Grasses and Grassland Ecology (Oxford Biology) [Paperback]

David J. Gibson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0198529198 | ISBN-13: 978-0198529194 | Publication Date: January 15, 2009

Grasslands, in particular managed pastures and rangelands, are widespread, covering approximately 40% (52 million km�) of the Earth's land surface. They are dominated by members of the Poaceae - the fourth largest plant family with over 7,500 species, and also the most widespread. Grasslands constitute a major biome on all continents except Antarctica and also represent the most important food crop on Earth with corn, wheat, maize, rice and millet accounting for the majority of our agricultural output.

Grasses and Grassland Ecology provides an ecologically orientated introduction to this influential group of plants, summarizing the most recent scientific research in ecology and agriculture in the context of the older, classic literature. Ten chapters cover the morphology, anatomy, physiology and systematics of grasses, their population, community and ecosystem ecology, their global distribution, and the effects of disturbance and grassland management.

This comprehensive and accessible textbook is suitable for graduate level students as well as professional researchers in the fields of plant ecology, rangeland science, crop science, and agriculture.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An accomplished textbook that offers readers a carefully crafted, well-structured, and very readable expose of grasslands, their significance, function, and management. Gibson covers a very broad suite of subject material, which I consider one of this work's major strengths. There is great deal to like about this book. I would gladly recommend it to any student, landholder, policymaker, or restorationist whose interest or passions are drawn to the beauty of grasslands."--Paul Gibson-Roy, University of Melbourne, The Quarterly Review of Biology

"One of the great values of the book is the many ways it serves students of grasses and grassland ecology by providing detailed accounts of the biology of grasses and grasslands. I could not be more enthusiastic about this book and its valuable contents. It is well conceived, all materials are presented from a deeply insightful ecological perspective and it is a unique combination of relevant content. It is a vital, consolidated resource for the research ecologist, graduate students in plant biology, as well as the field biologist working particularly with natural grassland ecosystems and is a highly recommended text that should serve as a guide to grasses and grassland ecology for many years to come."-- John B. Taft. Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science

About the Author

David Gibson, PhD was born and raised in Cuckfield, England. He obtained his BSc in botany from the University of Reading and went on to take a MS in botany from the University of Oklahoma, USA and a PhD from the University of Wales. Gibson has published over 90 papers in scientific journals, most dealing with grasses or grasslands. His previous book Methods in Comparative Plant Population Ecology was published by Oxford University Press in 2002. He is an Editor for the Journal of Ecology, and Associate Editor for the Journal of Vegetation Science, and a Professor of Plant Biology in the Department of Plant Biology and the Center for Ecology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, USA.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (January 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198529198
• ISBN-13: 978-0198529194
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,278,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Gibson (1958 - ). I was born in Cuckfield, West Sussex, England where I worked delivering newspapers, caddying golf, working in a sports shop, and serving drinks in local pubs. I attended Warden Park School and Haywards Heath 6th form College before going to the University of Reading to study botany. I then crossed the Atlantic and studied for my Masters in botany at the University of Oklahoma (go Sooners) before coming back to the UK for my PhD at the then University College North Wales (now University of Bangor). After post-docs at Rutgers University and Kansas State University, and an Assistant Professor postion at the University of West Florida, I settled in 1984 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale where I am currently a Professor of Plant Biology and University Distinguished Scholar. Married with two children and a dog, I've finally given up dreaming of being a professional football (soccer) player, and instead am trying to break 21 minutes running 5K before my knees and hips give out. I'm also trying to take a photograph worthy of National Geographic - see my flickr page under my nom de plume 'Festuca longifolia' - a grass that I studied a few years ago. I hope that you enjoy my books, and I promise that I will write a novel one day when I get the time.