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One of the most interesting and vexing problems in ecology is how distinctly different communities of plants and animals can occur in the same ecosystem. The theory of these systems, known as multiple stable states, is well understood, but whether multiple stable states actually exist in nature has remained a hotly debated subject. Multiple Stable States in Natural Ecosystems provides a broad and synthetic critique of recent advances in theory and new experimental evidence. Modern models of systems with multiple stable states are placed in historical context. Current theories are covered in a

Biotic communities. --- Species diversity. --- Diversity, Species --- Richness, Species --- Species richness --- Biodiversity --- Biocenoses --- Biocoenoses --- Biogeoecology --- Biological communities --- Biomes --- Biotic community ecology --- Communities, Biotic --- Community ecology, Biotic --- Ecological communities --- Ecosystems --- Natural communities --- Ecology --- Population biology

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Species diversity. --- Biodiversity conservation. --- Extinction (Biology) --- Animals --- Extirpation (Biology) --- Biology --- Extinct animals --- Biodiversity --- Biological diversity conservation --- Conservation of biodiversity --- Diversity conservation, Biological --- Gender mainstreaming in biodiversity conservation --- Maintenance of biological diversity --- Preservation of biological diversity --- Conservation of natural resources --- Ecosystem management --- Diversity, Species --- Richness, Species --- Species richness --- Extinction --- Extirpation --- Conservation

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Tropical ecosystems house a significant proportion of global biodiversity. To understand how these ecosystems function we need to appreciate not only what plants, animals and microbes they contain, but also how they interact with each other. This volume, first published in 2005, synthesises the state of knowledge in this area, with chapters providing reviews or case studies drawn from research conducted in both Old and New World tropics and including biotic interactions among taxa at all trophic levels. In most chapters plants (typically trees) are the starting point, but, taken together, the chapters consider interactions of plants with other plants, with micro-organisms and with animals, and the inter-relationships of human-induced disturbance with interactions among species. An underlying theme of the volume is the attempt to understand the maintenance of high diversity in tropical regions, which remains one of the most significant unexplained observations in ecological studies.

Ecology --- Biotic communities --- Species diversity --- Ecologie --- Ecosystèmes --- Diversité des espèces --- ECO Ecology --- biodiversity --- ecology --- plant-animal relationships --- tropical forests --- tropical regions --- 574.4 --- Terrestrial biocoenoses and ecosystems. Biogeocoenoses. Biogeochemical cycles. Food chains --- 574.4 Terrestrial biocoenoses and ecosystems. Biogeocoenoses. Biogeochemical cycles. Food chains --- Ecosystèmes --- Diversité des espèces --- Diversity, Species --- Richness, Species --- Species richness --- Biodiversity --- Biocenoses --- Biocoenoses --- Biogeoecology --- Biological communities --- Biomes --- Biotic community ecology --- Communities, Biotic --- Community ecology, Biotic --- Ecological communities --- Ecosystems --- Natural communities --- Population biology

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A great many species are threatened by the expanding human population. Though the public generally favors environmental protection, conservation does not come without sacrifice and cost. Many decision makers wonder if every species is worth the trouble. Of what consequence would the extinction of, say, spotted owls or snail darters be? Are some species expendable? Given the reality of limited money for conservation efforts, there is a compelling need for scientists to help conservation practitioners set priorities and identify species most in need of urgent attention. Ecology should be capable of providing guidance that goes beyond the obvious impulse to protect economically valuable species (salmon) or aesthetically appealing ones (snow leopards). Although some recent books have considered the ecosystem services provided by biodiversity as an aggregate property, this is the first to focus on the value of particular species. It provides the scientific approaches and analyses available for asking what we can expect from losing (or gaining) species. The contributors are outstanding ecologists, theoreticians, and evolutionary biologists who gathered for a symposium honoring Robert T. Paine, the community ecologist who experimentally demonstrated that a single predator species can act as a keystone species whose removal dramatically alters entire ecosystem communities. They build on Paine's work here by exploring whether we can identify species that play key roles in ecosystems before they are lost forever. These are some of our finest ecologists asking some of our hardest questions. They are, in addition to the editors, S.E.B. Abella, G. C. Chang, D. Doak, A. L. Downing, W. T. Edmondson, A. S. Flecker, M. J. Ford, C.D.G. Harley, E. G. Leigh Jr., S. Lubetkin, S. M. Louda, M. Marvier, P. McElhany, B. A. Menge, W. F. Morris, S. Naeem, S. R. Palumbi, A. G. Power, T. A. Rand, R. B. Root, M. Ruckelshaus, J. Ruesink, D. E. Schindler, T. W. Schoener, D. Simberloff, D. A. Spiller, M. J. Wonham, and J. T. Wootton.

575.858 --- Species. Speciation --- 575.858 Species. Speciation --- Conservation biology. --- Species diversity. --- Endangered species. --- Biodiversity conservation. --- Biodiversity --- Biological diversity conservation --- Conservation of biodiversity --- Diversity conservation, Biological --- Gender mainstreaming in biodiversity conservation --- Maintenance of biological diversity --- Preservation of biological diversity --- Endangered animal species --- Endangered animals --- Endangered wildlife --- Threatened animal species --- Threatened animals --- Threatened species --- Threatened wildlife --- Vanishing species --- Vanishing wildlife --- Wildlife, Endangered --- Wildlife, Threatened --- Wildlife, Vanishing --- Diversity, Species --- Richness, Species --- Species richness --- Conservation --- Biodiversity conservation --- Endangered species --- Species diversity --- Conservation biology --- Ecology --- Nature conservation --- Species --- Wildlife conservation --- Rare animals --- Conservation of natural resources --- Ecosystem management