Preface to the Princeton Landmarks in Biology Edition vii Preface xi Symbols Used xiii 1. The Importance of Islands 3 2. Area and Number of Speicies 8 3. Further Explanations of the Area-Diversity Pattern 19 4. The Strategy of Colonization 68 5. Invasibility and the Variable Niche 94 6. Stepping Stones and Biotic Exchange 123 7. Evolutionary Changes Following Colonization 145 8. Prospect 181 Glossary 185 References 193 Index 201

The Theory of Island Biogeography

Humans are altering the composition of biological communities through a variety of activities that increase rates of species invasions and species extinctions, at all scales, from local to global. These changes in components of the Earth's biodiversity cause concern for ethical and aesthetic reasons, but they also have a strong potential to alter ecosystem properties and the goods and services they provide to humanity. Ecological experiments, observations, and theoretical developments show that ecosystem properties depend greatly on biodiversity in terms of the functional characteristics of organisms present in the ecosystem and the distribution and abundance of those organisms over space and time. Species effects act in concert with the effects of climate, resource availability, and disturbance regimes in influencing ecosystem properties. Human activities can modify all of the above factors; here we focus on modification of these biotic controls. The scientific community has come to a broad consensus on many aspects of the re- lationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, including many points relevant to management of ecosystems. Further progress will require integration of knowledge about biotic and abiotic controls on ecosystem properties, how ecological communities are struc- tured, and the forces driving species extinctions and invasions. To strengthen links to policy and management, we also need to integrate our ecological knowledge with understanding of the social and economic constraints of potential management practices. Understanding this complexity, while taking strong steps to minimize current losses of species, is necessary for responsible management of Earth's ecosystems and the diverse biota they contain.

/pdf/effects-of-biodiversity-on-ecosystem-functioning-a-consensus-13j8vabcus.pdf

Effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning: a consensus of current knowledge

A doubling in global food demand projected for the next 50 years poses huge challenges for the sustainability both of food production and of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and the services they provide to society. Agriculturalists are the principal managers of global useable lands and will shape, perhaps irreversibly, the surface of the Earth in the coming decades. New incentives and policies for ensuring the sustainability of agriculture and ecosystem services will be crucial if we are to meet the demands of improving yields without compromising environmental integrity or public health.

/pdf/agricultural-sustainability-and-intensive-production-1h98l920tu.pdf

Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices

Bringing together leaf trait data spanning 2,548 species and 175 sites we describe, for the first time at global scale, a universal spectrum of leaf economics consisting of key chemical, structural and physiological properties. The spectrum runs from quick to slow return on investments of nutrients and dry mass in leaves, and operates largely independently of growth form, plant functional type or biome. Categories along the spectrum would, in general, describe leaf economic variation at the global scale better than plant functional types, because functional types overlap substantially in their leaf traits. Overall, modulation of leaf traits and trait relationships by climate is surprisingly modest, although some striking and significant patterns can be seen. Reliable quantification of the leaf economics spectrum and its interaction with climate will prove valuable for modelling nutrient fluxes and vegetation boundaries under changing land-use and climate.

/pdf/the-worldwide-leaf-economics-spectrum-1uikdmil76.pdf

The worldwide leaf economics spectrum

We discuss the physical and enzymatic bases of carbone isotope discrimination during photosynthesis, noting how knowledge of discrimination can be used to provide additional insight into photosynthetic metabolism and the environmental influences on that process

Carbon Isotope Discrimination and Photosynthesis

A large-scale regional event of springtime bark-splitting in Acer pseudoplatanus was observed in Germany in May 2018, where bark dissected from the wood. In young trees, an average of about 30% of the circumference was affected by cracks that were up to 8 m long. The damage occurred on the south-facing side of the trees after a warm period in March, followed by an extreme cold spell and warm temperatures. In this study, we investigated the possible causes of this damage. The damage occurred in the expanding xylem with cambial cells remaining in the bark. These cells-initiated growths of new, bark-based stems. The unprotected xylem was attacked by several fungi and wood-boring bark beetles. The mode of damage-recovery suggested that this event will eventually lead to a frost-scar-like structure in the future that will not totally heal, because the new stems attached to the old bark were in the process of forming new bark. Due to the increase in variation of springtime temperatures observed over the past 40 years, such damage may become more common in the future.

https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/10/12/1106/pdf

Springtime Bark-Splitting of Acer pseudoplatanus in Germany

The impact of increasing nitrogen deposition on forests and aquatic ecosystems

In Mitteleuropa prägt der Mensch seit vielen Jahrhunderten durch vielfältige Bewirtschaftungsformen die Landschaftsstrukturen. Die biologische Vielfalt wurde dadurch teilweise erhöht (ELLENBERG 1996, STÖCKLIN et al. 2007), aber gegenwärtig nimmt sie vor allem aufgrund anhaltender großund kleinskaliger Veränderungen der Landnutzung ab (MEA 2005). Die Veränderungen des Landnutzungstyps und dessen Intensität beruhen auf Entscheidungen der Bewirtschafter. Sie werden von der Verfügbarkeit und den Kosten für Arbeitskräfte und Maschinen sowie von den zu erwartenden Gewinnspannen und Subventionszahlungen für bestimmte Güter und Dienstleistungen bestimmt. Da alle Ebenen der Biodiversität – genetische Diversität, Artendiversität und die Diversität an Lebensgemeinschaften und biologischen Interaktionen zwischen Individuen (WILSON 1992) – durch Landnutzungsänderungen beeinflusst werden können, sind für ein umfassendes Verständnis von Landnutzungseffekten auf die Biodiversität Studien auf all diesen ökologischen Ebenen notwendig.

Ernst Detlef Schulze

Papers

Springtime Bark-Splitting of Acer pseudoplatanus in Germany

The impact of increasing nitrogen deposition on forests and aquatic ecosystems

Exploratorien für funktionelle Biodiversitätsforschung

Nutzung oder Schutz im Laubwald

Photosynthese und Wasserhaushalt von Wild- und Kulturpflanzen in der Negev-Wüste