The Mediterranean Region

It is becoming clear that the Mediterranean region is one of the "hottest" of the biodiversity hotspots on the planet. There is also an increasing concern for the conservation, adaptive management, and restoration of the unique natural ecosystems and cultural landscapes that characterize this area. The region's biological and cultural heritage as well as its huge wealth of biodiversity is now at real risk. This brings a further urgency to the task of communicating detailed but readily accessible information on the Mediterranean biota, and an ecological, historical and evolutionary perspective to the changing contexts in which the region's flora and fauna continue to evolve. There is no other recent textbook devoted solely to Mediterranean evolutionary ecology, and a synthesis of the many recent advances is now overdue. This new work builds on the success and reputation of the first edition, although the text has been updated and expanded to document recent changes to biodiversity, new ecological and evolutionary insights, and the challenges for the future. These changes include the addition of two new chapters devoted to the Mediterranean Sea itself, and especially the coastal areas. Throughout the book, the pressing issues of global change (especially climate warming) are addressed, in conjunction with changing land use, and in terms of their potential impact on biota, communities, ecosystems, and landscapes. This volume should be sought by professional ecologists, committed students, and well-educated visitors coming to the region. They will get a manageable, well-written, and easily read volume that provides a rigorous overview of the biological riches that can still be found around in the Mediterranean region all the way from sea depths to the highest mountain tops... Outstanding Carlos M. Herrera, Quarterly Biological ReviewForeword ; Preface ; 1. Setting the Scene ; 2. Determinants of Present-Day Biodiversity ; 3. Present-Day Terrestrial Biodiversity ; 4. Present-Day Marine Biodiversity ; 5. Scales of Observation ; 6. A Patchwork of Habitats ; 7. Populations, Species, and Community Variations ; 8. Life Histories and Terrestrial Ecosystem Functioning ; 9. Life in the Sea ; 10. Humans as Sculptors of Mediterranean Landscapes ; 11. Biodiversity Downs and Ups ; 12. Biodiversity and Global Change ; 13. Challenges for the Future ; Glossary ; References ; Index