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Adaptive Herbivore Ecology

From Resources to Populations in Variable Environments

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Hardcover | 4 September 2002

At a Glance

Hardcover
392 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.5 x 16.2 x 3.0

Hardcover

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The adaptation of herbivore behaviour to seasonal and locational variations in vegetation quantity and quality is inadequately modelled by conventional methods. Norman Owen-Smith innovatively links the principles of adaptive behaviour to their consequences for population dynamics and community ecology, through the application of a metaphysiological modelling approach. The main focus is on large mammalian herbivores occupying seasonally variable environments such as those characterised by African savannahs, but applications to temperate zone ungulates are also included. Issues of habitat suitability, species coexistence, and population stability or instability are similarly investigated. The modelling approach accommodates various sources of environmental variability, in space and time, in a simple conceptual way and has the potential to be applied to other consumer-resource systems. This text highlights the crucial importance of adaptive consumer responses to environmental variability and is aimed particularly at academic researchers and graduate students in the field of ecology.

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' ... an enjoyable and informative addition to the ecological literature. We are convinced others will find the book equally stimulating and useful.' Science '... an enjoyable and informative addition to the ecological literature.' Science Magazine

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Science Biology, Life Sciences Life Sciences in General Ecological Science Earth Sciences, Geography, Environment, Planning The Environment Applied Ecology Zoology & Animal Sciences Animal Ecology Nature & The Natural World

Acknowledgements	p. xi
Acronym and symbol conventions	p. xiii
Conceptual origins: variability in time and space	p. 1
Modelling philosophy	p. 2
Herbivores and vegetation	p. 4
Modelling technology	p. 10
Structure of the book	p. 10
Consumer-resource models: theory and formulation	p. 13
Basic theory	p. 13
Descriptive population models	p. 15
Demographically structured population models	p. 20
Interactive consumer-resource models	p. 21
Metaphysiological population models	p. 29
Overview	p. 36
Resource abundance: intake response and time frames	p. 38
Basic theory	p. 39
Within-patch feeding	p. 42
Foraging spells	p. 47
Daily food intake	p. 52
Half-saturation level for intake	p. 53
Allometry of food intake	p. 55
Influences on the form of the intake response	p. 56
Overview	p. 57
Resource distribution: patch scales and depletion	p. 61
Feeding sites	p. 62
Patch acceptance	p. 63
Patch departure	p. 65
Foraging areas	p. 75
Habitat types	p. 77
Waterpoint restrictions	p. 79
Selectivity in foraging	p. 80
Overview	p. 83
Resource quality: nutritional gain and diet choice	p. 85
Diet breadth model	p. 86
Palatability classes	p. 92
Evaluating the diet breadth model	p. 97
Form of the nutritional gain response	p. 105
Overview	p. 108
Resource constraints: physiological capacities and costs	p. 110
Linear programming models	p. 111
Digestive capacity	p. 116
Metabolic satiation	p. 125
Thermal tolerance	p. 127
Constraints versus cost-benefit isoclines	p. 131
Truncation of the intake response	p. 133
Overview	p. 134
Resource allocation: growth, storage and reproduction	p. 136
Relative growth potential	p. 137
Storage	p. 142
Growth versus storage	p. 151
Reproduction	p. 153
Senescence	p. 158
Flux- versus state-dependent mortality	p. 159
Overview	p. 160
Resource production: regeneration and attrition	p. 162
General production function	p. 163
Grass production model	p. 165
Browse production model	p. 177
Resource-related dynamics for plants	p. 180
Overview	p. 182
Resource competition: exploitation and density dependence	p. 184
Stocking density models	p. 185
Growth potential	p. 188
Alternative models of resource production	p. 191
Competitive distributions	p. 202
Resource versus density dependence	p. 203
Overview	p. 204
Resource-dependent mortality: nutrition, predation and demography	p. 205
Mortality function	p. 206
Observed mortality patterns	p. 209
Predation	p. 224
State-dependent mortality	p. 227
Demographic structure	p. 228
Overview	p. 230
Habitat suitability: resource components and stocking densities	p. 232
Determinants of browser abundance	p. 233
Range condition and grazer stocking densities	p. 244
Generic resource types	p. 253
Overview	p. 257
Resource partitioning: competition and coexistence	p. 264
Lotka-Volterra model	p. 265
Competitive habitat partitioning	p. 266
Exploitation competition model	p. 269
Size difference for coexistence	p. 279
Ecomorphological distinctions	p. 281
Tradeoffs between facilitation and competition	p. 288
Overview	p. 295
Population dynamics: resource basis for instability	p. 301
Interactive herbivore-vegetation dynamics	p. 302
Soay sheep example	p. 317
Other ungulate populations	p. 329
Alternative modelling approaches	p. 330
Overview	p. 332
An adaptive resource ecology: foundation and prospects	p. 335
Retrospective review	p. 335
Prospects	p. 337
Broader issues	p. 341
Overview	p. 345
References	p. 346
Index	p. 371
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

Adaptive Herbivore Ecology

From Resources to Populations in Variable Environments

At a Glance

Hardcover

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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