The Karoo : ecological patterns and processes / edited by W. Richard J. Dean and Suzanne J. Milton.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Dean, W. Richard J. (William Richard John), 1940- editor.

Milton, Suzanne J. (Suzanne Jane), 1952- editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ecology--South Africa--Karoo.

Ecology.

Desert ecology--South Africa--Karoo.

Desert ecology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxii, 374 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The succulent and Nama-karoo form part of the arid south-western zone of Africa, a vast region of rugged landscapes and low treeless vegetation. Studies of this unique biome have yielded fascinating insights into the ecology of its flora and fauna. This book, originally published in 1999, is the first to synthesise these studies, presenting information on biogeographic patterns and life processes, form and function of animals and plants, foraging ecology, landscape-level dynamics and anthropogenic influences. Detailed analyses of the factors distinguishing the biota of the Karoo from that of other temperate deserts are given and generalisations about semi-arid ecosystems challenged. The ideas expounded, the ecological principles reviewed, and the results presented are relevant to all those working in the extensive arid and semi-arid regions of the world.

Contents:

pt. 1. Biogeographic patterns and the driving variables / S.J. Milton and W.R.J. Dean

The climate of the karoo : a functional approach / P.G. Desmet and R.M. Cowling

Soils of the arid south-western zone of Africa / M.K. Watkeys

Palaeoenvironments / M.E. Meadows and M.K. Watkeys

Plant biogeography, endemism and diversity / R.M. Cowling and C. Hilton-Taylor

Biogeography, endemism and diversity of animals in the karoo / C.J. Vernon

pt. 2. Form and function / B.G. Lovegrove

Form and function in perennial plants / G.F. Midgley and F. van der Heyden

Functional aspects of short-lived plants / M.W. van Rooyen

Plant reproductive ecology / K.J. Esler

Animal form and function / B.G. Lovegrove

Animal foraging and food / W.R.J. Dean and S.J. Milton

pt. 3. Dynamics / P.A. Novellie

Population level dynamics / S.J. Milton, R.A.G. Davies and G.I.H. Kerley

Community patterns and dynamics / A.R. Palmer, P.A. Novellie and J.W. Lloyd

Modelling populations and community dynamics in karoo ecosystems / K. Kellner and J. Booysen

Spatially explicit computer simulation models : tools for understanding vegetation dynamics and supporting rangeland management / F. Jeltsch, T. Wiegand and C. Wissel

pt. 4. Human impacts / W.R. Siegfried

Hunters and herders in the karoo landscape / A.B. Smith

Historical and contemporary land use and the desertification of the karoo / M.T. Hoffman [and others]

Alien plant invaders of the karoo : attributes, impacts and control / S.J. Milton, H.G. Zimmermann and J.H. Hoffmann

pt. 5. Comparisons. Comparison of ecosystem processes in the Nama-karoo and other deserts / W.G. Whitford

The succulent karoo in a global context : plant structural and functional comparison with North American winter-rainfall deserts / K.J. Esler, P.W. Rundel and R.M. Cowling

The karoo : past and future / S.J. Milton and W.R.J. Dean.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references (p. [319]-368) and index.

ISBN:

1-107-11299-0

1-280-41700-5

9786610417001

0-511-17498-5

0-511-03965-4

0-511-15507-7

0-511-30380-7

0-511-54198-8

0-511-05337-1

OCLC:

56119693