Springer Inselbergs: Biotic Diversity of Isolated Rock Outcrops in Tropical and Temperate Regions: 146 (Ecological Studies, 146)

Inselbergs are isolated rock outcrops that stand out abruptly from surrounding plains. Despite the widespread occurrence of granite inselbergs throughout all climatic and vegetational zones, their remarkably rich plant life was largely neglected in the recent literature. This richly and partly in color illustrated volume provides a detailed survey of all major abiotic and biotic features characteristic for inselbergs. The extreme environmental conditions on inselbergs are described in depth as well as specific adaptive traits of rock outcrop plants including their morphological, anatomical and physiological responses. The diversity and structure of inselberg plant communities are examined on a global scale with detailed regional accounts for different tropical and temperate zones. Review From the reviews"... This book will certainly become a benchmark in inselberg ecology, and the editors and all authors are to be commended for their most valuable contribution for making more widely known one of the smallest, but also one of the most interesting biomes on Earth." (Plant Systematics and Evolution)"... This book is a richly illustrated volume and well written." (Journal of Plant Physiology)"... the book is extremely handsome, assisted in part by the luxurious but not exaggerated use of color." (Ecology)"...I enjoyed reading the book. It shows nicely how biologists can benefit from a co-operation with geomorphologists and climatologists. Likewise, it demonstrates with great success that seemingly bare inselberg slopes possess a rich organic world, which in turn influences the development of the inselbergs themselves. With the growing popularity of the subject of biogeomorphologiy, especially biological weathering, this volume should be read by specialists in this subject too as they will find a lot of food-for-thought in it. And for the as yet unconvinced, there is a glorious collection of 54 colour plates showing the extraordinary rock and plant world of the inselbergs right at the beginning of the book." (Progress in Physical Geography)"... the present volume synthesises an impressive amount of information remarkably well and provides a very sound basis for future research. .... the authors and the editors fully deserve to be congratulated for this remarkable, albeit rather expensive, volume." (Flora)