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This volume contains five papers dealing with a wide range of plant, animal, and soil biological topics.Gray and his colleagues describe the origin and spread of the salt marsh grass Spartina anglica. The result of a hybridization at the close of the last century, this genetically uniform species has been extremely successful in its particular niche and has a fascinating biology.Smith stresses the importance of gene-environment interactions in life-history theory in contrast to the resource constraint emphasis of the optimization approach. Experimental approaches to the subject are also discussed.Chanway and his colleagues examine the evidence for the importance of interactions between plants and micro-organisms in the rhizosphere in determining the outcome of plant competition and the establishment of community structure. Despite scarce evidence, real effects meriting further research do seem to exist.Brundrett also deals with an aspect of ecology in the soil. Most plants seem to have mycorrhizal associates and their importance is now widely appreciated. Much has been learned but more research is needed to determine the beneficial or after effects of mycorrhizae in natural systems.Richter and Babar review the diversity of tropical soils. They are in fact much more variable than is often thought, perhaps because too few ecologists are specialists in soils. Clearly, a proper knowledge and understanding of the many soil types is vital to conservation and development work in the tropics. Key Features* Serves as the fourth volume under new editorial direction* Presents a broad range of topical papers in ecology* Contains five papers dealing with a wide range of plant, animal, and soil biological topics
E-Book Content
Advances in
ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH VOLUME 21
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Advances in
ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH Edited by
M. BEGON Depnrtmenf of Zoology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 S B X , U K
A. H. FITTER Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO1 5 D D , U K
A. MACFADYEN 23 Mountsandel Road, Coleraine, Northern Ireland
VOLUME 21
ACADEMIC PRESS Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers London San Diego New York Boston Sydney T o k y o Toronto
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Copyright @ 1991 by ACADEMIC PRESS LIMITED
All Rights Reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by photostat, microfilm, or any other means, without written permission from the publishers
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Advances in ecological research. VOl. 21 1. Ecology 1. Begon, Michael 574.5 ISBN 0-12-013921-9
This book is printed on acid-free paper Editorial and production services by Fisher Duncan 10 Barley Mow Passage, Chiswick. London W4 4PH, UK Printed in Great Britain by St Edmundsbury Press Limited, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Contributors to Volume 21 L. I . BABBAR, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, M I 48109, USA. M. BRUNDREIT, Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, W A 6009, Australia. C . P. CHANWAY, Department of Forest Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1W5. A . J . GRAY, Institute of Terrestrial Research, Furzebrook Research Station, Wareham, Dorset BH2 5AJ, U K . F . B. HOLL, Department of Plant Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 2 A l . D . F . MARSHALL, Institute of Terrestrial Research, Furzebrook Research Station, Wareham, Dorset BH2 5AJ, UK. A. F . RAYBOULD, Institute of Terrestrial Research, Furzebrook Research Station, Wareham, Dorset BH2 5AJ, UK. D. D . RICHTER, School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Duke Univers