Suchergebnisse

Ecology is characterized by a rapidly growing complexity and diversity of facts, aspects, examples, and observations. What is badly needed is the development of common patterns, of rules that, as in other sciences such as physics, can more generally explain the increasing complexity and variability we observe. Tom White, being one of the "seniors" in ecology, makes such an attempt in his book. the pattern he shows and explains with numerous examples from the entire animal kingdom is a universal hunger for nitrogen, a misery that drives the ecology of all organisms. He advocates that the awareness of this fundamental role that the limitation of nitrogen plays in the ecology of all organisms should be as a much part of each ecologis's intellectual equipment as is the awareness of the fact of evolution by means of natural selection. His claim is that not "enery" but "nitrogen" is the most limited "currency" in the animal world for the production and growth of their young

The objective of this unique text is to present a conceptual synthesis of plant, animal, and microbial ecology. Focusing on the application of ecological and evolutionary principles to the individual organism, the author discusses topics such as genetic variation, nutritional mode, size, growth and growth form, life cycle, and interaction with the environment. He concludes with a summary of similarities and differences in the life histories of micro- and macroorganisms. His central premise, illustrated by examples from diverse areas of ecology, is that in the broad range of aspects considered here, all organisms have been similarly shaped by evolution operating through differential reproductive success and thus promoting the development of analogous traits

WHEN THE VARIOUS PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACHES TO THE MORAL STATUS OF ANIMALS ARE EXAMINED AND PARTICULAR ATTENTION IS PAID TO WHAT EACH OF THEM HAS TO SAY ABOUT THE NATURE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH WILD ANIMALS, IT CAN BE SEEN THAT WHILST ANTHROPOCENTRIC JUSTIFICATIONS (WHICH SEE THE CONSERVATION OF WILDLIFE AS MERELY A MEANS OF FURTHERING HUMAN ENDS) ARE USED PARTICULARLY FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION, ECOLOGICAL AND RIGHTS APPROACHES ARE ALSO IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTORS TO THE DEBATE. AS A RESULT, PRESENT PRACTICES IN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION HAVE MORALLY INIQUITOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR SOME (WILD AND DOMESTICATED) ANIMALS AND SOME HUMANS. A STRATEGY BASED UPON THE CONSISTENT APPLICATION OF ANIMAL WELFARE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS OF BOTH WILD AND DOMESTICATED ANIMALS IS BOTH MORALLY EQUITABLE AND MORE LIKELY TO MEET CONSERVATION GOALS.

In Prolegomena to a Debate, Ted Benton (U of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colcester CO4 3SQ England) situates each contribution & discusses Tom Regan's "indirect duty" view (see The Case for Animal Rights, Berkeley: U of California Press, 1983), which argues that our treatment of animals is a matter of moral concern, but only in so far as that treatment affects humans. Two other themes are identified: one concerns the discourse of "rights"; the other focuses on human/animal equality & links animal liberation with human emancipatory struggles. Johnson & Johnson support the indirect duty view & link denial of the inherent value of nonhuman animals to the parallel denial of autonomous moral value of human individuals imposed by modern capitalist regimes. In Critical Discussion: (1) Andrew Rowan (Tufts U, Medford, Mass) argues that the decline of behaviorism & the development of cognitive ethology have played a major role in stimulating public interest in animals, & that those who speak on behalf of animals are motivated by sentiment rather than logic; (2) Anatole Anton (San Francisco State U, Calif) argues that Johnson & Johnson are not arguing for the rights of animals so much as for the rights of those animals that most resemble human beings, & relates the animal rights movement to the development of liberal democracy; (3) Richard Lichtman (Wright Instit, Berkeley, Calif) rejects the claim that animals & humans are inherently valuable members of the moral community because they are all biographical beings, but agrees that, at some level, animals have rights; & (4) Steven Rose (Open U, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA Buckinghamshire, England) maintains that there can be no equation of animal & human rights, since animals are not capable of claiming rights on their own behalf. In Reply to Critics, Johnson & Johnson defend their extension of human rights to animals. W. Howard

Shows that the Dutch green movement treats animals in terms of their collective existence as species, rather than as sentient, individual beings. It is further maintained that as soon as animals have ceased being fauna, & become part of the capitalist production & consumption system, the green movement no longer recognizes them as nature. It is concluded that the environmental movement is trapped by its own anthropocentrism. W. Howard

This book is the first comprehensive introduction to contemporary Turkmenistan in English.

