Reef Evolution
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
If one does not understand the biology of the coral reef, one does not understand the reef at all. So, using more than 250 illustrations and specially drawn ecological reconstructions of reef communities, Rachel Wood provides a unique evolutionary approach to the understanding of ancient coral
reef ecosystems. Marine organisms have aggregated to form reefs for over 3.5 billion years--creating the largest biologically constructed feature on earth, some visible from space. However, their study has been largely descriptive.
Reef Evolution, documents the fundamental biological processes and innovations which have molded the evolution of reef ecosystems and given rise to the highly complex communities found today. The appearance of clonality, the acquisition of photosymbiosis, and the radiation of predator groups are all
discussed in depth. Data from the fossil record documents the evolutionary development of reef ecosystems. Although reefs only occupy a small percentage of the oceans, their importance to the marine environment is many-faceted and global. They create harbors and allow the development of shallow
basins with associated mangrove or seagrass communities; they protect coastlines from erosion; are involved in the regulation of atmospheric carbon, which in turn contributes to climate control. can provide extensive oil and gas reservoirs. From a biological standpoint, however, the great
significance of reefs lies in their ability to generate and maintain a substantial proportion of tropical marine biodiversity. This unique interdisciplinary approach provides students and researchers in evolution, marine biology, ecology, paleontology, biodiversity, and geology with a text that will
allow them to truly understand the biological innovations which have molded the evolution of coral reefs and given rise to the highly complex communities found today.
Book Info
Documents those biological innovations that have moulded the evolution of reef ecosystems and given rise to the highly complex communities found today. Uses data from the fossil record to document the evolutionary development of reef ecosystems. Softcover. DCL: Reef ecology.
Reef Evolution,Rachel Wood,Oxford University Press, USA,0198577842,Animal communities,Environmental Engineering & Technology,Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology,Life Sciences - Ecology,Life Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems,Life Sciences - Evolution,Paleontology,Reef ecology,Reefs,Science,Science/Mathematics,Ecological science, the Biosphere,Environmental science,Life Sciences | Evolutionary Biology,Marine biology,Science / Evolution
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