Collects together a series of essays and commentaries by leading authorities about active areas of research on the biology of birds.

"Provides interesting and thought-provoking reading and is highly recommended to anyone interested in desert ecosystems or community ecology. The book . . . should serve as an inspiration to many for future research."—Journal of Biogeography "This book is not just about deserts; it is an update of the contributions that research in desert systems is making to community ecology. . . This book will provide a useful reference for desert ecologists, as well as indicate critical directions where progress needs to be made."—Ecology "This important book fills a significant gap in previous syntheses by presenting a detailed series of reviews of current understanding of community patterns and structure in desert environments. . . . Each chapter is thorough and well written and . . . closes with a discussion of suggested future research. . . . [T]hese ideas will do much to focus interest on the importance of desert systems in understanding community. Thus, this book has interest well beyond desert ecologists alone."—BioScience "Valuable reading and reference for ecology students, teachers and researchers."—Quarterly Review of Biology

Current Ornithology publishes authoritative, up-to-date, scholarly reviews of topics selected from the full range of current research in avian biology. Topics cover the spectrum from the molecular level of organization to population biology and community ecology. The series seeks especially to review 1) fields in which abundant recent literature will benefit from synthesis and organization, 2) newly emerging fields that are gaining recognition as the result of recent discoveries or shifts in perspective, and 3) fields in which students of vertebrates may benefit from comparisons of birds with other classes. All chapters are invited, and authors are chosen for their leadership in the subjects under review.

Effects of Noise on Wildlife emerged from the Symposium on the Effects of Noise on Wildlife, organized by ICA-WG4 as part of the 9th International Congress on Acoustics in Madrid, Spain, July 4-9, 1977. The book begins by examining some popular and relatively well-known aspects of animal behavior in relation to noise. This is followed by separate chapters on the physiological responses of large domestic animals to various sound environments; the effects of sonic booms on native fauna; wildlife-powerline interactions; the effects of transmission line audible noise on wildlife; and the effects of acoustical noise on selected marine biological systems. Subsequent chapters deal with the effects of noise stress on gestating female mice and the environmental impact of noisy activities on wildlife. The book concludes with a discussion of the impact of existing noise-related policy on animals and government and public policy needs. This book is intended for readers in administrative services and agencies responsible for nature protection.