This book began life as a review article. That article spawned a symposium which was, in turn, greatly expanded to form the present volume. As the project moved through these developmental stages (hopefully, towards attainment of its full maturity), a number of people have provided invaluable assistance to us, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them. Gordon Orians must certainly take a high place in that list. He has been both a friend and mentor to W.E.K., and many of the topics explored in this book have emerged from the resultant dialogue. His thought processes, ideas and perhaps even some of his turns of phrase emerge throughout much ofthe book. Gordon also played a pivotal role in inviting in motion, and so he has served as a catalyst the article that set this project to the book as well as one of its reagents. While he has not served as an editor of this book, he is one of its authors in more than just the literal sense.

To say you are writing about rarity is to invite two kinds of response. Either one provokes a discussion of what rarity is, or some comment on the complex ity of the subject. The objective of this book is to explore the nature of rarity, its complexity if you like, from one particular perspective on what rarity is. Primarily, it is an opportunity to review, to synthesize, and to question. The book is an attempt to draw together a vast body of literature, to extract from it some general principles, and to raise question marks over areas the founda tions of which appear to be either absent or crumbling. A perusal of prefaces suggests that they often dwell as long upon what a book is not about, as upon what it does concern. True to such a tradition, I should state that this is specifically not a book about conservation, although in some quarters anything about rarity is viewed as something about conser vation. Nor does it contain more than a passing reference to the undoubtedly important issues of the role of genetics in rarity. Examples have been drawn from a wide variety of taxa. They are, nonethe less, somewhat depauperate in cases from marine systems. In part this bias results from the unevenness of my familiarity with the literature, in part it perhaps also reflects differences in the questions asked and approaches to the study of communities and assemblages in terrestrial and marine systems.

This book explores that idea, building a narrative around the concept of rarity and its implications both for our understanding of how the natural world works, and for what it can teach us about protecting biodiversity during a time of large-scale environmental change.

Macroecology is an approach to science that emphasizes the description and explanation of patterns and processes at large spatial and temporal scales. Some scientists liken it to seeing the forest through the trees, giving the proverbial phrase an ecological twist. The term itself was first introduced to the modern literature by James H. Brown and Brian A. Maurer in a 1989 paper, and it is Brown’s classic 1995 study, Macroecology, that is credited with inspiring the broad-scale subfield of ecology. But as with all subfields, many modern-day elements of macroecology are implicit in earlier works dating back decades, even centuries. Foundations of Macroecology charts the evolutionary trajectory of these concepts—from the species-area relationship and the latitudinal gradient of species richness to the relationship between body size and metabolic rate—through forty-six landmark papers originally published between 1920 and 1998. Divided into two parts—“Macroecology before Macroecology” and “Dimensions of Macroecology”—the collection also takes the long view, with each paper accompanied by an original commentary from a contemporary expert in the field that places it in a broader context and explains its foundational role. Providing a solid, coherent assessment of the history, current state, and potential future of the field, Foundations of Macroecology will be an essential text for students and teachers of ecology alike.

Includes foundational ideas/papers about the science of rarity conservation. -- taken from review on vendor's site

Nearly 700 species of plants may become extinct by the year 2000. Faced with this overwhelming prospect, plant conservationists must take advantage of every technique available. This unique work summarizes our current knowledge of the genetics and population biology of rare plants, and integrates it with practical conservation recommendations. It features discussions on the distribution and significance of genetic variation, management and evaluation of rare plant germplasm, and conservation strategies for genetic diversity. Case studies focusing on specific problems offer important insights for today's challenges in rare plant conservation.

Contributors. -- Preface. -- Introduction, Anatomy, and Life History, J.R. Factor. -- Taxonomy and Evolution, A.B. Williams. -- Larval and Postlarval Ecology, G.P. Ennis. -- Postlarval, Juvenile, Adolescent, and Adult Ecology, P. Lawton and K.L. Lavalli. -- Fishery Regulations and Methods, R.J. Miller. -- Populations, Fisheries, and Management, M.J. Fogarty. -- Interface of Ecology, Behavior, and Fisheries, J.S. Cobb. -- Aquaculture, D.E. Aiken and S.L. Waddy. -- Reproduction and Embryonic Development, P. Talbot and Simone Helluy. -- Control of Growth and Reproduction, S.L. Waddy, D.E. Aiken, and D.P.V. de Kleijn. -- Neurobiology and Neuroendocrinology, B. Beltz. -- Muscles and Their Innervation, C.K. Govind. -- Behavior and Sensory Biology, J. Atema and R. Voigt. -- The Feeding Appendages, K.L. Lavalli and J.R. Factor. -- The Digestive system, J.R. Factor. -- Digestive Physiology and Nutrition, D.E. Conklin. -- Circulation, the Blood, and Disease, G.G. Martin and J.E. Hose. -- The Phy ...