1. Introduction -- One Conflict and Biology -- 2. Intergroup competition and conflict in animals and man -- 3. Selfish cooperation in social roles -- 4. The biological instability of social equilibria -- Two Sociobiology and Enmity -- 5. The cerebral bridge from family to foe -- 6. The evolutionary foundations of revolution -- 7. Loyalty and aggression in human groups -- 8. Territoriality and threat perceptions in urban humans -- Three 'Primitive' Warfare -- 9. Origin and evolution of 'primitive' warfare -- 10. The Inuit and the evolution of limited group conflict -- 11. Human nature and the function of war in social evolution -- 12. War and peace in primitive human societies -- 13. Primitive war and the Ethnological Inventory Project -- Four The Conflict about Sociobiology -- 14. The sociobiology of conflict and the conflict about sociobiology -- Author index.

1 Introduction -- 1.1 The ethological approach to the study of behaviour -- 1.2 A brief outline of classical ethological theory -- 1.3 The modern study of animal behaviour -- 1.4 An outline of the book -- 2 The description and measurement of behaviour -- 2.1 Describing behaviour by its function -- 2.2 Describing behaviour by its form -- 2.3 Describing and measuring the relationship between an animal and its environment -- 2.4 What is the point of all this sophisticated analysis? -- 3 The study of the causes of behavioural change -- 3.1 What constitutes a causal explanation of behaviour? -- 3.2 The different kinds of causal explanation -- 3.3 Motivational models -- 3.4 Studying external influences on behaviour -- 3.5 Studying internal influences on behaviour -- 3.6 What is the nature of the mechanisms which cause behavioural change? -- 3.7 Studying the physiological bases of behavioural change -- 4 The development of behaviour -- 4.1 Problems with the instinct-learning dichotomy -- 4.2 Why is the term innate still used? -- 4.3 Describing the ontogeny of behaviour -- 4.4 Characterizing the factors which influence the development of behaviour -- 4.5 Classifying the factors which influence the development of behaviour -- 4.6 Some general features of behavioural development -- 5 The adaptive significance of behaviour -- 5.1 Sources of evidence about the adaptive significance of behaviour -- 5.2 Difficulties in studying the adaptive significance of behaviour -- 5.3 The state of the art -- 5.4 The adaptive significance of the way animals pattern their behavior in time -- 5.5 The adaptive significance of the way animals use space -- 5.6 The adaptive significance of an animal's aggressive responses -- 5.7 The adaptive significance of an animal's breeding habits; mating systems -- 5.8 Adaptive significance of behaviour accompanying mating -- 5.9 The adaptive significance of parental care -- 5.10 The adaptive significance of living in groups -- 5.11 Behaviour which cannot be explained by classic natural selection theory -- 5.12 Overview; sociobiology and behavioural ecology -- 6 The phylogeny of behaviour -- 6.1 Sources of evidence about the phylogeny of behaviour -- 6.2 Some representative behavioural phylogenies -- 6.3 Deriving general principles of behavioural evolution -- 7 The role of behaviour in the evolutionary process -- 7.1 The behaviour of other animals as a major selective force -- 7.2 Behaviour dictates the selection pressures to which an animal is exposed -- 7.3 The impact of behaviour on population structure -- 8 Behavioural genetics -- 8.1 The objectives of research into the inheritance of behaviour -- 8.2 Potential contributions of genetics to the study of animal behaviour -- 8.3 Quantitative genetics -- 8.5 Screening known genetic variants for behavioural differences -- 8.6 Characterizing the precise behavioural effects of genetic differences -- 8.7 The mechanisms whereby genes influence behaviour -- 8.8 Genetic mosaics -- 8.9 Animal behaviour and behavioural genetics -- 9 Applied ethology -- 9.1 Clarification of terms; what is applied ethology? -- 9.2 Ways in which etiological research can be applied to practical problems -- 9.3 Pest control -- 9.4 Increasing the productivity of commercially important species -- 9.5 Animal welfare -- 9.6 Conservation -- 9.7 Human behaviour -- References -- Author index -- Species index.

Animals, plants, water, wind, materials and people flow at different rates, according to spatial patterns common to almost all landscapes and regions. This up-to-date synthesis explores the ecology of heterogeneous land areas, where natural processes and human activities spatially interact, to produce an ever changing mosaic. The subject has great relevance to today's society, and this book reflects the breadth of its importance; there are many ideas and applications for planning, conservation, design, management, sustainability and policy. Spatial solutions are provided for society's land-use objectives. An appealing book, with a highly-readable text on this major emerging field. Students and professionals alike will be drawn by the attractive and informative illustrations, the conceptual synthesis, the wide international perspective and the range of topics and research covered.