Arid Land Ecosystems: Volume 1: Structure, Functioning and ManagementR. A. Perry, D. W. Goodall The history of man's use of arid lands is a sad record of deterioration of the natural resource base and of low and declining living standards for the 300 million people who live in them. One prerequisite to meeting the challenge of reversing the deterioration and of raising living standards is a sound knowledge of the natural ecosystems. It is to this end that the IBP and other relevant studies, reported in this and a succeeding volume, are addressed. The subject matter of the two volumes is organised into five major topics; two are dealt with in the first volume. The first section of volume one describes the structure of arid ecosystems in terms of climate, soils, geomorphology, hydrology, flora and fauna. All continents except South America are covered. In the second section the processes which operate within, and control, the ecosystem are dealt with individually. This comprehensive account will be of importance to university teachers and professional ecologists throughout the world. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
North America | 21 |
North Africa | 83 |
Southern Africa | 109 |
Australia | 145 |
Southwest Asia | 213 |
Central Asia | 273 |
Aridland ecosystems common features throughout | 299 |
Water uptake and translocation stomatal movements | 491 |
Photosynthesis respiration and biochemical transformations | 509 |
Translocation of assimilates and creation distribution | 537 |
Ion uptake transport and excretion | 607 |
Flowering seed formation and dispersal | 627 |
Formation distribution and function of plant litter | 647 |
Integration | 661 |
Introduction | 679 |
Introduction | 319 |
Introduction | 345 |
Precipitation | 373 |
Atmospheric transport processes above aridland vegetation | 393 |
Microclimate and evaporation | 409 |
Integration | 435 |
Introduction | 473 |
Assimilation respiration and production | 717 |
Thermal and water relations | 743 |
Spatial and temporal distribution and behaviour | 769 |
Development and reproduction | 797 |
Longevity mortality and disease | 823 |
Integration | 847 |
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Common terms and phrases
Acacia activity Africa animals annual arid lands arid regions arid zone Arizona Artemisia assimilation atmosphere Atriplex Australian Journal Basin Biology Biome birds carbohydrate carbohydrate reserves carbon Chihuahuan Chihuahuan Desert climate communities density desert plants desert soils distribution drought dunes Ecology ecosystems effects environment evaporation factors germination global solar radiation grasses grassland grazing growth habitat halophytes Haloxylon heat humidity increased insects ions Journal of Botany Larrea leaf litter lizards mammals metabolism moisture stress Namib Namib Desert nitrogen North American deserts northern occur Oecologia patterns perennial period photosynthesis Physiology Pianka populations precipitation production Queensland rain rainfall range rates reproduction rodents saline salt sand Science season seedlings seeds semi-arid shrubland shrubs soil water Sonoran Desert South Australia South Wales southern species steppe stomatal studies summer surface temperature tissue translocation transpiration uptake US/IBP Desert Biome Utah vegetation water potential water stress Western Australia winter