Plant Animal Interactions: An Evolutionary Approach

Ever since Darwin’s depiction on the final page of The Origin of Species of a tangled bank teeming with plants and animals, the importance of species interactions in molding their ecology ad evolution has become ever more apparent. Attraction, deception, attack, defense, escape and tolerance– all are core terms of evolutionary ecology that convey the central role of interactions. The diversity of structure, behavior, psychology, and ecology among plants and animals reflects the outcomes of antagonistic and mutually beneficial relationships. In fact, much of the extraordinary diversity of plants and animals on the planet derives from their interactions.
Plant–Animal Interactions: an evolutionary approach is intended for graduate and upper–level undergraduate courses. Following a general introduction emphasizing the role of interactions in the evolution of biodiversity, chapters are devoted to the fossil record–plant–animal interactions, herbivory by insects and vertebrates, seed predation, pollination and seed dispersal by animals, ant–plant interaction, and synthesis that describes emerging areas of study, including the pivotal role of plant–animal interactions in conservation biology.

Spis treści:
Part I: Introduction.
1. Species Interactions and the Evolution of Biodiversity. (Peter W. Price).
2. The History of Associations between Plants and Animals. (Conrad C. Labandeira).
Part II: Mostly Antagonisms.
3. Plant–Insect Interactions in Terrestrial Ecosystems. (Sharon Y. Strauss and Arthur R. Zangerl).
4. Mammalian Herbivory in Terrestrial Environments. (Kjell Danell and Roger Bergström).
5. Granivory. (Philip E. Hulme and Craig W. Benkman).
Part III: Mostly Mutualisms.
6. Pollination by Animals. (Olle Pellmyr).
7. Seed Dispersal by Vertebrates. (Carlos M. Herrera).
Part IV: Synthesis.
8. Ant–Plant Interactions. (And rew J. Beattie and Lesley Hughes).
9. Plant–Animal Interactions: Future Directions. (John N. Thompson).
Appendix: Supplementary Information for Chapter 2

Nota biograficzna:
Carlos M. Herrera is an evolutionary ecologist who has worked mainly on plant–disperser and plant–pollinator interactions in Mediterranean habitats of the Iberian Peninsula. Most of his research centers on elucidating the relative significance of ecological, historical and evolutionary determinants in shaping current plant–animal interactions.
Olle Pellmyr is a revolutionary biologist whose research focuses on plant–animal interactions, with special emphasis on mutualism and co–evolution. Using phylogenetic and ecological approaches, he explores links between mircoevolutionary processes and microevolutionary patterns. A native of Sweden now residing in the USA, he has done field research in Europe, the Americas, Japan, Africa, and Melanesia.

Okładka tylna:
Ever since Darwin’s depiction on the final page of The Origin of Species of a tangled bank teeming with plants and animals, the importance of species interactions in molding their ecology ad evolution has become ever more apparent. Attraction, deception, attack, defense, escape and tolerance– all are core terms of evolutionary ecology that convey the central role of interactions. The diversity of structure, behavior, psychology, and ecology among plants and animals reflects the outcomes of antagonistic and mutually beneficial relationships. In fact, much of the extraordinary diversity of plants and animals on the planet derives from their interactions.
Plant–Animal Interactions: an evolutionary approach is intended for graduate and upper–level undergraduate courses. Following a general introduction emphasizing the role of interactions in the evolution of biodiversity, chapters are devoted to the fossil record–plant –animal interactions, herbivory by insects and vertebrates, seed predation, pollination and seed dispersal by animals, ant–plant interaction, and synthesis that describes emerging areas of study, including the pivotal role of plant–animal interactions in conservation biology.