Biodiversity of Pantepui The Pristine "Lost World" of the Neotropical Guiana Highlands
Coordonnateurs : Rull Valentí, Vegas-Vilarrúbia Teresa, Huber Otto, Señaris Celsa
Biodiversity of Pantepui: The Pristine "Lost World" of the Neotropical Guiana Highlandsprovides the most updated and comprehensive knowledge on the biota, origin, and evolution of the Pantepui biogeographical province. It synthesizes historical information and recent discoveries, covering the main biogeographic patterns, evolutionary trends, and conservational efforts.
Written by international experts on the biodiversity of this pristine land, this book explores what makes Pantepui a unique natural laboratory to study the origin and evolution of Neotropical biodiversity under the influence of only natural drivers. It discusses the organisms living in Pentepui, including algae, plants, several groups of invertebrates, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. The latter portion of the book delves into the effects of human activity and global warming on Pantepui, and current conservational efforts to combat these threats. Biodiversity of Pantepuiis an important resource for researchers in ecology, biogeography, evolution, and conservation, who want to understand the biodiversity and natural history of this region, and how to help conserve and protect the Guiana Highlands from environmental and human damages.
2. Holocene climatic and ecological history
3. Protista: cyanobacteria, green algae, diatoms
4. Bryophyta
5. Vascular plant diversity and phytogeography
6. Elevational plant diversity patterns
7. Plant phylogeography and evolution
8. Vegetation and ecosystems
9. Invertebrates: insects, scorpions, crabs, snails, vertebrate parasites
10. Amphibians and reptiles
11. Birds
12. Mammals
13. Threats and conservation status
14. Potential effects of global warming
Teresa Vegas-Vilarrúbia obtained her PhD at the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research (1989). She worked as Consultant assessing environmental impacts of the Venezuelan oil industry, and as Environmental Researcher and Education Manager of the National Parks System of Venezuela. Since 2002 she has served as faculty member at the University of Barcelona (Spain). Her main research lines are: Biotic responses to rapid climate changes, high-resolution Paleolimnology since the Lateglacial, long-term variations of lake hypoxia/anoxia and effects of global change on aquatic ecosystems. She teaches courses on Epicontinental Waters, Biogeochemistry and Paleoecology at the master level.
Otto Huber, born Germany, 24.11.1944, resident in Merano (Italy). MSc in Biological Sciences, University of Rome (Italy) in 1971; Ph.D in Plant Ecology, University of Innsbruck (Austria) in 1976. Lived and worked in Venezuela 1973–2002, and part-time 2003–2010. Main research activities: plant ecology in savanna ecosystems of the Central Venezuelan Llanos; phenology of montane cloud forests of northern Venezuela; flora and vegetation of 56 different tepui summits of Pantepui, Venezuelan Guayana Shield. Professor for Plant Ecology at Universidad Simón Bolívar,
- Offers a climactic and ecological history of the region since the Late Glacial epoch
- Discusses the evolutionary origin of the Pantepui biota and its biogeographical patterns
- Led by a team of editors whose expertise includes Pantepui, the Guiana Shield, and the Neotropics in general
Date de parution : 06-2019
Ouvrage de 470 p.
19x23.3 cm
Thèmes de Biodiversity of Pantepui :
Mots-clés :
biodiversity; conservation; evolution; Guiana Shield; Neotropics; Pantepui; pristine lands; South America; table mountains; tepui
