Principles And Techniques Of Contemporary Taxonomy

Taxonomy is an ever-changing, controversial and exCitmg field of biology. It has not remained motionless since the days of its founding fathers in the last century, but, just as with other fields of endeavour, it continues to advance in leaps and bounds, both in procedure and in philosophy. These changes are not only of interest to other taxonomists, but have far reaching implications for much of the rest of biology, and they have the potential to reshape a great deal of current biological thought, because taxonomy underpins much of biological methodology. It is not only important that an ethologist. physiologist. biochemist or ecologist can obtain information about the identities of the species which they are investigating; biology is also uniquely dependent on the comparative method and on the need to generalize. Both of these necessitate knowledge of the evolutionary relationships between organisms. and it is the science of taxonomy that can develop testable phylogenetic hypotheses and ultimately provide the best estimates of evolutionary history and relationships.

Taxonomy is an ever-changing, controversial and exCitmg field of biology. It has not remained motionless since the days of its founding fathers in the last century, but, just as with other fields of endeavour, it continues to advance in leaps and bounds, both in procedure and in philosophy. These changes are not only of interest to other taxonomists, but have far reaching implications for much of the rest of biology, and they have the potential to reshape a great deal of current biological thought, because taxonomy underpins much of biological methodology. It is not only important that an ethologist. physiologist. biochemist or ecologist can obtain information about the identities of the species which they are investigating; biology is also uniquely dependent on the comparative method and on the need to generalize. Both of these necessitate knowledge of the evolutionary relationships between organisms. and it is the science of taxonomy that can develop testable phylogenetic hypotheses and ultimately provide the best estimates of evolutionary history and relationships.

"Provides an in-depth review of current print and electronic tools for research in numerous disciplines of biology, including dictionaries and encyclopedias, method guides, handbooks, on-line directories, and periodicals. Directs readers to an associated Web page that maintains the URLs and annotations of all major Inernet resources discussed in th

New species are discovered every day—and cataloguing all of them has grown into a nearly insurmountable task worldwide. Now, this definitive reference manual acts as a style guide for writing and filing species descriptions. New collecting techniques and new technology have led to a dramatic increase in the number of species that are discovered. Explorations of unstudied regions and new habitats for almost any group of organisms can result in a large number of new species discoveries—and hence the need to be described. Yet there is no one source a student or researcher can readily consult to learn the basic practical aspects of taxonomic procedures. Species description can present a variety of difficulties: Problems arise when new species are not given names because their discoverers do not know how to write a formal species description or when these species are poorly described. Biologists may also have to deal with nomenclatural problems created by previous workers or resulting from new information generated by their own research. This practical resource for scientists and students contains instructions and examples showing how to describe newly discovered species in both the animal and plant kingdoms. With special chapters on publishing taxonomic papers and on ecology in species description, as well as sections covering subspecies, genus-level, and higher taxa descriptions, Describing Species enhances any writer's taxonomic projects, reports, checklists, floras, faunal surveys, revisions, monographs, or guides. The volume is based on current versions of the International Codes of Zoological and Botanical Nomenclature and recognizes that systematics is a global and multicultural exercise. Though Describing Species has been written for an English-speaking audience, it is useful anywhere Taxonomy is spoken and will be a valuable tool for professionals and students in zoology, botany, ecology, paleontology, and other fields of biology.

Contemporary Insect Diagnostics aids entomologists as they negotiate the expectations and potential dangers of the practice. It provides the reader with methods for networking with regulatory agencies, expert laboratories, first detectors, survey specialists, legal and health professionals, landscape managers, crop scouts, farmers and the lay public. This enables the practitioner and advanced student to understand and work within this network, critically important in a time when each submission takes on its own specific set of expectations and potential ramifications. Insect diagnosticians must be knowledgeable on pests that affect human health, stored foods, agriculture, structures, as well as human comfort and the enjoyment of life. The identification and protection of the environment and the non-target animals (especially beneficial insects) in that environment is also considered a part of insect diagnostics. Additionally, Integrated Pest Management recommendations must include any of a variety of management tactics if they are to be effective and sustainable. This greatly needed foundational information covers the current principles of applied insect diagnostics. It serves as a quick study for those who are called upon to provide diagnostics, as well as a helpful reference for those already in the trenches. Includes useful case studies to teach specific points in insect diagnostics Provides problem-solving guidance and recommendations for insect identification, threat potential, and management tactics, while accounting for the varying needs of the affected population or client Contains numerous color photos that enhance both applicability and visual appeal, together with accompanying write-ups of the common pests

