Encyclopedia of Islands [Hardcover]

Islands have captured the imagination of scientists and the public for centuriesunique and rare environments, their isolation makes them natural laboratories for ecology and evolution. This authoritative, alphabetically arranged reference, featuring more than 200 succinct articles by leading scientists from around the world, provides broad coverage of all the island sciences. But what exactly is an island? The volume editors define it here as any discrete habitat isolated from other habitats by inhospitable surroundings. TheEncyclopedia of Islandsexamines many such insular settingsoceanic and continental islands as well as places such as caves, mountaintops, and whale falls at the bottom of the ocean. This essential, one-stop resource, extensively illustrated with color photographs, clear maps, and graphics will introduce island science to a wide audience and spur further research on some of the planet's most fascinating habitats.

Rosemary G. Gillespieis Schlinger Chair of Systematics, Professor in the Division of Insect Biology, and Director of the Essig Museum of Entomology at the University of California, Berkeley.David A. Clagueis Senior Scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.

An exceptionally concise and well-organized compilation of lucid accounts of the historical background and current research into all aspects of island science. Anyone with a serious interest in islands needs this tome close at hand. Alex McBirney, author ofVolcanology and Igneous Petrology

Scientific research on islands has greatly expanded our knowledge not only of insular biology, but also of the ecological and evolutionary processes that shape biodiversity throughout the world. This beautifully illustrated volume is a comprehensive compendium of all topics related to islands and the science conducted on them. It will be an invaluable resource not only to ecologists and evolutionary biologists, but allC