Book Description
Why do organisms become extremely abundant one year and then seem to disappear a few years later? Why do population outbreaks in particular species happen more or less regularly in certain locations, but only irregularly (or never at all) in other locations? Complex population dynamics have fascinated biologists for decades. By bringing together mathematical models, statistical analyses, and field experiments, this book offers a comprehensive new synthesis of the theory of population oscillations. Peter Turchin first reviews the conceptual tools that ecologists use to investigate population oscillations, introducing population modeling and the statistical analysis of time series data. He then provides an in-depth discussion of several case studies--including the larch budmoth, southern pine beetle, red grouse, voles and lemmings, snowshoe hare, and ungulates--to develop a new analysis of the mechanisms that drive population oscillations in nature. Through such work, the author argues, ecologists can develop general laws of population dynamics that will help turn ecology into a truly quantitative and predictive science. Complex Population Dynamics integrates theoretical and empirical studies into a major new synthesis of current knowledge about population dynamics. It is also a pioneering work that sets the course for ecology's future as a predictive science.

Dynamics of Large Herbivore Populations in Changing Environments

Dynamics of Large Herbivore Populations in Changing Environments PDF Author: Norman Owen-Smith
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9781444318609
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 216

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Book Description
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 established at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at the University of California, Santa Barbara, to address the need for models that better accommodate environmental variability, especially for herbivores dependent on changing vegetation resources. The initial chapter reviews findings from definitive long-term studies of certain other ungulate populations, many based on individually identifiable animals. Other chapters cover climatic influences, emphasising temperate versus tropical contrasts, and demographic processes underlying population dynamics, more generally. There are new assessments of irruptive population dynamics, and of the consequences of landscape heterogeneity for herbivore populations. An initial review of candidate population models is followed up by a final chapter outlining how these models might be modified to better accommodate environmental variability. The contents provide a foundation for resolving problems of diminishing large mammal populations in Africa, over-abundant ungulate populations elsewhere, and general consequences of global change for biodiversity conservation. This book will serve as a definitive outline of what is currently known about the population dynamics of large herbivores.

Modeling Populations of Adaptive Individuals

Modeling Populations of Adaptive Individuals PDF Author: Steven F. Railsback
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691180490
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 195

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Book Description
"This book offers a new theory for modeling how organisms make tradeoff decisions and how these decisions affect both individuals and populations. Tradeoff decisions (or behaviors) are those that are optimize survival and include behaviors like foraging and reproduction. Existing theories have not painted a complete picture of tradeoff decisions because they only observe how the decisions of an individual affect them rather than how individuals impact, and are impacted by, the behavior of their communities. The authors' theory-which they call state and prediction based theory-uses individual-based models since these models show the complex ways that organisms relate to their environment. The authors' broader approach, one that integrates behavior and population dynamics, allows ecologists to see how individuals make adaptive tradeoff decisions. In simpler terms, this theory does not assume, as the previous models do, that future conditions are fixed, known, and unaffected by the behavior of others. Instead, the authors assume individuals make decisions like people do, which is by forecasting future conditions, using approximation to make good decisions, and updating their choices as conditions change"--

Introduction to Modeling in Wildlife and Resource Conservation

Introduction to Modeling in Wildlife and Resource Conservation PDF Author: Norman Owen-Smith
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1444308904
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
This book provides students with the skills to develop their own models for application in conservation biology and wildlife management. Assuming no special mathematical expertise, the computational models used are kept simple and show how to develop models in both spreadsheet and programming language format. Develops thought-provoking applications which emphasize the value of modeling as a learning tool Examines basic descriptive equations, matrix representations, consumer-resources interactions, applications in simulation, scenarios, harvesting, population viability, metapopulation dynamics, disease outbreaks, vegetation stage and state dynamics, habitat suitability assessment, and model selection statistics Includes a wide range of examples relating to birds, fish, plants and large African mammals

Mathematical Models of Plant-Herbivore Interactions

Mathematical Models of Plant-Herbivore Interactions PDF Author: Zhilan Feng
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1498769187
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
Mathematical Models of Plant-Herbivore Interactions addresses mathematical models in the study of practical questions in ecology, particularly factors that affect herbivory, including plant defense, herbivore natural enemies, and adaptive herbivory, as well as the effects of these on plant community dynamics. The result of extensive research on the use of mathematical modeling to investigate the effects of plant defenses on plant-herbivore dynamics, this book describes a toxin-determined functional response model (TDFRM) that helps explains field observations of these interactions. This book is intended for graduate students and researchers interested in mathematical biology and ecology.

Resource Ecology

Resource Ecology PDF Author: Herbert H.T. Prins
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9781402068492
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description
This multi-author book deals with ‘resource ecology’, which is the ecology of trophic interactions between consumers and their resources. All the chapters were subjected to intense group discussions; comments and critiques were subsequently used for writing new versions, which were peer-reviewed. Each chapter is followed by a comment. This makes the book ideal for teaching and course work, because it highlights the fact that ecology is a living and active research field.

Megaherbivores

Megaherbivores PDF Author: R. Norman Owen-Smith
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521426374
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 392

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Book Description
An account of the limitations and advantages conferred by large body size.

Savanna Woody Plants and Large Herbivores

Savanna Woody Plants and Large Herbivores PDF Author: Peter Frank Scogings
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119081122
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 782

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Book Description
Insights on current research and recent developments in understanding global savanna systems Increasingly recognized as synonymous with tropical grassy biomes, savannas are found in tropical and sub-tropical climates as well as warm, temperate regions of North America. Savanna Woody Plants and Large Herbivores examines the interactions between woody plants and browsing mammals in global savannas—focusing primarily on the C4 grassy ecosystems with woody components that constitute the majority of global savannas—and discusses contemporary savanna management models and applications. This much-needed addition to current research examines topics including the varying behavior of browsing mammals, the response to browsing by woody species, and the factors that inhibit forage intake. Contributions from an international team of active researchers and experts compare and contrast different savanna ecosystems, offering a global perspective on savanna functioning, the roles of soil and climate in resource availability and organism interaction, and the possible impacts of climate change across global savannas. Fills a gap in literature on savanna management issues, including biodiversity conservation and animal production Applies concepts developed in other biomes to future savanna research Complements contemporary books on savanna or large herbivore ecology Focuses on the woody component of savanna ecosystems and large herbivore interactions in savannas Compares tree-mammal systems of savannas and other eco-systems of temperate and boreal regions Provides numerous case studies of plant-mammal interactions from various savanna ecosystems Savanna Woody Plants and Large Herbivores is a valuable addition to those in fields such as ecology, wildlife and conservation biology, natural resource management, and environmental science.