Ecology of Desert Organisms (Tropical Ecology)

London and New York: Longman - An Imprint of Pearson Education, 1984. Second Printing . Trade Paperback. Very Good. 6" x 9. 194 Pages Indexed. This is a 1984 reprint of the 1982 Copyright. Owner's last name in black marker pen on bottom page edges. No other marks or stamps to this tight book with flawless interior text pages. Deserts are among the most inhospitable environments for life, and almost one-fifth of the world's land surface is occupied by desert. The high temperatures during the day can give way to bitter cold at night, while water is in short supply all year round. Despite these difficulties a wide range of plants and animals is able to survive. In this book the authors consider the ecology of desert organisms. In their study they have given equal emphasis to physiological ecology and population ecology. They have looked both at the way organisms avoid the extremes of the desert environment and at adaptations in their morphology, physiology and behaviour which make them better able to tolerate the unfavourable conditions. Reproduction and the dynamics, structure and evolution of desert communities are also discussed in detail, and in the concluding chapter the authors consider the increasingly important role of man in shaping the desert environment. The book provides a broad synthesis of the major principles of ecology, and with its balance between the botanical and zoological aspects of the subject, it will be of value to life scientists in general. Contents inn Ten Chapters: Introduction, The desert environment and principles of adaptation, Escape from the desert environment, Tolerance of the desert environment: I Morphological adaptations, Tolerance of the desert environment: II Physiological and behavioural adaptations, Reproduction in the desert environment, Structure of some typical desert communities,, Functional aspects of desert communities, Evolutionary ecology of deserts, and Man and the desert.