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Elsevier

Books in Agricultural and biological sciences

The Agricultural and Biological Sciences collection advances science-based knowledge for the improvement of animal and plant life and for secure food systems that produce nutritious, novel, sustainable foods with minimal environmental impact. Food Science titles include not only those products from agriculture but all other aspects from food production to nutrition, health and safety, chemistry to security, policy, law and regulation. Biological Sciences address animal behaviour and biodiversity, organismal and evolutionary biology, entomology, marine biology and aquaculture, plant science and forestry.

  • Field and Laboratory Guide to Tree Pathology

    • 1st Edition
    • Robert Blanchard
    • English
    Field and Laboratory Guide to Tree Pathology presents a selection of tree diseases, along with related field and laboratory activities, to provide students with the basic information and skills necessary for tree disease diagnosis. The diseases discussed in this book intend to be representative of the major health problems of forest and shade trees. The book is organized into four parts. Part I presents some basic information about the tools, techniques, and terminology associated with the study of tree diseases. The subsequent parts describe the infectious and noninfectious diseases. The last part describes several exercises ranging from elementary to advanced, which demonstrate certain disease concepts and allow students to experience the techniques utilized in disease diagnosis. A broad selection of exercises is provided to allow choices dependent on facilities, equipment, supplies, and student level. In addition to students, professionals in arboriculture, forestry, landscape architecture, nursery practice, and other plant science specialties will find this book invaluable.

  • Biology and Geology of Coral Reefs V2

    Biology 1
    • 1st Edition
    • O.A. Jones
    • English
    Biology and Geology of Coral Reefs, Volume II: Biology 1 discusses the major advances made in the biological aspects of coral reef problems. This book is organized into 12 chapters that cover the microbial aspects of coral reefs, the nutrition in corals, and diversity in coral reefs. The opening chapters describe the distribution and role of coral reef microorganisms, as well as the significance of bacterioplankton as a food source for the marine fauna of coral reefs. The following chapter discusses the occurrence of algae in coral reef, their competition with corals for space, and their role in reef construction. Other chapters deal with food and feeding mechanisms of corals, the role of marine antibiotics in coral reef ecology, and some chemical compounds isolated from coral reef organisms, providing evidence for marine pharmacologic activity in coral reef areas. The book also discusses some basic problems relating to the distribution and abundance of hermatypic corals on reefs. It then examines species diversity on coral reefs, variety of reef structure, and the important role of toxic materials produced by holothurians on the general ecology and physiology of coral reefs. The last chapters describe the development, feeding, and behavior of the larval stages of several coral reef asteroids. Particular emphasis is given to the larval and post-larval stages of the crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci. The starfish population explosions, the devastating effects on the hard coral cover of coral reefs, and causes and control of population explosions are also covered. This volume will acquaint readers with some of the exciting developments in coral reef biology and will provide information that will enable them to assess the status of research in different fields.

  • Social Behavior of Female Vertebrates

    • 1st Edition
    • Samuel Wasser
    • English
    Social Behavior of Female Vertebrates focuses on the evolution of reproductive behavior in female vertebrates ranging from fish to birds and humans, including issues of mate choice and other factors underlying female attitudes toward males. It also looks at the evolution of mating systems; the co-evolution of the sexes; sex-role reversal; reproductive competition between females; maternal behavior; and how females enhance the investment received by their offspring from others. It also considers other social behaviors that influence the nature of affiliative associations between females. Organized into three parts encompassing 13 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of behavioral biology and sources of variation in female reproductive success. It then discusses the establishment and maintenance of sex biases, sex differences mediated by sexual selection, constraints on female choice in the mottled sculpin, mate choice by females in sexual selection of bird song, and female manipulation of male avoidance of cuckoldry behavior in the ring dove. The reader is also introduced to the evolution of polyandry in shorebirds; reproductive strategies in human females; social and health-seeking behaviors of Taiwanese women; female roles in cooperatively breeding acorn woodpeckers; altruism in coati bands; cooperation and reproductive competition among female African elephants; mate choice in matrilineal macaque groups; and reproductive competition and cooperation among female yellow baboons. This book is a valuable resource for scientists and behavioral biologists, as well as lay people whose interests span a variety of fields.

  • Developmental Biology of the Sea Urchin Embryo

    • 1st Edition
    • Giovanni Giudice
    • English
    Developmental Biology of the Sea Urchin Embryo discusses both structural and experimental observations on the morphological and metabolical aspects of sea urchin embryology. It is organized into two major parts, designated morphogenesis and related problems and metabolism. These parts encompass 12 chapters that cover the role of sea urchin embryology in developmental biology and the advantages and limitations of using sea urchin embryo in the study of developmental problems. The introductory chapters describe the morphogenesis, ultrastructure, and physiology of fertilization of sea urchin embryo, including the process of modification of the egg surface. A discussion on cell dissociation and reaggregation in sea urchin embryos from blastula stage is provided. The core chapters of Part II cover the activation of respiration, nucleic acid and protein synthesis, and several other enzymatic activities.

