Cliff Ecology: Pattern and Process in Cliff Ecosystems (Cambridge Studies in Ecology) - Hardcover

Larson, Douglas W.; Matthes, Uta; Kelly, Peter E.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521554896 ISBN 13: 9780521554893

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2000

Synopsis

Cliffs are present in virtually every country on earth. The lack of scientific interest in cliffs to date is in striking contrast to the commonness of cliffs around the world and to the attraction cliffs have had for humans throughout history. Cliffs provide a unique habitat, rarely investigated from an ecological viewpoint. This book aims to destroy the impression of cliffs as geological structures devoid of life, by reviewing information about the geology, geomorphology, microclimate, flora and fauna of both sea and inland cliffs. For the first time, evidence is presented to suggest that cliffs worldwide may represent an invaluable type of ecosystem, consisting of some of the least disturbed habitats on earth and contributing more to the biodiversity of a region than their surface coverage would indicate.

About this title

About the Author

The Cliff Ecology Research Group was formed in 1985 within the Department of Botany at the University of Guelph. The group is an interdisciplinary team that analyses the structure and function of cliff ecosystems. Doug Larson began his career studying the ecology of coastal tundra, and then studied the ecology of lichens and mosses growing on rock outcrops in southern Ontario. Uta Matthes worked on the ecology of coastal lichens in California and currently manages projects dealing with physiological, population, and community ecology. Peter Kelly has previously worked on arctic soil formation processes, and now concentrates on dendroecology and demography. Doug Larson has won several teaching and research awards, and has attracted wide media coverage to the new area of cliff ecology.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521554896
• ISBN 13: 9780521554893
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 358