Already as a young boy, I used to walk with my late father, an ardent naturalist at heart, though to his regret not by profession, in the fields and woods on Mt. Carmel where we lived. My father, being largely an amateur ornithologist but also loving other vertebrates, was less inter ested in the little creatures(-the invertebrates) so abundant under stones. These were, more often then not, isopods which are particularly abundant in the Mediterranean region of northern Israel, and therefore not difficult to encounter (Fig. 1). Thus, my interest in the terrestrial isopods started at an early stage. Many years later, after graduating from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, I worked as an assistant to my late friend and colleague, Professor Michael Costa, at the Teachers Seminary in Oranim. One day I found on my desk a copy of Edney's (1954) paper: Woodlice and the land habitat, which my friend left for me knowing of my interest in this group. Therefore, due to the stimulus of Edney's paper, and the many interesting questions it raised in my mind, I developed a lifelong interest in this amazing crustacean group. My research in the ecophysiology of this group followed to a large extent the directions formulated by Edney and Cloudsley-Thompson whose name will be mentioned throughout this book. I am also indebted to the many stimulating discussions with my friends and colleagues C. S. Crawford, K. E. Linsenmair, and E.

Already as a young boy, I used to walk with my late father, an ardent naturalist at heart, though to his regret not by profession, in the fields and woods on Mt. Carmel where we lived. My father, being largely an amateur ornithologist but also loving other vertebrates, was less inter ested in the little creatures(-the invertebrates) so abundant under stones. These were, more often then not, isopods which are particularly abundant in the Mediterranean region of northern Israel, and therefore not difficult to encounter (Fig. 1). Thus, my interest in the terrestrial isopods started at an early stage. Many years later, after graduating from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, I worked as an assistant to my late friend and colleague, Professor Michael Costa, at the Teachers Seminary in Oranim. One day I found on my desk a copy of Edney's (1954) paper: Woodlice and the land habitat, which my friend left for me knowing of my interest in this group. Therefore, due to the stimulus of Edney's paper, and the many interesting questions it raised in my mind, I developed a lifelong interest in this amazing crustacean group. My research in the ecophysiology of this group followed to a large extent the directions formulated by Edney and Cloudsley-Thompson whose name will be mentioned throughout this book. I am also indebted to the many stimulating discussions with my friends and colleagues C. S. Crawford, K. E. Linsenmair, and E.

Soils are receptacles for a wide range of hazardous chemicals generated by human activities. Whether or not this contamination is deliberate, accurate toxicity assessments are important for health and economic reasons. Soil Ecotoxicology discusses the sources, fate, and transport of hazardous chemicals in soils. The fate (biodegradation and modeling) and the potential impacts of pesticides on soil ecosystems are emphasized, and methodologies for performing toxicity assessments are provided.

This text contains the papers of a meeting on American isopods, the only crustacean group with representatives in all terrestrial ecosystems ranging from the sea shore to the desert. Due to such adaptibility, this group can be seen as a model for the successful transition on land. The text deals with two main subjects: the effects of stressful conditions on the individual animal as reflected by its survival or by the disruption of its normal reproductive pattern; and the distribution of the isopods and their selection of microhabitat.

Interest in land crabs has burgeoned as biologists have increasingly focused on the evolution of terrestriality. Before the publication of this volume in 1988, there had been no single comprehensive source of information to serve biologists interested in the diverse aspects of terrestrial decapod crustacean. Biology of the Land Crabs was the first synthesis of recent and long-established findings on brachyuran and anomuran crustaceans that have evolved varying degrees of adaptation for life on land. Chapters by leading researchers take a coordinated evolutionary and comparative approach to systematics and evolution, ecology, behaviour, reproduction, growth and molting, ion and water balance, respiration and circulation, and energetics and locomotion. Each discusses how terrestrial species have become adapted from ancestral freshwater or marine forms. With its extensive bibliography and comprehensive index, including the natural history of nearly eighty species of brachyuran and anomuran crabs, Biology of the Land Crabs will continue to be an invaluable reference for researchers and advanced students.

Evolution of Primary Producers in the Sea reference examines how photosynthesis evolved on Earth and how phytoplankton evolved through time – ultimately to permit the evolution of complex life, including human beings. The first of its kind, this book provides thorough coverage of key topics, with contributions by leading experts in biophysics, evolutionary biology, micropaleontology, marine ecology, and biogeochemistry.This exciting new book is of interest not only to students and researchers in marine science, but also to evolutionary biologists and ecologists interested in understanding the origins and diversification of life. Evolution of Primary Producers in the Sea offers these students and researchers an understanding of the molecular evolution, phylogeny, fossil record, and environmental processes that collectively permits us to comprehend the rise of phytoplankton and their impact on Earth's ecology and biogeochemistry. It is certain to become the first and best word on this exhilarating topic. - Discusses the evolution of phytoplankton in the world's oceans as the first living organisms and the first and basic producers in the earths food chain - Includes the latest developments in the evolution and ecology of marine phytoplankton specifically with additional information on marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles - The only book to consider of the evolution of phytoplankton and its role in molecular evolution, biogeochemistry, paleontology, and oceanographic aspects - Written at a level suitable for related reading use in courses on the Evolution of the Biosphere, Ecological and Biological oceanography and marine biology, and Biodiversity

This is the eighth volume of a ten-volume series on The Natural History of the Crustacea. The volume examines Evolution and Biogeography, and the first part of this volume is entirely dedicated to the explanation of the origins and successful establishment of the Crustacea in the oceans. In the second part of the book, the biogeography of the Crustacea is explored in order to infer how they conquered different biomes globally while adapting to a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial conditions. The final section examines more general patterns and processes, and the chapters offer useful insight into the future of crustaceans.