Biodiversity in Drylands: Toward a Unified Framework (Long-Term Ecological Research Network Series)

Biodiversity in Drylands, the first internationally based synthesis volume in the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network Series, unifies the concepts of species and landscape diversity with respect to deserts. Within this framework, the book treats several emerging themes, among them:

· how animal biodiversity can be supported in deserts
· diversity's relation to habitat structure, environmental variability, and species interactions
· the relation between spatial scale and diversity
· how to use a landscape simulation model to understand diversity
· microbial contributions to biodiversity in deserts
· species diversity and ecosystem processes
· resource partitioning and biodiversity in fractal environments
· effects of grazing on biodiversity
· reconciliation ecology and the future of conservation management

In the face of global change, integration is crucial for dealing with the problem of sustaining biodiversity. This book promises to be a vital resource for students, researchers, and managers interested in integrative species, resource, and landscape diversities.