Hawaiian Natural History, Ecology, and Evolution

Book Description

Not since William A. Bryan's 1915 landmark compendium, Hawaiian Natural History, has there been a single-volume work that offers such extensive coverage of this complex but fascinating subject. Illustrated with more than two dozen color plates and a hundred photographs and line drawings, Hawaiian Natural History, Ecology, and Evolution updates both the earlier publication and subsequent works by compiling and synthesizing in a uniform and accessible fashion the widely scattered information now available.

Readers can trace the natural history of the Hawaiian Archipelago through the book's twenty-eight chapters or focus on specific topics such as island formation by plate tectonics, plant and animal evolution, flightless birds and their fossil sites, Polynesian migrational history and ecology, the effects of humans and exotic animals on the environment, current conservation efforts, and the contributions of the many naturalists who visited the islands over the centuries and the stories behind their discoveries. An extensive annotated bibliography and a list of audio-visual materials will help readers locate additional sources of information. Those interested in Hawaiian natural history will find this a thoroughly enjoyable overview and a valuable reference. Instructors and students will benefit from its up-to-date summary and synthesis of the subject.

Customer Reviews:

Indispensible and up-to-date mythbuster.......2006-11-24

It's been three decades since anyone has published a general survey of Hawaii's natural history.
A lot has happened since. Just on Maui, researchers have discovered po`ouli birds, happyface spiders and the fossils of extinct, flightless giant "geese."
And we now know more about what was already known here 30 years ago, like the fibropapilloma tumor disease of green sea turtles, which was present at least by the mid-'50s, though unrecognized. Today it is epidemic.
These islands are unique and so strange, biologically and geologically, that even a survey requires a thick book. Alan Ziegler says his "Hawaiian Natural History, Ecology, and Evolution" is "relatively condensed" and intended for the general reader or possibly as a college textbook.
For a condensed product, "Hawaiian Natural History" is pretty chewy. The book is filled with tables and charts. So if you want to know how many species of geckos live in Hawaii and when each was introduced, the answer is on page 238 -- seven species, four brought by ancient Polynesians and the most recent migrant, the orange-spotted day gecko, sometime in the 1980s.
Anyone in Hawaii with an interest in environmental issues needs to be familiar with what's in this book, which covers even more subjects than Sherwin Carlquist's standard text "Hawaii: A Natural History," which hasn't been updated since 1980.
For one thing, there are four myths about Hawaii that are found in almost every popular book and article, and even in some professional papers, and Ziegler explodes three of them.
It is not true that Hawaii enjoys "rich volcanic soil." That's Sicily. Hawaii's volcanos are different, and Ziegler explains why.
It is not true that Hawaii harbors an incredibly diverse biota. Like other isolated archipelagoes, it is missing a lot -- reptiles, amphibians, pines, oaks etc. Ziegler dislikes such terms as "depauperate," "impoverished" or "truncated," settling somewhat reluctantly for "disharmonic." Anyhow, Hawaii's flora and fauna demonstrate very high endemism but very low diversity.
It is not true that the ancient Hawaiians had some sort of mystical understanding that allowed (or required) them to live in harmony with nature in a way Westerners cannot.
It takes some courage for Ziegler to say it, but we know now that every human society -- Polynesians no less than any other -- altered its territory to suit its desires, to the limit of its technology.
Batting .750 is pretty good, but unfortunately Ziegler whiffs the fourth myth. It is not true that after Contact the Hawaiian population succumbed to exotic diseases for which they "had no natural immunity."
Neither did anybody else. Diseases such as smallpox were as deadly to Europeans as to Hawaiians.
The etiology of the disease played out differently, and more disastrously both individually and socially, for the Hawaiians. But it should have been clear from news reports current at the time this book was published (concerning the possibility that terrorists had somehow gotten hold of live smallpx virus) that Europeans and European Americans do not believe they enjoy natural immunity from smallpox.
That episode ought to have been enough to demolish the fantasy of haole (white) immunity, but the notion is so entrenched, it probably won't.
"Hawaiian Natural History" is not as graceful reading as some flossy "environmental" books about Hawaii, but it is much more reliable than most, and it lopes across more territory than any other.
Should a reader want to explore more deeply, Ziegler provides an extensive annotated bibliography.
"Hawaiian Natural History" will be indispensable.

