Scaling Biodiversity

Description

We know that there are tens of millions of plant and animal species, but we do not know enough to be able to describe the patterns and processes that characterise the distribution of species in space, time and taxonomic groups. Given that in practical terms it is impossible to expect to be able to document biodiversity with any degree of completeness other approaches must be used. Scaling rules offer one possible framework, and this book offers a synthesis of the ways in which scaling theory can be applied to the analysis of biodiversity. Scaling Biodiversity presents new views on quantitative patterns of the biological diversity on earth and the processes responsible for them. Written by a team of leading experts in ecology who present their most recent and innovative views, readers will be provided with what is the state of art in current ecology and biodiversity science.

DAVID STORCH is a researcher and university teacher at Charles University in Prague. He teaches courses on animal ecology, macroecology and community ecology. PABLO A. MARQUET is a Professor in the Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity, and at the Catholic University of Chile. JAMES H. BROWN is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of New Mexico.

"Overall, I recommend the book because of its breadth of coverage of a complex and sprawling literature. The better pieces in the volume are also motivational and provide good fuel for research projects. The topics challenge us all to think about how to be more holistic in thinking about spatial (and temporal) patterns of biodiversity." Marcel Holyoak, Ecology