Product Description
The current interest in ecology and the environment has blurred the identity of biogeography, the value of which lies in the fact that it approaches both the natural and the man-made environment from a spatial perspective. This book is devoted to the biogeography of the British Isles and the surrounding shelf seas. The text traces the development of the subject over the last two centuries, examining key topics in their context of plant and animal distribution. Modern day distributions, both in the countryside and urban areas, are described against the backcloth of man's disruptive activities. The book should be of benefit for students of geography, environmental science, ecology, botany and zoology. ... Read more

Product Description
At the crossroads of two biogeographic realms, South Asia supports a highly diverse and distinct reptile fauna, with 634 species represented. This work presents an analysis of this fauna, highlighting its richness and endemicity, the patterns and correlates of species diversity, affinities within the region and with extralimital fauna, and barriers to distribution and speciation. It includes over 150 references to the herpetofauna of South Asia as well as to the physiogeography of the region. ... Read more

Product Description
Wallace's Line divides the Malay archipelago in two. The theory of plate tectonics has shown that the line marks where northern and southern landmasses collided 15 million years ago, each bearing different animals and plants. This book documents the new discoveries about the geological history of the Malay archipelago and their implications for the interpretation of distribution patterns - vertebrate animals, palms, and several other plant groups are considered as examples. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is a comprehensive resume of the data gathered during an 18 month multidisciplinary expedition to the Pitcairn Islands, a remote group in the Pacific Ocean.

Explores a remote, unattached island group
Investigates important seabird populations
Includes studies of unique human history ... Read more

Product Description
This is an introductory text to biogeography. The contents are arranged into four main parts. Part one deals with the Earth's physical processes and energy cycles, eg lunar and circadian patterns. Part two covers the evolution and development of the biosphere. Here, theories and evidence for the generation of the Earth's atmosphere and interactions between early organisms and the environment are covered. This is followed by sections on continental drift and its impact on flora and fauna along with a description of ice age events and their biogeographic implications. Part three provides examinations of varying situations such as freshwater, marine, terrestrial, island and climatic environments. The concluding chapters of this section look at environments linked by animal migrations and coevolution, and the interactions of soils, plants, animals and their products in functioning communities. Part four deals with the impact of mankind on the planet. Key aspects discussed here include the influence of agriculture, petroleum and petrochemicals, the creation and extermination of plants and animals, and urban industrial development on the evolution of patterns of life on our world. ... Read more