Ostracodology Linking Bio And Geosciences

The great diversity of ostracod applications in biology and palaeontology is clearly illustrated by eighteen papers from the 15th International Symposium on Ostracoda. Collectively, the contributions provide a comprehensive update of ongoing research and the latest findings in ostracod sciences. You’ll learn how ostracods are used as model groups in a variety of research studies, ranging from evolutionary biology to climate change.

Wetlands are among the world’s most valuable and most threatened habitats, and in these crucially important ecosystems, the invertebrate fauna holds a focal position. Most of the biological diversity in wetlands is found within resident invertebrate assemblages, and those invertebrates are the primary trophic link between lower plants and higher vertebrates (e.g. amphibians, fish, and birds). As such, most scientists, managers, consultants, and students who work in the world’s wetlands should become better informed about the invertebrate components in their habitats of interest. Our book serves to fill this need by assembling the world’s most prominent ecologists working on freshwater wetland invertebrates, and having them provide authoritative perspectives on each the world’s most important freshwater wetland types. The initial chapter of the book provides a primer on freshwater wetland invertebrates, including how they are uniquely adapted for life in wetland environments and how they contribute to important ecological functions in wetland ecosystems. The next 15 chapters deal with invertebrates in the major wetlands across the globe (rock pools, alpine ponds, temperate temporary ponds, Mediterranean temporary ponds, turloughs, peatlands, permanent marshes, Great Lakes marshes, Everglades, springs, beaver ponds, temperate floodplains, neotropical floodplains, created wetlands, waterfowl marshes), each chapter written by groups of prominent scientists intimately knowledgeable about the individual wetland types. Each chapter reviews the relevant literature, provides a synthesis of the most important ecological controls on the resident invertebrate fauna, and highlights important conservation concerns. The final chapter synthesizes the 15 habitat-based chapters, providing a macroscopic perspective on natural variation of invertebrate assemblage structure across the world’s wetlands and a paradigm for understanding how global variation and environmental factors shape wetland invertebrate communities.

The Festschrift Eugen Karl Kempf is a proceedings volume of the 15th International German Ostracodologists’ Meeting which was held October 11th to 14th, 2012 by the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy of the University of Cologne. The selected contributions cover a broad range of biological and palaeontological topics that rely on sound taxonomy and serve as a tribute to the Kempf Database of Ostracoda including a biography on Eugen Karl Kempf. In detail, the scientific contributions are covering freshwater and marine genera/species and the parasitic family Entocytherids. Revisions of genera and descriptions of new species are one focus, but also new studies on biogeography, ecology and morphology add to the value of the proceeding. Contributors are: Anja Adler, Qing-Chao Chen, Dan L. Danielopol, Laurent Decrouy, Martin Gross, Simon Hofmann, Dietmar Keyser, Khai-Zhi Li, Renate Matzke-Karasz, Claude Meisch, Francesc Mesquita-Joanes, Alexandre Mestre, Munef Mohammed, Juan S. Monrós, Nataša Mori, Christina Nagler, Tadeusz Namiotko, Werner E. Piller, Burkhard Scharf, Torsten W. Vennemann, Finn A. Viehberg, Claudia Wrozyna, Jian-Quian Yin, Dayou Zhai, Wanhe Zhao

Summarizes, as concisely as possible, our knowledge of the ostracod family Entocytheridae from 1903, when Marshall described the first entocytherid, through those papers published in 1973. Included in this compilation are appropriate synonymies, diagnoses, keys, illustrations of diagnostic characters (chiefly male genitalia), notes on relationships, locality records, hosts, & distribution maps. Contents: (1) Biology: Life History; Morphology; & Hosts & Entocytherid Associates; (2) Taxonomic Treatment: Historical Summary; Explanation of Synonymies, References, & Abbreviations; Family Entocytheridae; Subfamily Microsyssitrinae; Subfamily Notocytherinae; Subfamily Sphaeromicolinae; & Subfamily Hartiellinae. Illustrations.

Ostracods belong to a group of microfossils found in nearly all types of aquatic environments. These microcrustaceans, characterized by a bivalved, calcitic carapace, are used to reconstruct ancient environments. For example, they can help to provide information on palaeoclimates, palaeogeography, the formation of deep oceans, sea level changes, etc. This book endeavours to bring about a greater understanding of their usefulness in many aspects of geological sciences, and provides suggestions for future research. It is principally intended for the non-specialist, and shows many applications of ostracods to help solve geological problems and phenomena. Topics reviewed assume no prior knowledge of palaeontology, and thus terminology is kept simple. There is an exhaustive index, and an appendix supplying additional references on significant sources of information on ostracods. This book aims to deliver information on ostracods to those people not usually interested in the literature of palaeontology and also to awaken an interest in the Ostracoda by referring to more specialized articles published elsewhere.

Freshwater Biodiversity is a much underestimated component of global biodiversity, both in its diversity and in its potential to act as models for fundamental research in evolutionary biology and ecosystem studies. Freshwater organisms also reflect quality of water bodies and can thus be used to monitor changes in ecosystem health. The present book comprises a unique collection of primary research papers spanning a wide range of topics in aquatic biodiversity studies, and including a first global assessment of specific diversity of freshwater animals. The book also presents a section on the interaction between scientists and science policy managers. A target opinion paper lists priorities in aquatic biodiversity research for the next decade and several reactions from distinguished scientists discuss the relevance of these items from different points of view: fundamental ecology, taxonomy and systematics, needs of developing countries, present-day biodiversity policy at European and at global scales. It is believed that such a platform for the interaction between science and science policy is an absolute necessity for the efficient use of research budgets in the future.