Zoogeography aims to explain the structure, function and history of the geo graphical ranges of animals. The absence or presence of a species in a given place has ecological as well as historical causes. It is therefore a mistake to suppose that reconstructing the phylogenetic connections of a taxon will by itself give a definite picture of how its range originated. A purely ecological interpretation of the range could be equally misleading if it did not take into account the population-genetic structure underlying the geographical range. Phylogenetic systematics, population genetics, autecology and synecology have all their own methods, none of which can be substituted for another, without which a range cannot be studied or interpreted. The present book covers only certain aspects of the wide field of zoogeo graphy. These are in the form in which they were crystallised in the course of innumerable discussions with my teachers, my colleagues at home and abroad and my fellow workers, postgraduates and students at Saarbriicken, as well as in the zoogeographical part of may basic lectures on biogeography for the year 1973-1974. The chief emphasis is laid on the genetic and ecological macro structure of the biosphere as an arena for range structures and range dynamics, on urban ecosystems, which have hitherto been grossly neglected, and on the most recent history of ranges (the dispersal centre concept). The marine and fresh-water biocycles, on the other hand, have been dealt only briefly.

Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Ostracods, Saalfelden (Salzburg), July 30-August 8, 1976

This volume merges all geographical and paleogeographical data on all groups of the arachnofauna. The book features topics such as the ecological factors, climate and other barriers that influence the distribution of arachnida. It also elaborates on the characteristics of the distribution such as arachnida at high altitude (e.g. Himalaya), in caves, in polar regions and highlights differences between the arachnofauna of e.g. Mediterranean regions vs Central Europe, West African vs Indomalayan and more. Furthermore, amongst other topics the volume also includes chapters on the systems of arachnida, fossil orders, dispersal and dispersion, endemics and relicts, regional arachnogeography, cave and high altitude arachnida.

Zoogeography aims to explain the structure, function and history of the geo graphical ranges of animals. The absence or presence of a species in a given place has ecological as well as historical causes. It is therefore a mistake to suppose that reconstructing the phylogenetic connections of a taxon will by itself give a definite picture of how its range originated. A purely ecological interpretation of the range could be equally misleading if it did not take into account the population-genetic structure underlying the geographical range. Phylogenetic systematics, population genetics, autecology and synecology have all their own methods, none of which can be substituted for another, without which a range cannot be studied or interpreted. The present book covers only certain aspects of the wide field of zoogeo graphy. These are in the form in which they were crystallised in the course of innumerable discussions with my teachers, my colleagues at home and abroad and my fellow workers, postgraduates and students at Saarbriicken, as well as in the zoogeographical part of may basic lectures on biogeography for the year 1973-1974. The chief emphasis is laid on the genetic and ecological macro structure of the biosphere as an arena for range structures and range dynamics, on urban ecosystems, which have hitherto been grossly neglected, and on the most recent history of ranges (the dispersal centre concept). The marine and fresh-water biocycles, on the other hand, have been dealt only briefly.

Aspects of Sponge Biology is the result of a symposium about sponge biology held in Albany, New York in May 1975. The symposium not only presents investigations, but also problem areas in the field of sponge biology. This book therefore shows that sponges are a very challenging and untouched subject area for future studies. This book is divided into three major parts, wherein the first part introduces and discusses sponge biology. The introduction and discussion include sponge biology principles, perspectives, and problems. The next two parts discuss cell and development biology, taxonomy, and ecology. Part 2 deals with several topics of the cellular aspect, including an analysis of reproduction in sponge populations and cytochemical studies of connective tissues in sponges. This part also looks into the cytological abnormalities in various normal and transformed cell lines. Part 3 describes the different types of sponge in their various habitats. Sponge feeding mechanisms, ecological factors controlling sponge distribution, and zoogeography of Brazilian marine Demospongiae are also discussed in this part. This book will be of important value to biology students and teachers. Specialists including zoologists, ecologists, comparative physiologists, and biologists will also benefit from this book.

Because historical biogeography—the study of historical causes of biotic distributions—is a comparative science, one must draw on data from many different disciplines. This book brings together for the first time the results of studies on a variety of insect groups native to the islands of the Caribbean, and is intended as an early progress report on the use of insects in biogeographical research from this area. The Caribbean has been of great interest to zoogeographers because of its geologic position and history, and because the fauna is of limited diversity relative to mainland America. This limited diversity coupled with the accessibility of the islands has resulted in the Caribbean fauna being relatively well known compared to other Neotropical faunas. Intriguing questions include how and when the West Indian islands became populated, how the fauna and flora of the islands relate to those of the continents, and whether the Caribbean islands served as a dispersal corridor between the Americas. As the interpretation of biographic patterns and knowledge of earth history go hand in hand, this book appropriately opens with a chapter reviewing the geology of the Caribbean and its land masses, including various interpretations of plate tectonics. Eight specialists on six orders of insects then present from study sites in the Caribbean the results of their research on the biogeographic distribution and historical biogeography of their study animals. A final chapter puts into a concise framework the various methods by which taxonomists approach biogeography.

This is an introductory physical geography text designed for 1st or 2nd year undergraduate students of geography, geology and environmental sciences.