Ecological Relationships of Plants and Animals - Tapa dura

Over the past two decades, numerous field and experimental studies on the ecology and evolution of animal and plant interactions have been reported by botanists, zoologists, and ecologists. This book offers a comprehensive summary of this extensive and widely scattered research literature, presenting the subject as a coherent, accessible discipline. The authors describe familiar areas, such as pollination and herbivory, and discuss new information on such subjects as seed dispersal, the genetics of co-evolution, structural and chemical plant defences, and the implications of human use of plant and animal communities. As they explore these issues, the authors raise provocative questions of fundamental importance: How can an earth teeming with plant-eating animals be so green? Do plants really need animals that pollinate their flowers and disperse their seeds? What happens to tropical plant communities when fruit-eating toucans and monkeys are killed by encroaching humans? By drawing together information on diverse aspects of the subject - and the authors present a challenging insight into the complexities of plant and animal interrelationships. Readership: biologists specializing in ecology.