Food webs and container habitats : the natural history and ecology of phytotelmata / / R.L. Kitching [[electronic resource]]

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910449880803321
• Autore: Kitching R. L (Roger Laurence), <1945->
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Cambridge : , : Cambridge University Press, , 2000
• ISBN: 1-107-11979-0; 1-280-42953-4; 9786610429530; 0-511-17386-5; 0-511-01770-7; 0-511-15312-0; 0-511-30336-X; 0-511-54210-0; 0-511-04985-4
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (xiii, 431 pages) : digital, PDF file(s)
• Disciplina: 577.6
• Soggetti: Aquatic ecology; Aquatic habitats; Food chains (Ecology)
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• Nota di contenuto: 1. Introduction -- Pt. I. The container flora, fauna and environment -- 2. The container flora -- 3. The container fauna -- 4. The phytotelm environment -- Pt. II. Methods and theories -- 5. The construction and quantification of food webs -- 6. Processes structuring food webs -- Pt. III. Patterns in phytotelm food webs -- 7. Food-web variation across geographical regions -- 8. Food-web variation within a continent: the communities of tree holes from Tasmania to Cape Tribulation -- 9. Food-web variation at smaller spatial scales: regional and local variation in tree-hole and Nepenthes webs -- 10. The role of the host plant -- 11. Variation through time: seasonality, invasion and reassembly, succession -- Pt. IV. Processes structuring food webs -- 12. Competition and predation -- basic forces structuring the ; community? -- 13. Stochasticism and determinism: processes structuring food webs in phytotelmata -- Pt. V. Synthesis -- 14. A food-web templet -- Annexe: The phytotelm bestiary.
• Sommario/riassunto: The animal communities in plant-held water bodies, such as tree holes and pitcher plants, have become models for food-web studies. In this book, Professor Kitching introduces us to these fascinating miniature worlds and demonstrates how they can be used to tackle some of the major questions in community ecology. Based on thirty years' research in many parts of the world, this work presents much previously unpublished information, in addition to summarising over a hundred years of natural history observations by others. The book covers many aspects of the theory of food-web formation and maintenance presented with field-collected information on tree holes, bromeliads, pitcher plants, bamboo containers and the axils of fleshy plants. It is a unique introduction for the field naturalist and a stimulating source treatment for graduate students and professionals working in the fields of tropical and other forest ecology, as well as entomology.