"While pines, spruces, firs, and other conifers prominent in northern hemisphere landscapes, particularly in mountain and high-altitude environments, have been the subject of much scientific study, southern conifers have been largely overlooked, even though almost one-third of all conifers - some 200 speciesare found in the southern hemisphere and many more occur in the tropical lowland forests that straddle the equator. Some researchers have even characterized the southern conifers as relicts or living fossils, destined to be swept away by a rising tide of flowering plants." "Ecology of the Southern Conifers brings together, for the first time, information on this diverse and unique group of plants. Twenty-eight scholars from around the world examine the history and ecology of the southern conifers, and emphasize their importance in understanding the evolution and ecological dynamics of southern vegetation. Drawing together the results of research from ecosystems as varied as the South African fynbos and New Caledonian rainforests, the Argentine steppe and inland Australia, this book searches for unifying themes and seeks to relate these to modern evolutionary and ecological theory." "Ecology of the Southern Conifers demonstrates the plants' significance for understanding evolutionary and ecological processes in the southern hemisphere."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved