Ecological and environmental physiology of amphibians / Stanley S. Hillman ... [and others].

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Hillman, Stanley S.

Rudolph G. Schmieder Fund.

Series:

Ecological and environmental physiology series vol. 1.

Oxford biology

Ecological and environmental physiology series ; vol. 1

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Amphibians--Ecology.

Amphibians.

Amphibians--Ecophysiology.

Ecophysiology.

Physical Description:

xii, 469 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2009.

Summary:

Amphibians are the extant descendants of the first vertebrate class to successfully colonize terrestrial environments; hence they occupy a unique position between fish and reptiles. Amphibian skin provides essentially no resistance to evaporative water loss, and consequently daily water turnover rates are an order of magnitude greater than in other terrestrial vertebrate groups. This has led to a suite of physiological, morphological, and behavioural adaptations that has allowed a successful terrestrial existence in spite of this apparently spendthrift water retention strategy.

Ecological and Environmental Physiology of Amphibians provides a synthesis of current research on the comparative physiology of amphibians with a particular emphasis on water balance. It adopts a strong environmental perspective and includes a wealth of information on ecology, phylogeny, and development. As with other books in the Ecological and Environmental Physiology Series, the emphasis in this book is on the unique physiological characteristics of the amphibians, although the latest experimental techniques and future research directions are also considered. This accessible text is suitable for both graduate students and researchers in the fields of amphibian comparative physiology and physiological ecology, including specialist courses in amphibian ecology. It will also be of value and use to the many professional herpetologists requiring a concise overview of the topic.

Contents:

1.1 Amphibian Characteristics and Monophyly 1

1.2 Amphibian Orders 3

1.3 Environmental Biophysics of Gas, Water and Ion Exchange: Aquatic-Terrestrial Transition 10

1.4 Biophysics of Thermal Balance 20

1.5 Habitats and Morphotypes 23

1.6 Phylogeny of the Amphibia 59

1.7 Phylogeny and Environmental Physiology 62

2 General Physiological Principles 69

2.1 Water and Ion Budgets 69

2.2 Temperature and Thermal Energy Budgets 95

2.3 Chemical Energy Budgets 99

2.4 Respiratory Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Exchange 110

2.5 Erythrocytes Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Exchange 129

2.6 Cardiovascular Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Exchange 138

2.7 Tissue Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Exchange 155

2.8 Blood Volume Control 157

3 Specialized Physiological Characteristics of Amphibia 165

3.1 Skin and Urinary Bladder as Models for Water and Ion Exchange 165

3.2 Cutaneous Water Exchange: Skin Uptake and Evaporation 184

3.3 Dehydration Tolerance 203

3.4 Temperature 215

3.5 Metabolism 236

3.6 Nitrogen Excretion 255

3.7 Kidneys and Nephrostomes 263

3.8 Developmental Plasticity 275

4 Physiological Adaptations to Extreme Environments 281

4.1 Salt and Osmotic Sensitivity 281

4.2 Arid Environments 287

4.3 Hibernation Adaptations 306

4.4 Metabolic Depression 333

5 Approaches and Techniques 343

5.1 The Comparative Method Approach 343

5.2 Techniques 350

6 Conclusions and Future Directions 375

6.1 What We Know Now 375

6.2 Phylogenetic Breadth 376

6.3 Population Declines and Environmental Physiology 378

6.4 Genomics, Proteomics and Metabolomics 379

6.5 Levels of Organization 380.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [383]-460) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Rudolph G. Schmieder Fund.

ISBN:

9780198570325

0198570325

9780198570318

0198570317

OCLC:

226280212