Species Diversity in Space and Time

By Michael L. Rosenzweig

Book Overview

Species diversity is marked by some interesting facts--such as larger areas have more species, and diversity is particularly high near the equator. Other factors to consider are what reduces diversity in ecologically productive places and across what scales of space and time diversity patterns hold. This book examines these questions and many others, the author employing both theory and data in his search for answers. Surprisingly, many of the questions have reasonably likely answers. By identifying these, attention can be turned toward life's many still-unexplained diversity patterns. As evolutionary ecologists race to understand biodiversity before it is too late, this book will help set the agenda for diversity research into the next century and will be useful to graduate students and researchers in ecology and evolutionary and conservation biology.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521499526
• ISBN13: 9780521499521
• Release Date: May 1995
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 460 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Great explanations of species diversity

My graduate advisor recommended this book and I'm getting a copy for myself. It is full of useful, clear-cut information about the complexities that create the diversity we see everywhere within the natural world. It is easy to read, almost conversational, with numerous examples from all areas of ecological research. There are many graphs to visually explain the patterns described and not too many difficult, complex formulas (only the necessary ones).

Diversity described by who knows

This work matches with my thesis, describing diversity in all aspects along a gradient of space and time. It's a great review of some theories and thoughts.

Seral and evolutionary consideration well interwoven

Some chapter titles: Patterns in Space; Patterns in Time; Dimensionless patterns (body size, food chain patterns); Speciation; Extinction; Species-Area Curves; Energy Flow and DiversityI have used this work as a foundation for simulation modeling of biodiversity in seral and evolutionary time frames. It's intended as a textbook, though knowledgeable lay people will find its richness rewarding.