Serpentine : the evolution and ecology of a model system / edited by Susan Harrison and Nishanta Rajakaruna.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Print version record.

Serpentine soils have long fascinated biologists for the specialized floras they support and the challenges they pose to plant survival and growth. This volume focuses on what scientists have learned about major questions in earth history evolution, ecology, conservation, and restoration from the study of serpentine areas, especially in California. Results from molecular studies offer insight into evolutionary patterns, while new ecological research examines both species and communities. Serpentine highlights research whose breadth provides context and fresh insights into the evolution and ecology of stressful environments.

Cover; Contents; Contributors; Preface; Introduction; PART ONE. SERPENTINE AS A MODEL IN EARTH HISTORY AND EVOLUTION; 1. Serpentinites and Other Ultramafic Rocks: Why They Are Important for Earth's History and Possibly for Its Future; 2. Microbes in Extreme Environments: Implications for Life on the Early Earth and Other Planets; 3. Phylogenetic Patterns of Endemism and Diversity; 4. Plant Speciation; 5. Intraspecific Variation, Adaptation, and Evolution; 6. Genomic Approaches to Understanding Adaptation.

7. Local Adaptation in Heterogeneous Landscapes: Reciprocal Transplant Experiments and Beyond8. Herbivory and Other Cross-Kingdom Interactions on Harsh Soils; 9. Invasions and the Evolution of Range Limits; PART TWO. SERPENTINE AS A MODEL IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION; 10. Plant Competition and Facilitation in Systems with Strong Environmental Gradients; 11. Community Invasibility: Spatial Heterogeneity, Spatial Scale, and Productivity; 12. Disturbance and Diversity in Low-Productivity Ecosystems; 13. Plant-Pollinator Interactions in Naturally Fragmented Habitats.

14. Spatial Ecology: The Effects of Habitat Patch Size, Shape, and Isolation on Ecological Processes15. Systematic Conservation Planning: Protecting Rarity, Representation, and Connectivity in Regional Landscapes; 16. Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functioning, and Global Change; 17. Climate Change and Plant Communities on Unusual Soils; 18. Restoration and Revegetation of Harsh Soils; PART THREE. SYNTHESIS; 19. What Have We Learned from Serpentine in Evolution, Ecology, and Other Sciences?; Species Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; V; Subject Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G.

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