Arctic and Alpine Biodiversity: Patterns, Causes and Ecosystem Consequences

Arctic and Alpine Biodiversity: Patterns, Causes and Ecosystem Consequences
Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages : 337
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9783642789663
ISBN-13 : 3642789668
Rating : 4/5 (63 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Arctic and Alpine Biodiversity: Patterns, Causes and Ecosystem Consequences by : F.Stuart III Chapin

Download or read book Arctic and Alpine Biodiversity: Patterns, Causes and Ecosystem Consequences written by F.Stuart III Chapin and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-03-08 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As human populations expand and have increasing access to technol ogy, two general environmental concerns have arisen. First, human pop ulations are having increasing impact on the earth system, such that we are altering the biospheric carbon pools, basic processes of elemental cycling and the climate system of the earth. Because of time lags and feedbacks, these processes are not easily reversed. These alterations are occurring now more rapidly than at any time in the last several million years. Secondly, human activities are causing changes in the earth's biota that lead to species extinctions at a rate and magnitude rivaling those of past geologic extinction events. Although environmental change is potentially reversible at some time scales, the loss of species is irrevo cable. Changes in diversity at other scales are also cause for concern. Habitat fragmentation and declines in population sizes alter genetic di versity. Loss or introduction of new functional groups, such as nitro gen fixers or rodents onto islands can strongly alter ecosystem processes. Changes in landscape diversity through habitat modification and frag mentation alter the nature of processes within and among vegetation patches. Although both ecological changes altering the earth system and the loss of biotic diversity have been major sources of concern in recent years, these concerns have been largely independent, with little concern for the environmental causes the ecosystem consequences of changes in biodiversity. These two processes are clearly interrelated. Changes in ecological systems cause changes in diversity.


Arctic and Alpine Biodiversity: Patterns, Causes and Ecosystem Consequences Related Books

Arctic and Alpine Biodiversity: Patterns, Causes and Ecosystem Consequences
Language: en
Pages: 337
Authors: F.Stuart III Chapin
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2013-03-08 - Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

As human populations expand and have increasing access to technol ogy, two general environmental concerns have arisen. First, human pop ulations are having incr
Microbial Communities of Polar and Alpine Soils
Language: en
Pages: 187
Authors: Laura Zucconi
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2021-11-10 - Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Biology of Alpine Habitats
Language: en
Pages: 389
Authors: Laszlo Nagy
Categories: Nature
Type: BOOK - Published: 2009-03-19 - Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Environment, ecology, biota function.
Invasiveness Ranking System for Non-native Plants of Alaska
Language: en
Pages: 220
Authors:
Categories: Alien plants
Type: BOOK - Published: 2008 - Publisher:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Describes a ranking system used to evaluate the potential invasiveness and impacts of 113 non-native plants to natural areas in Alaska. Species are ranked by a
Alpine Plant Life
Language: en
Pages: 345
Authors: Christian Körner
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2013-06-29 - Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Generations of plant scientists have been fascinated by alpine plant lifean ecosystem that experiences dramatic climatic gradients over a very short distance. T