The Ecology of Bird Communities [Paperback]

A major study of avian community ecology, first published in 1992.Drawing from studies conducted throughout the world, this study reviews in detail what is known about the patterns of organization of bird communities and the factors, such as competition, predation, past history, climate, habitat or disturbance that may determine these patterns.Drawing from studies conducted throughout the world, this study reviews in detail what is known about the patterns of organization of bird communities and the factors, such as competition, predation, past history, climate, habitat or disturbance that may determine these patterns.These two books represent a synthesis and critical evaluation of studies conducted on bird communities, or sets of bird species that occur together. Drawing from studies conducted throughout the world, they review in detail what is known about the patterns of organization of such communities and the factors, such as competition, predation, past history, climate, habitat or disturbance that may determine these patterns. In Volume 1, the author considers why the avian community ecologists ask the questions they do, and how they have proceeded to answer them. The questions have generally involved both what (pattern) and why (process) components. Most of the volume is devoted to a critical evaluation of the patterns of bird communities. In Volume 2, the author considers how community organization patterns have been explained in terms of causal processes, how the operation of those processes has been determined, and how the patterns and our efforts to discern and understand them are influenced by the complexity and variability of natural environments.Preface; Acknowledgements; Part I. The Foundation of Avian Community Ecology: 1. The development of avian community ecology; 2. Determining pattern and process: the logical structure of community ecology; 3. The importance of methodology; Part II. The Patterns of Avian Communities: 4. The asslƒg