The Ecology and Evolution of Inducible Defenses - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0691004943 ISBN 13: 9780691004945

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 1998

Synopsis

Inducible defenses--those often dramatic phenotypic shifts in prey activated by biological agents ranging from predators to pathogens--are widespread in the natural world. Yet research on the inducible defenses used by vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants in terrestrial, marine, and freshwater habitats has largely developed along independent lines. Ralph Tollrian and Drew Harvell seek to change that here. By bringing together leading researchers from all fields to review common themes and explore emerging ideas, this book represents the most current and comprehensive survey of knowledge about the ecology and evolution of inducible defenses. Contributors examine organisms as different as unicellular algae and higher vertebrates, and consider defenses ranging from immune systems to protective changes in morphology, behavior, chemistry, and life history. The authors of the review chapters, case studies, and theoretical studies pinpoint unifying factors favoring the evolution of inducible defenses. Throughout, the volume emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach, integrating applied and theoretical ecology, evolution, genetics, and chemistry. In addition, Harvell and Tollrian provide an introduction and a conclusion that review the current state of knowledge in the field and identify areas for future research. The contributors, in addition to the editors, are May Berenbaum, Arthur Zangerl, Johannes Järemo, Juha Tuomi, Patric Nilsson, Anurag Agrawal, Richard Karban, Marcel Dicke, Ellen Van Donk, Miquel Lürling, Winfried Lampert, Simon Frost, John Gilbert, Hans-Werner Kuhlmann, Jürgen Kusch, Klaus Heckmann, Luc De Meester, Piotr Dawidowicz, Erik van Gool, Carsten Loose, Stanley Dodson, Christer Brönmark, Lars Pettersson, Anders Nilsson, Bradley Anholt, Earl Werner, Curtis Lively, Frederick Adler, Daniel Grünbaum, and Wilfried Gabriel.

About this title

About the Author

Ralph Tollrian is Assistant Professor of Ecology at the Zoological Institute at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich. C. Drew Harvell is Associate Professor in the Section of Ecology and Systematics at Cornell University.

From the Back Cover

"The book does an excellent job of summarizing what is known about induced defenses."--Robert T. Paine, University of Washington

"-A state-of-the-art survey of the empirical and theoretical knowledge about inducible defenses."--Marc Mangel, University of California, Davis

"The editors have done an excellent job of drawing together a collection of authors representing a wide range of disciplines."--Mark D. Rausher, Duke University

Edition details

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0691004943
• ISBN 13: 9780691004945
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 400
• Editor: Tollrian Ralph