Hard Critic.......2006-09-05

I hold this book to a somewhat higher level, being published by a University Press. It is quite good, but tends to be somewhat wordy in some parts of the text. I also note episodes of over-simplification in some areas (e.g. use of 'Basalt'). I would rather the author use Basalt where it is intended and Basalt-like or some similar term to distinguish the difference between the two in a text-like book. Some benefit could also be made of some larger degree of color plates.
All this aside, the text is quite balanced and has a variety of authorized illustrations that are pertinent, even when not of a higher quality. Some elements of less particular relevance to Hawai'i in particular might have been dispensed with. An example would be the chapter explaining Ecology concepts. A perfunctory paragraph or two might do with reference to standard texts or even an expanded discussion of the concepts, but using Hawai'in examples rather than more generic ones. Much of this is a criticism, and not overwhelming on the whole, inasmuch as no similar work of such broad breadth is known to me. A book trying to do this much has a tendency to turn 'off the path' at times.
In summation, this is a worthy book that might benefit from mild textual revisions and improved illustrations, but is a bargain anyway. I would clearly recommend it as an option to 6 or 7 books in the subspecialties it replaces: Geology, Ecology, Meteorology, Evolution, Botany, Marine Biology and Terestrial Vertebrate Biology.

Arthropods to Mammals.......2005-10-05

Ziegler covers every topic in Hawaiian Natural History: Invertebrates, vertebrates and plants. Also there are interesting chapters on Geology as well. If you are wondering where the evolution is in the book, there is a nice chapter on evolution's history and concepts. It has been mentioned that Ziegler devotes particular care to the traditional Hawaiian names of animals and plants and that is the case. There is also a chapter on the history of the Polynesians and another on their ecology. There are separate chapters for birds, mammals and even snails. Nice tables list endemic species as well as indigenous and alien. I found the book rather boring to read cover to cover but that is my particular taste. I am a biology student but not working in the field. Perhaps this book would serve as a reference.

A fascinating lesson in ecology and the state of paradise.......2004-09-06

Many visitors arrive in Honolulu from Japan on planes decorated with one of the most exotic of Hawaiian birds, the scarlet i'iwi. But they will not see an i'iwi on Oahu. To see one they will have to treck to a remote tract of forest on one of the outer islands. Why are there almost no native Hawaiian birds left outside mountain forests? How did the i'iwi develop its spectacular shape? And what happened to the flightless birds whose remains have accumulated in lava tubes? To understand such things requires some understanding of the the geology, climate, and flora as well as the history of the islands. Ziegler's book makes all of these things accessible, especially to readers with some prior knowledge of one or more of these fields. It covers everything from the volcanic origins of the islands to the agricultural practices of the Polynesian settlers and the impact of alien species. It gains greatly from being written by a single author with a consistent, learned but readable style and format. As a linguist I was impressed by the care taken with the Hawaiian language: Hawaiian terms and names for species are provided and explained wherever possible. The book thus makes an unexpected but welcome contribution to the ongoing revival of the Hawaiian language, as well as to ecology and island biogeography. A paperback edition would help greatly to promote wider appreciation of the fragile natural world of the Hawaiian islands.