Constructing the Infrastructure for the Knowledge Economy: Methods and Tools, Theory and Practice is the proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Information Systems Development, held in Melbourne, Australia, August 29-31, 2003. The purpose of these proceedings is to provide a forum for research and practice addressing current issues associated with Information Systems Development (ISD). ISD is undergoing dramatic transformation; every day, new technologies, applications, and methods raise the standards for the quality of systems expected by organizations as well as end users. All are becoming more dependent on the systems reliability, scalability, and performance. Thus, it is crucial to exchange ideas and experiences, and to stimulate exploration of new solutions. This proceedings provides a forum for just that, addressing both technical and organizational issues.

This book challenges common debates in philosophy of mind by questioning the framework of placement problems in contemporary metaphysics. The author argues that placement problems arise when exactly one fundamental ontology serves as the base for all entities, and will propose a pluralist alternative that takes the diversity of our conceptual resources and ontologies seriously. This general pluralist account is applied to issues in philosophy of mind to argue that contemporary debates about the mind-body problem are built on this problematic framework of placement problems. The starting point is the plurality of ontologies in scientific practice. Not only can we describe the world in terms of physical, biological, or psychological ontologies, but any serious engagement with scientific ontologies will identify more specific ontologies in each domain. For example, there is not one unified ontology for biology, but rather a diversity of scientific specializations with different ontological needs. Based on this account of scientific practice the author argues that there is no reason to assume that ontological unification must be possible everywhere. Without this ideal, the scope of ontological unification turns out to be an open empirical question and there is no need to present unification failures as philosophically puzzling “placement problems”.

Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability of organisms. Diverse biota provide ecosystem service and goods on which the survival of man is dependent. However, world today is under tremendous threat of unprecedented loss of biodiversity due to widespread habitat fragmentation, overexploitation and global climate change. Consequently, environmental issues like global warming, pollution, recurrent natural calamities and human population rise are of major concern to the conservationists. The book, in its third edition, covers a complete range of topics from the concept of biodiversity, its history, importance of species diversity, systematics, present status of bioresources, and pattern of distribution of global species to the genetic diversity and ecosystem diversity. It also elaborates on various drivers that lead to biodiversity loss and the impact on global climate change on biota. Moreover, the topics on biopiracy, environmental laws and policies, and the importance of indigenous knowledge of indigenous communities are also described in the text. The use of biotechnology-based methods and various measures to preserve natural resources are highlighted in the text. An all-inclusive, the book provides a detailed account of the conservation measures of biodiversity and proves to be the most comprehensive text encompassing both principles and applications of biodiversity. The book is primarily designed for the undergraduate and postgraduate students of Environmental Science, Zoology and Botany. Besides, it will also be of immense value to the students pursuing postgraduate diploma or other professional courses in Environmental Science and aspirants of various competitive examinations. NEW TO THE THIRD EDITION • Various sections are revised and updated throughout the book. • Includes detailed discussion on protected area, sacred groves, habitat fragmentation and its effect, ecosystem functioning, metapopulation, invasive species, and wildlife corridors. • Introduces the concept of ecological restoration and the system of Biodiversity Governance in India. • Provides a number of new and replaced figures for better illustration and understanding of the subject. KEY FEATURES • Explains the contemporary topics such as green accounting and sustainable management of natural resources in an easy-to-understand manner. • Incorporates a number of photographs, flow charts, diagrams and tables. • Provides chapter-end review questions to help students check their understanding of the subject. • Includes MCQs with answers appended at the end of the book. • Gives an elaborate glossary of technical terms to acquaint the students with the related terminologies. TARGET AUDIENCE • B.Sc. Environmental Science, Zoology and Botany • M.Sc. Environmental Science, Zoology and Botany • PG Diploma in Biodiversity Conservation & Environmental Science