  • Herpetology

    An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles
    • 1st Edition
    • Laurie J. Vitt + 1 more
    • English
    Herpetology has always been one of the most exciting disciplines of zoology. During the past few years the field has continued to grow, yet it has been plagued by scarcity of comprehensive, up-to-date textbooks containing the most important developments. This timely book fills that void. Through skillful synthesis, the author summarizes the diversity in the biology of living amphibians and reptiles and describes the breadth of current herpetological research. Topics covered include the evolution, classification, development, reproduction, population, and environmental issues surrounding the study of amphibians and reptiles. Designed as an advanced undergraduate textbook, Herpetology is a valuable resource for students, practitioners, and interested amateurs alike.

  • Chemical Zoology V5

    Arthropoda Part A
    • 1st Edition
    • Marcel Florkin
    • English
    Chemical Zoology Volume V Arthropoda Part A presents chemical information on zoological importance of Arthropoda. It is composed of 12 chapters that cover anatomy, feeding, and digestion; carbohydrate, nitrogen, and lipid metabolism; osmoregulation; and growth and development. After briefly dealing with general characteristics, evolution and classification of Arthropoda, the book discusses arthropod nutrition and the nutrients needed for their growth and development. It describes the unique features of the digestive system, as well as secretion, resorption, and production of digestive juices of arthropods and crustaceans. Other chapters deal with the aspects and dynamics of arthropods' carbohydrate, lipid, and nitrogen metabolism. The book also describes the mechanism of osmotic regulation in aquatic arthropods and the role of amino acids in this function in insect hemolyph. The concluding chapters discuss some of the metabolic changes as related to tissue growth and an increase in body size in arthropods. This book is an invaluable resource for zoologists and biochemists.

  • Microbiology of Aerial Plant surfaces

    • 1st Edition
    • C.H. Dickinson
    • English
    Microbiology of Aerial Plant Surfaces is composed of papers presented at a meeting held at the University of Leeds in September, 1975. The content covers progress in work on the aerial surfaces of plants during the years 1970-1975. Organized into 31 chapters, the book begins with the aspects of the structure and development of the aerial surfaces of higher plants. It then elucidates some effects of fungicides and other agrochemicals on the microbiology of the aerial surfaces of plants; effects of air pollution on the structure and function of plant-surface microbial ecosystems; and the aerial microclimate around plant surfaces. Some other topics discussed include the taxonomy of bacteria on the aerial parts of plants; fungi on the aerial surfaces of higher plants; and distribution of yeasts and yeast-like organisms on aerial surfaces of developing apples and grapes. Furthermore, the book explains the saprophytes on plant surfaces in maritime areas and antagonism between fungal saprophytes and pathogens on aerial plant surfaces.

  • Foundations of Bioenergetics

    • 1st Edition
    • Harold Morowitz
    • English
    Foundations of Bioenergetics provides an introduction to the physical foundations of bioenergetics and the methods of applying these constructs to biological problems. It combines parts of thermal physics, biochemistry, ecology, and cellular and organismic biology into a single coherent work. Much of the material in this volume comes from ""Entropy for Biologists,"" an introductory thermodynamics book aimed particularly at life scientists. Some of the topics originally appeared in the monograph ""Energy Flow in Biology."" The current volume expands on that material with respect to biological applications and attempts to bridge the gap between physics and biology. The book explains basic concepts such as energy, temperature, the second law of thermodynamics, entropy, information theory, and statistical mechanics. It discusses the relations between thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, free-energy functions, radiant energy, the free energy of cells and tissue, chemical kinetics, and cyclic flows. It examines the relationships between energy flows and biological processes; applications of the concepts of Gibbs free energy, chemical potential, and activity; and measurements of temperature, energy, and thermochemical quantities. The book also includes chapters that deal with irreversible dynamics, irreversible theory, and osmotic flow.

  • Measurement Techniques in Plant Science

    • 1st Edition
    • Yasushi Hashimoto + 3 more
    • English
    Any explanation of the physiological ecology of plant growth--why plants survive in particular environments--requir... the measurement of the effects of environmental factors. This book reviews the history, development, and current status of instruments and measurement techniques that have been particularly useful in field studies of plant physiological ecology. It will be of interest to researchers and students in plant physiology and biochemistry, crop scientists, horticulturalists, and foresters.

  • Spore Research 1976 V1

    • 1st Edition
    • A.N. Barker
    • English
    Spore Research 1976, Volume I presents most of the papers reported at the meeting of British Spore Group held at the University of Leeds in December 1975. Divided into 25 chapters, this volume begins by explaining the metabolic control of sporulation. It then talks about the structure, form, and function of peptidoglycans; the biological significance of chelation; the initiation of sporulation; and the role of highly phosphorylated nucleotides in sporulation. Notably, various organisms are described with respect to their sporulation characteristics.

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