Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems: The Function of Biodiversity

✍ Scribed by R. J. Hobbs, D. M. Richardson, G. W. Davis (auth.), Dr. George W. Davis, Dr. David M. Richardson (eds.)

Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
Year: 1995
Tongue: English
Leaves: 382
Series: Ecological Studies 109
Edition: 1
Category: Library

No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.

✦ Synopsis

Human activities are causing species extinctions at a rate and magnitude rivaling those of past geologic extinction events.
Exploring mediterranean-type ecosystems - the Mediterranean Basin, California, Chile, Australia, and South Africa - this volume addresses the question whether biological diversity plays a significant role in the functioning of natural ecosystems, and to what extent that diversity can be reduced without causing system malfunction. Comparative studies in ecosystems that are similar in certain respects, but differ in others, offer considerable scope for gaining new insights into the links between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages I-XVIII
Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems: Opportunities and Constraints for Studying the Function of Biodiversity....Pages 1-42
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in the Mediterranean Basin: Human and Non-Human Determinants....Pages 43-119
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Mediterranean-Climate California....Pages 121-183
Functional Approaches to Biodiversity in the Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems of Central Chile....Pages 185-232
Function of Biodiversity in the Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems of Southwestern Australia....Pages 233-284
Links Between Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in the Cape Floristic Region....Pages 285-333
Ecosystem Function of Biodiversity: Can We Learn From the Collective Experience of MTE Research?....Pages 335-350
Back Matter....Pages 351-368

✦ Subjects

Ecology; Plant Sciences; Zoology

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