geographical geneticsby b. k. epperson

2
Geographical Genetics by B. K. Epperson Review by: J. Ch. Folia Geobotanica, Vol. 39, No. 3 (Sep., 2004), p. 334 Published by: Springer Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25134063 . Accessed: 18/06/2014 05:10 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . Springer is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Folia Geobotanica. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 194.29.185.145 on Wed, 18 Jun 2014 05:10:52 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Upload: review-by-j-ch

Post on 09-Jan-2017

222 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

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 .

Accessed: 18/06/2014 05:10

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

Springer is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Folia Geobotanica.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 194.29.185.145 on Wed, 18 Jun 2014 05:10:52 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

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)

This content downloaded from 194.29.185.145 on Wed, 18 Jun 2014 05:10:52 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions