Floral Biology - Studies on Floral Evolution in Animal-pollinated Plants

Book Description

This volume highlights the new synthesis of pollination biology and plant mating systems which is rejuvenating the two-hundred-year-old discipline of floral biology. It provides a current examination of the evolution and functional significance of floral traits in animal-pollinated plants, combining ecological and genetic studies with natural history approaches and theoretical modeling. Divided into three sections, the book begins with the first English translation of Christian Konrad. Sprengel's introduction to his classic work and a historical analysis of his observations. The second section addresses current conceptual problems in floral biology, concentrating on floral diversification, floral longevity, pollen dispersal and mating patterns, the ecology of geitonogamous pollination, and flower size dimorphism in plants with unisexual flowers. The final chapters of the book examine model systems and include the evolution of floral morphology and function, deceit pollination, reproductive success and gender variation, stylar polymorphisms, and the evolution of flowers in relation to insect pollinators on islands. With its a detailed treatment of the selective forces shaping floral diversification in animal-pollinated plants, Floral Biology provides ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and botanists with a wealth of current information. Everyone interested in the evolution of flowering plants will benefit from this timely, authoritative resource on the interactions between insects and plants.

Floral Biology: Studies on Floral Evolution in Animal-Pollinated Plants.: An article from: American Scientist

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Floral Biology: Studies on Floral Evolution in Animal-Pollinated Plants.: An article from: American Scientist

Manufacturer: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Floral Biology - Studies on Floral Evolution in Animal-pollinated Plants

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Floral Biology - Studies on Floral Evolution in Animal-pollinated Plants
David G. Lloyd
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MU30CS

Book Description

Introduction

Easy-going, safe and infinitely hospitable, Zimbabwe is a perfect introduction to Africa - it's hard to imagine not having a good time here. With an extensive tourist infrastructure and good transport links, it remains a straightforward place for visitors to negotiate, despite economic troubles - the country suffered a currency crash in 1998 and inflation levels are high. Many people combine a trip to Zimbabwe with a visit to Botswana's Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta which are, for that reason, covered in this guide. Zimbabwe is best known for its excellent and accessible game reserves and the Victoria Falls - the adventure-sport capital of Africa, which draws backpackers and adrenaline junkies from across the globe. For unadulterated excitement, whitewater rafting below the Falls is a must, but there are numerous other ways to scare yourself witless, including bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls bridge, skydiving or riverboarding. Elsewhere in the country, you can track big game on foot with an armed guide, and there's some superb mountain hiking in the Eastern Highlands. In terms of game viewing, Zimbabwe, along with Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta, can hold their own alongside South Africa and Kenya and, if it's elephants you're after, the region can't be beaten. While elsewhere in Africa elephants are seriously threatened, in Chobe and Hwange parks they are present in a superabundance of tens of thousands. You'll also find the rest of the Big Five - lions, leopards, buffalo and rhinos - in respectable numbers (though black rhinos hang on only in intensively protected areas). Between them, Zimbabwe and Botswana possess virtually all of Southern Africa's 291 recorded mammal species, and birdwatchers will find six hundred species to get to grips with. The Okavango Delta in Botswana is unquestionably one of the world's greatest eco-tourism destinations, combining the unique setting of an inland delta with terrific game viewing.

Human culture in the region goes back tens of thousands of years. Zimbabwe has the greatest concentration of prehistoric rock art in the world; finely realized paintings of animals and people in everyday life, ritual and myth, are scattered about the granite rock formations that pepper the country, seen most easily at the Matopos Hills near Bulawayo. The fact that you can see in the wild the very animals that feature in murals from 10,000 years ago greatly enriches the experience. Also worthy of exploration are the stone ruins from the ancient states that once held domain on this great plateau - Great Zimbabwe is just the best known of several hundred complexes.

Physically, Zimbabwe is divided by the central highveld plateau, which is covered by massive granite outcrops called kopjes (pronounced like copies). Because of its malaria-free moderate climate and prime lands, the highveld became the white-dominated political and economic hub of what used to be Rhodesia. Rising from the plateau for 350km along the Mozambique border are the Eastern Highlands, peaking at 2400m in the narrow belt of the Nyanga and Chimanimani mountains. To the north and south, the plateau falls away through the intermediate middleveld plateaus, lying between 900m and 1200m, to the lowveld regions, which descend in the north to the Zambezi River Valley on the Zambian border and in the south to the Limpopo and Save River valleys on the South African border. These two lowveld regions share a similar climate and vegetation, quite distinct from that of the highveld; they have lower rainfall and are hotter. On Zimbabwe's dry western flank, the tree savannah of the Hwange area runs across the border to merge with the Kalahari sands of Botswana. It's in these low-lying areas that the major game parks are located, and where malaria is a problem. Across the border from Hwange is Botswana's Chobe Park, and west of here the country is watered by the vast Okavango Delta: 15,000 square kilometres of channels, oxbow lakes, flood plains and islands. Zimbabwe has well-maintained, lightly used roads which, combined with its relatively small size, make it a perfect country to tour by car. Otherwise, you'll find an inexpensive network of buses, trains and planes, with easy access from neighbouring South Africa or on to Botswana. Neither Zimbabwe nor Botswana is overrun by tourists, but in the last ten years Zimbabwe has developed a growing tourism infrastructure with good-quality accommodation for all budgets, ranging from well-run backpackers' lodges and self- catering cottages to bed and breakfasts and topnotch safari camps. There are also rewarding opportunities for staying with African families in villages. Good budget transport exists from South Africa and Victoria Falls to Maun, the launch pad for the spectacular Okavango Delta, as well as to Kasane, on the edge of Chobe Game Park.

Customer Reviews:

Don't forget this book in your hand luggage!.......2003-01-23

A highly practical guide, informative and entertaining to read, sadly out-of-date now because of Zimbabwe's changed situation. But despite the current petrol crisis tour companies are still operating and well managaged, hotels still giving the renowned Zimbabwe welcome despite food shortages -- e.g. sustaining English breakfasts and local wines for dinner. It was an invaluable companion to an archeological trip to the stunning eastern higlands, indispensible in finding the way around Harare, with useful potted histories for most rural locations.

Book Description

Silk has long been considered a symbol of wealth and luxury. But thousands of years ago, the production of silk cloth was one of China's most prized secrets. So how did silk become one of the most sought-after materials in the world?

With lavish illustrations and a highly informative text, The Silk Route traces the early history of the silk trade-from the mulberry groves of China to the marketplace in Byzantium-and explores how two of the world's greatest empires were brought together, forever opening the channels of commerce between East and West.

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The Silk Route: 7,000 Miles of History
John S.; Fieser, Stephen Major
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFAQXC

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The Silk Route: 7,000 Miles of History
John S. Major Stephen Fieser
Manufacturer: Harpercollins Childrens Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEFSXQ

Book Description

The business card has taken on a new level of importance in recent years. In an age where the business letter has been replaced by email, the personal contact evoked by a business card is more crucial than ever. Your card is often the one item taken away from a meeting, defining how people view your business long after any face-to-face meeting has faded from memory.

Whether you're a businessperson trying to develop your own letterhead set or a graphic designer trying to come up with that next great idea, your challenge is to communicate the "look and feel" of your company in the space your card and letterhead allows. The Little Book of Business Cards presents an unparalleled source of inspiration. In these pages, David E. Carter has gathered more than 260 representative examples of effective business cards and matching letterhead sets. Learn how to get the most from your choice of fonts, color, size, layouts, and logos -- and even what to do when you don't have a logo!

As an extra bonus feature, David E. Carter provides informative and instructional annotations to the featured business cards -- valuable lessons for you to apply to your own designs. With The Little Book of Business Cards in your library, you'll be sure to have a business-building design in no time.

Book Description

Dogs and humans have been so closely linked for so many thousands of years, that some experts believe we may have evolved together. Whether or not this proves to be so, it is certainly true that, for better or worse, our interdependence cannot be untangled. On one level of existence we are meant to be together.

In this new collection Libby Hall once again delves into her vast archive to bring us more enchanting photographs of people and their dogs. Ranging in date from 1855 to 1940, and in format from cartes de visite and cabinet cards to studio portraits and the scruffiest of snapshots, Prince and Other Dogs II is a poignant testimony to the unchanging nature of the human-canine relationship. Each one of these photographs, whether funny or sad, odd or beautiful, demonstrates clearly the mutual feelings of love and loyalty timelessly displayed by both Man and Dog.

Customer Reviews:

Love and Friendship.......2002-11-17

Libby Hall's second volume of elderly photos of dogs and their humans is another winner. Hall, who has always lived with dogs, has a wonderful sense of a good photo, both in its composition and in its subject matter. These black and white photos are charming, sometimes funny, sometimes sad; they all capture the great love and friendship possible between canines and humans. With no captions, these photos tell stories on their own. I especially loved the series of photos of a human giving some sort of order to a dog (generally for a treat of some kind), while the dog watches and listens intently. This book would be a wonderful addition to anyone's dog and/or photo book library.

Another Delightful Canine Collection.......2002-11-17

Prince and Other Dogs 2 is another tasteful labor of love from Libby Hall and should, as did P1, please cynophiles as well as lovers and collectors of antique photographs. An especially delightful feature of this latest volume is the pages upon pages of lovely Victorian and Edwardian children, preserved forever in dignified poses with their beloved pets. Moreover, as the owner of a spunky Jack Russell Terrier, I can once again report that Ms. Hall has given the JRT crowd another bounteous offering: by my rough count, P2's canine companions are roughly 25 percent JRTs, pure or in part. (Perhaps one of these is a long lost ancestor to my own - her sire, after all, was a Brit.)

P2 is a carefully produced companion volume of its predecessor, printed on the same high-quality paper and, as a duodecimo volume (c. 4.5" x 7"), fitting beautifully in the hand, with a nice heft that befits its quality manufacture. We keep both books out - near the First Folio facsimile - for friends to flip through. Everyone is quickly drawn to a favorite photo of dog or master.

P2 is bargain priced and just in time for the holidays. Buy in quantity!

As wonderful and heartwarming as the first "Prince" book..........2002-11-07

The book is a collection of old photographs of dogs and their owners, no text. Looking through the photos makes me smile and reminds me of the dogs who have brought joy to my life over the years. These dogs must have also brought great joy to their owner's lives to have been included in these family photos. After all, these pictures were taken long before the days of disposable cameras and 1-hour photo developing. This book (and the first book "Prince and Others") would make a wonderful gift for any dog lover.(Note: both books are the perfect size for stocking stuffers)

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Prince and Other Dogs II
Libby Hall
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury Publishing, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OSYKGI

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Miniature Silver Toys
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Random House Value Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0517423472
Release Date: 1983-07-20

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Silver Toys & Miniatures
Miranda Poliakoff
Manufacturer: Victoria & Albert Museum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RJP77U

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Silver Toys and Miniatures
Miranda Poliakoff
Manufacturer: Victoria & Albert Museum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 090520994X

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Miniature Silver Toys
Victor Houart
Manufacturer: ALPINE FINE ARTS COLLECTION
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TXLR8M

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Miniature Silver Toys. Translated by David Smith.
Victor HOUART
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MXCEDQ

Book Description

The beauty of special gardens was never more evident than it is in this book. Here is pure inspiration. Forgoing how-to information, House Beautiful Gardens brings the style the magazine is known for outside, to the garden.

Designers' gardens reflect individual taste, from simple but unexpected container ideas to grand and glorious vistas. Living space extends into the garden, with food served in an appealing outdoor setting. Terrace gardens show how to pack a lot in a small space, with flowers and plants that are contained yet luxurious. Gardens range from the formal, complete with topiaries, to the casual, incorporating masses of wild-flowers. With its sweeping approach, House Beautiful Gardens offers a broad view of what readers can accomplish, whether their gardening efforts are modest or lavish.

Splashes of color mingle with clever design elements to create entry-ways that invite and delight: arbors, vines, and flowers surrounding doors, spilling over a second-floor terrace or balcony, rimming a path, or curving around a front gate. Of special interest are ideas for creating seeming vistas in small spaces.

House Beautiful shows the reader how to incorporate the ingenious garden ideas of interior decorators and designers into his or her own outdoor area to create an appealing setting specific to individual taste.

Book Description

This first of the ultimately three-volume Who's Who in Islamic Studies presents the scholarly world at long last with its own biographical encyclopaedia. Taking as a starting point the inventory of authors from the renowned Index Islamicus, the author, Wolfgang Behn (Berlin), has systematically collected numerous data on the lives and works of the tens of thousands of authors listed in the Index Islamicus from 1665 to 1980.

This Biographical Companion will be an indispensable reference tool for the serious student and scholar of Islamic Studies. It enables the user to quickly gain knowledge on the life, work, and professional background of almost every major and minor author, and thus to place each author in his/her proper perspective.

A tremendous achievement and a true must for every library.

Customer Reviews:

Visual Journey review.......2002-12-30

I took the time to review this book because I feel strongly that it contains excellent photographs which deserve a wider audience. Michael Smith is one of the best living photographers and a national treasure of the US. He is known well in the photographic community but remains fairly obscure outside this group. I recommend this book to anyone interested in excellent photography.

A stunning collection of outstanding photographs.......1998-05-28

Michael A. Smith has traveled many miles photographing the land, the cities, and the people across America, and is possibly the greatest photographer of our time. Not only is his subject matter interesting, every picture in this publication reveals his mastery of seeing, composition, and print quality. An excellent book.

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