Download - Geographical Geneticsby B. K. Epperson
Geographical Genetics by B. K. EppersonReview by: J. Ch.Folia Geobotanica, Vol. 39, No. 3 (Sep., 2004), p. 334Published by: SpringerStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25134063 .
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334 Bookreviews
devoted to management and conservation. Based on long-term observation studies, appropriate management, which might preserve existing populations is proposed for some of the studied taxa. The volume well reflects
recent approaches to the study of orchid biology and ecology and should be read not only by the audience of
orchid enthusiasts. (JCh)
P. Cotgreave & I. Forseth: Introductory Ecology; Blackwell Science, Oxford etc., 2002, 278 pp. Price GBP
21.95, ISBN 0-632-04227-3. -
The book represents futher introductory text in the field of ecology. Reading the
first chapter (The diversity of life) the reader can be a bit disappointed. It addresses too many topics at a very
limited space, ranging from origin of recent diversity of life forms to niche concept and spatial and temporal
patterns of distribution of organisms. However, the coming chapters (altogether 13) are written in a much better
way. They focus on distribution, productivity and adaptations of major biomes, inter- and infraspecific
interactions, interactions between individuals and the physical environment, and population demography. The
book is concluded by chapters on structure and composition of ecological communities, and consequences of
species richness, abundance and diversity. In comparison with other textbooks in ecology, some features should
be emphasized. The authors stress applied aspects of ecology and understanding of how humans fit into the
wider ecology of the planet. Particular attention is paid to consequences of global change on organisms,
populations, communities and ecosystems. The book is well written; parts devoted to field and theoretical
ecology are well balanced. While in some sections examples are taken more or less proportionally from both
plant and animal kingdoms, other topics are discused almost exclusively from a zoological point of view. The
book can be recommended first of all to undergraduate students. (JCh)
DJ. Futuyma, H.B. Shaffer & D. Simberloff (eds.): Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and
Systematics,voI.34;v4?mwa/r<?v/e>v, Palo Alto, California, 2003, 716pp. Price not given, ISBN 0-8243-1434-4,
ISSN 1543-592X. - Similarly to the previous volumes the book includes critical articles (altogether 24)
reviewing significant developments within the target disciplines written by invited specialists. It covers wide
spectrum of topics from both animal and plant kingdoms. I would like to mention selected papers interesting for
botanists. Seed dispersal is subject of the paper by J.M. Levine and D.J. Murrell. The authors try to test the
validity of notion that pattern of dispersed seeds influences community structure. They found overall dichotomy
between theoretical and empirical studies and advocate experiments that manipulate the seed dispersal pattern.
In the following paper, S.A. Levin et al. review models of seed dispersal, both mechanistic and
phenomenological ones. They conclude that not only mean dispersal distances but although the entire
distribution of dispersal distances are important. The review by D. Goulson (Effects of introduced bees on native
ecosystems) offers interesting insights into pollination ecology. "Exotic" bees can disrupt pollination of native
plant species and, they can be primary pollinators of a number of serious weeds. Ch.T. Cole compares genetic
variation (species-level and population-level measures of variation based on isozyme markers) in rare and
common plants. M.R. Willig et al. examine hypotheses advanced to account for the latitudinal gradients of
biodiversity (with some simplification, decreasing richness from tropical to extratropical areas). M. Heil and D.
McKey discuss protective ant-plant interactions as a model systems in ecological and evolutionary research.
(JCh)
B.K. Epperson: Geographical Genetics. Monographs in Population Biology 38; Princeton University
Press, Princeton and Oxford, 2003, 356pp. Price GBP 26.95, ISBN 0-691-08669-9. - The volume is the first
comprehensive treatment of geographical genetics. It reviews genetic survey studies and uses spatial statistics to
relate these to theoretical processes. Most attention is devoted to the connection of spatial and geographic
patterns to the space-time processes that produce them. It is well explained how to apply spatial statistics to
experimental systems and what they measure, and how to tie a statistical distribution to theoretical models that
are usually stochastic processes (number of theoretical models of stochastic space-time processes is given in the
book). The volume will surely be welcome by ecologists, population geneticists and all others interested in
processes that determine geographic pattern of genetic variation. (JCh)
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