Book Description

Plant diseases worldwide are responsible for billions of dollars worth of crop losses every year. With less agrochemicals being used and less new fungicides coming on the market due to environmental concerns, more effort is now being put into the use of genetic potential of plants for pathogen resistance and the development of induced or acquired resistance as an environmentally safe means of disease control.This comprehensive book examines in depth the development and exploitation of induced resistance. Chapters review current knowledge of the agents that can elicit induced resistance, genomics, signalling cascades, mechanisms of defence to pests and pathogens and molecular tools. Further chapters consider the topical application of inducers for disease control, microbial induction of pathogen resistance, transgenic approaches, pathogen population biology, trade offs associated with induced resistance and integration of induced resistance in crop protection. The book concludes with a consideration of socio-economic drivers determining the use of induced resistance, and the future of induced resistance in crop protection.

Fungal Disease Resistance in Plants: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Genetic Engineering (Crop Science) (Crop Science)

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Fungal Disease Resistance in Plants: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Genetic Engineering (Crop Science) (Crop Science)
Zamir K. Punja
Manufacturer: Haworth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1560229608

Book Description

Up-to-date, accurate information on recent developments in crop protection!

Fungal Disease Resistance in Plants: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Genetic Engineering presents the latest developments in crop protection from fungal infection. Leading experts in botany, plant breeding, and plant pathology contribute their knowledge to help reduce and possibly prevent new outbreaks of devastating crop epidemics caused by fungi. With exciting new advances in molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetic engineering, this informative book will help researchers, professors, and students further their understanding of plant defenses.

Fungal Disease Resistance in Plants is your guide to understanding the various barriers that plants have developed through evolution and adaptation to protect themselves from invading fungal pathogens. Defenses include physical barriers such as thick cell walls and chemical compounds expressed by the plant when attacked. Still other plants have acquired proteins that play an important role in defense. This book discusses these evolutionary traits and introduces new scientific techniques to engineer resistance in plants that have no built-in protection.

Fungal Disease Resistance in Plants explores:

cellular expression of resistance to fungal pathogens
the hypersensitive response and its role in disease resistance
induced plant resistance to fungal pathogens—mechanisms and practical
applications
pathogenesis-related proteins and their roles in resistance to fungal pathogens
signal transduction—plant networks, delivery, and response to fungal infection
fungus genes as they relate to disease susceptibility and resistance

Book Description

Plant-Pathogen Interactions: Methods and Protocols provides key methods, approaches, and strategies to dissect the plant defense response. Addressing methods to identify and characterize plant resistance genes as well as pathogen-associated molecules that trigger the plant defense response, this volume creates a better understanding of the interactions between pathogens and their hosts, which will help to develop better methods for disease control in plants and animals.
Plant-Pathogen Interactions: Methods and Protocols reviews methods for engineering resistance to plant viruses, the utility of viral induced gene silencing and RNAi silencing, as well as advances in genomics and proteomics that have lead to new methods to identify genes and proteins. The protocols presented follow the successful Methods in Molecular Biologyâ„¢ series format, each one offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principle behind the technique, lists of equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and the avoidance of known pitfalls.

Mechanisms of Resistance to Plant Diseases

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Mechanisms of Resistance to Plant Diseases

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1402003994

Book Description

Plant-pathogen interactions is a rapidly developing area among the plant sciences. Molecular genetics has provided the tools to analyse and manipulate mechanisms of pathogenicity and resistance responses and has facilitated their study from the population to the molecular level. The book brings together the views of experts in the field and provides an overview of the genetic basis of interactions between fungi, bacteria, viruses and their host plants, the triggering of plant defences and the complex array of plant responses to stop pathogen invasion, as well as possible applications for improved plant protection. The chapters are organised and written to make an advanced textbook rather than simply a collection of reviews or something resembling conference proceedings. Thus, authors have largely concentrated on a didactic approach and the book should remain useable for several years in spite of the rapid progress in research. The text is aimed at advanced students in the field of plant pathology as well as researchers requiring an integrated picture of plant resistance to pathogens.

