The biology of disturbed habitats /

Works in Oxford's "Biology of Habitats" series have provided focused and detailed introductions to a variety of habitats from rivers to deserts. In this new addition, Walker (Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas) gives readers a broad overview of disturbance ecology. Ecologists recognize natural and anthropogenic disturbances as essential factors in creating the patterns and processes observed in all ecosystems. This book begins with an introduction to disturbance; the following chapters focus on briefly describing the types of disturbances found in terrestrial, aquatic, and anthropogenic habitats. The middle section describes the roles of ecosystem processes, biodiversity, invasive species, and spatial dynamics. A chapter on succession contains an insightful overview of the theory of succession but little data to support it. The last part of the book reviews conservation biology and global change. Unfortunately, the author tries to cover just about every concept in ecology. Almost any change in an ecosystem is considered a disturbance. Coverage of these topics is spread so thin that one might better read a general ecology textbook. Throughout the book, figures and tables emphasize theory and categorization but seldom include data on disturbed ecosystems. Summing Up: Optional. Upper-division undergraduates and graduate students. M. P. Gustafson Texas Lutheran University