Ecological Comm in a Mojave Desert
Cambridge University Press
Edition: Pbk Version ed., 8/21/2008
EAN 9780521021418, ISBN10: 0521021413
Paperback, 388 pages, 24.6 x 19 x 2 cm
Language: English
Deserts provide a harsh and inhospitable environment for plants and animals, and the ecosystem is correspondingly fragile and prone to disruption by a variety of external factors. The Mojave Desert is a winter-rainfall desert, experiencing drought in the summer months, and occasional rain during the cooler winter months. For many years, it has attracted the attention of ecologists and conservation biologists concerned to maintain the unique status of this region. This book provides a broad overview of plant and animal ecology in the Mojave Desert, presented with a focus on data from Rock Valley, Nevada. The data from many major research projects is synthesized into a description of community structure and dynamics in desert ecosystems.
Preface
Historical prologue on Rock Valley studies
1. Introduction to the Mojave Desert
2. Physical geography of Rock Valley
3. Adaptations of Mojave Desert plants
4. Desert perennials of southern Nevada
5. Mojave Desert annuals
6. Adaptations of Mojave Desert animals
7. Mammals
8. Reptiles
9. Birds
10. Arthropods
11. Soil organisms and seed reserves
12. Nitrogen cycling
13. Human impacts on Mojave Desert ecosystems
Literature cited
Index.
'... important and occasionally quite unexpected conclusions add to the interest and value of this fine volume.' J. L. Cloudsley-Thompson, Journal of Arid Environments