Abiotic Stresses: Plant Resistance Through Breeding and Molecular Approaches (Crop Science) (Crop Science)

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Abiotic Stresses: Plant Resistance Through Breeding and Molecular Approaches (Crop Science) (Crop Science)
Muhammad, Ed. Ashraf
Manufacturer: Haworth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560229659

Book Description

Gain a better understanding of the genetic and physiological bases of stress response and stress tolerance as part of crop improvement programs

Abiotic Stresses: Plant Resistance Through Breeding and Molecular Approaches explores innovative methods for breeding new varieties of major crops with resistance to environmental stresses that limit crop production worldwide. Experts provide you with basic principles and techniques of plant breeding as well as work done in relation to improving resistance in specific important world food crops. This book supplies extensive bibliographies at the end of each chapter, as well as tables and figures that illustrate the research findings.

Abiotic Stresses is divided into two sections. In the first section, you will find:

the general principles of breeding crops for stress resistance

genetic engineering and molecular biology procedures for crop improvement for stress environments

data on genome mapping and its implications for improving stress resistance in plants

information about breeding for resistance/tolerance to salinity, drought, flooding, metals, low nutrient availability, high/low temperatures

The second section of this timely resource focuses on the efforts of acknowledged specialists who concentrated their efforts on important individual crops, such as: wheat

barley

rice

maize

oilseed crops

cotton

tomato

Book Description

Far from being passive elements in the landscape, plants have developed many sophisticated chemical and mechanical means of deterring organisms that seek to prey on them. This volume draws together research from ecology, evolution, agronomy, and plant pathology to produce an ecological genetics perspective on plant resistance in both natural and agricultural systems. By emphasizing the ecological and evolutionary basis of resistance, the book makes an important contribution to the study of how phytophages and plants coevolve.

Plant Resistance to Herbivores and Pathogens not only reviews the literature pertaining to plant resistance from a number of traditionally separate fields but also examines significant questions that will drive future research. Among the topics explored are selection for resistance in plants and for virulence in phytophages; methods for studying natural variation in plant resistance; the factors that maintain intraspecific variation in resistance; and the ecological consequences of within-population genetic variation for herbivorous insects and fungal pathogens.

"A comprehensive review of the theory and information on a large, rapidly growing, and important subject."—Douglas J. Futuyma, State University of New York, Stony Brook

Plant Virology Protocols: FROM VIRUS ISOLATION TO TRANSGENIC RESISTANCE (Methods in Molecular Biology (Cloth))

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Plant Virology Protocols: FROM VIRUS ISOLATION TO TRANSGENIC RESISTANCE (Methods in Molecular Biology (Cloth))
GARY FOSTER
Manufacturer: Humana Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0896033856

Book Description

A comprehensive collection of state-of-the-art techniques for generating transgenic plants that are resistant to plant viruses via the cloning and expression of the coat protein gene. Its unfailingly reproducible methods, perfected by hands-on masters, cover the entire process from virus isolation, RNA extraction, and cloning coat protein genes, to the introduction of the coat protein gene into the plant genome and the testing of transgenic plants for resistance. Methods for testing for transformation by PCR and Southern blotting, the detection of RNA transcripts by Northern blotting, and the production of protein by Western analysis are provided, as are methods for challenging the transgenic plants produced and for detecting and measuring the levels of virus.

Plant Resistance to Arthropods: Molecular and Conventional Approaches

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Plant Resistance to Arthropods: Molecular and Conventional Approaches
C. Michael Smith
Manufacturer: Springer
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1402037015

Book Description

Arthropod resistant crops reduce pesticide pollution, alleviate hunger and improve human nutrition. Plant Resistance to Arthropods - Molecular and Conventional Approaches synthesizes new information about the environmental advantages of plant resistance, transgenic resistance, the molecular bases of resistance, and the use of molecular markers to map resistance genes. Readers are presented in-depth descriptions of techniques to quantify resistance, factors affecting resistance expression, and the deployment of resistance genes. New information about gene-for-gene interactions between resistant plants and arthropod biotypes is discussed along with the recent examples of using arthropod resistant plants in integrated pest management systems.

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