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Among evolutionary biology's most persistent challenges is the challenge to explain why there are so many different species and why they tend to differ in ecologically relevant traits. This book, written by two evolutionary ecologists, reviews and synthesizes the role of competition in generating and maintaining biodiversity. The authors describe how trait evolution often arises as an adaptive response to resource competition or deleterious reproductive interactions between species. They also discuss how this process—known as “character displacement”—comes about and consider its myriad consequences. Indeed, the authors describe how the study of character displacement can illuminate some of ecology's and evolutionary biology's most fundamental problems, such as how to explain how new traits and new species arise, how species coexist, and how they subsequently diversify.

Environmental Flows: Saving Rivers in the Third Millenniumis a singular source of information on the subject of environmental flows-the quantity, timing, and quality of water flows and regimes required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems as well as the human livelihoods and well-being that depend upon these ecosystems. How much water does each type of ecosystem need? What happens when natural seasonal flow patterns or standing water regimes are radically altered by dams, hydropower generation, or pumping to meet the needs of humans? Can damaged ecosystems be restored by the provision of environmental flows? How can human societies come to grips with the realities of climate change, less water for everyone, greater impacts on aquatic biodiversity, and increasingly dysfunctional ecosystems? This book addresses these questions, describing each environmental flow method from the simplest hydrological formulae to ecosystem frameworks that seek to inform water management at multiple spatial scales. Implementation and monitoring are discussed, as well as legislation and public policy. The book ends with an appeal to address the freshwater biodiversity crisis, and turn the third millennium into an era of transformation and restoration of earth's natural resiliency and healing power for the benefit of ecosystems and people like.

California is synonymous with opportunity, prosperity, and natural beauty, but climate change will change the state's future and image. How can we expect the economy, natural resources, public health, agriculture, and our own livelihoodsto be affected? How will California's inhabitants (human, animal, and plant communities) adapt? What will it cost? This book is the first to address these and other questions so central to the long-term health of the state. While California is undeniably unique and diverse, the challenges it faces will be mirrored everywhere. This succinct and authoritative review of the latest evidence suggests feasible ways to adapt to these changes while sustaining prosperity, mitigating impacts of climate change, and stimulating research and more effective policy across the globe. The authors argue that the sooner society recognizes the reality of climate change, the more effectively we can begin adaptation and limit costs to present and future generations. They show that climate risk presents a new opportunity for innovation, supporting aspirations for prosperity in a lower-carbon, climate-altered future where we can extend economic progress without endangering the environment and ourselves.

Biodiversity conservation is directly and indirectly related to how urban developments are designed and managed. People from all sectors of society are grappling with the issue of minimizing growth impacts both within a development's boundary and on surrounding habitats. The Green Leap presents a holistic picture of green development with a focus on biodiversity conservation: principles and practices discussed are relevant to concerned citizens, built environment professionals (e.g., developers, landscape architects, and civil engineers), and policy makers. The first part of the book outlines the key players and principles that are necessary to establish biodiverse communities. With this background, the second part of the book illustrates eight key design and management strategies, and for each strategy, the book provides unique case studies, concepts, tried practices, and real-world examples. Overall, The Green Leap explores the dynamic relationship among various urban decision makers and offers a way forward to build green communities. This book is not only useful for the construction of new subdivisions, but it will help people to retrofit existing yards and neighborhoods. The Green Leap is relevant both for scholars in the fields of natural resource conservation, urban design and planning, and for practitioners in public and private sectors.

This book explores northwest California's magnificent Klamath Mountains—a region which boasts a remarkable biodiversity, a terrain so rugged that significant landscape features are still being discovered there, and a wealth of natural resources which have been used, and more recently abused, by humans for millennia. The author, a forest ecologist with more than fifty years' experience in the Klamaths, provides a multidimensional perspective on this region and asks: How can we most effectively steward this spectacular landscape toward a sustainable future? In a narrative laced with personal anecdotes, he introduces the dynamics of the Klamaths' ecosystems, including its geology and diverse flora and fauna, and then discusses its native cultures and more recent inhabitants, laying out the effects of industries such as logging, mining, water development, and fishing. Assuming that people will continue to have a close tie to the Klamaths, the author introduces the principles of restoration ecology to offer a vision of how we can responsibly meet the needs of both people and natural organisms, including plants, fish, and wildlife. This debate over the future of the Klamaths' rich landscape widens into a provocative meditation on nature, culture, and our relationship with the earth itself.

We are living in the early stages of a looming worldwide extinction crisis. Abundant evidence shows that the current rate of species extinctions is nearing its highest level since the asteroid collision 65 million years ago, and that humans are largely responsible. This book addresses the urgent need to understand and find solutions to this crisis. The book provides a unique approach by focusing on individual species rather than whole plant and animal communities. Emphasizing throughout how conservation biology can benefit from an experimental approach, the book looks at a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic species —from giant pandas and tree snails to sea turtles and Steller sea lions—and demonstrates what can be done both to preserve rare species and to combat invasive organisms. Finally, chapters show how we can bridge the gap between policy makers and research scientists in order to develop lasting solutions to these problems.

The beautiful tropical dry forest of northwest Costa Rica, with its highly seasonal rainfall and diversely vegetated landscape, is disappearing even more rapidly than Costa Rica's better-known rain forest, primarily because it has been easier to convert to agriculture. This book offers a comprehensive look at the ecology, biodiversity, and conservation status of this endangered and fragile region. The chapters examine the major plant and animal groups living in the dry forest and present the first technical evaluation of Costa Rica's conservation efforts. As they assess the status of each area of specialty in the dry forest, the chapters also look beyond this particular region to show how its plants and animals are ecologically and evolutionarily connected to other geographic areas in Costa Rica and Central America. These chapters cover topics such as watershed and coastal management, plant phenology, pollination, insects, birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. They also consider the socioeconomic, policy, legal, and political aspects of biodiversity conservation. The book concludes with an important synthesis of the chapter's recommendations on future directions, policies, and actions that will better conserve biodiversity in Costa Rica and other neotropical forests as well.