1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910815284403321

Autore

Thornton I. W. B (Ian W. B.)

Titolo

Island colonization : the origin and development of island communities / / Ian Thornton ; edited by Tim New [[electronic resource]]

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cambridge : , : Cambridge University Press, , 2007

ISBN

1-107-16588-1

1-280-81554-X

0-511-27533-1

9786610815548

0-511-27463-7

0-511-27307-X

0-511-32133-3

0-511-61871-9

0-511-27386-X

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (xii, 287 pages) : digital, PDF file(s)

Collana

Ecological reviews

Disciplina

577.5/2

Soggetti

Island ecology

Island biological invasions

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

Cover; Half-title; Series-title; Title; Copyright; Contents; Editorial preface; Acknowledgements; PART I Theoretical and experimental studies; CHAPTER ONE Introduction; CHAPTER TWO Theoretical and experimental colonization; PART II Natural recolonization after devastation; CHAPTER THREE A clean slate?; CHAPTER FOUR Life returns: primary colonization of devastated surfaces; PART III The recolonization of devastated islands; Islands as areas for the study of community assembly; Organic flotsam; CHAPTER FIVE Recovering island biotas: Volcano and Bárcena

CHAPTER SIX Thera, Santorini Group, MediterraneanCHAPTER SEVEN Long and Ritter Islands, Bismarck Sea; CHAPTER EIGHT Krakatau, Sunda Strait; PART IV Assembly of biotas on new islands; Starting points; CHAPTER NINE Lake Wisdom: a new island of fresh water; CHAPTER TEN New islands in the sea; CHAPTER ELEVEN Anak Krakatau, Krakatau's



child, b. 1933; CHAPTER TWELVE Surtsey, Island of Surtur, b. 1963; CHAPTER THIRTEEN Motmot: an emergent island in fresh water; PART V Colonization and assembly; CHAPTER FOURTEEN Dispersal; CHAPTER FIFTEEN Stepping stone islands: the case of Sebesi

CHAPTER SIXTEEN Learning from nature's lessonsReferences; Index

Sommario/riassunto

New or recently sterilized islands (for example through volcanic activity), provide ecologists with natural experiments in which to study colonization, development and establishment of new biological communities. Studies carried out on islands like this have provided answers to fundamental questions as to what general principles are involved in the ecology of communities and what processes underlie and maintain the basic structure of ecosystems. These studies are vital for conservation biology, especially when evolutionary processes need to be maintained in systems in order to maintain biodiversity. The major themes are how animal and plant communities establish, particularly on 'new land' or following extirpations by volcanic activity. This book comprises a broad review of island colonization, bringing together succession models and general principles, case studies with which Professor Ian Thornton was intimately involved, and a synthesis of ideas, concluding with a look to the future for similar studies.