"This book has earned a place in the ecology section of any college library. Personally, I don't think I need to read any more books on biodiversity" Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club'

• 1 Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems: Opportunities and Constraints for Studying the Function of Biodiversity.- 1.1 Focus on Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems.- 1.2 Definitions.- 1.3 Why Study Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function?.- 1.4 Linking Diversity and Ecosystem Function.- 1.5 Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems: Similarities and Differences Between Regions.- 1.6 History of Research on Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems.- 1.7 Opportunities for Studying Links Between Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in MTEs.- References.- 2 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in the Mediterranean Basin: Human and Non-Human Determinants.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Geography, Climate and Habitat Diversity.- 2.3 Patterns of Mediterranean Diversities in Relation to Space and Time.- 2.4 The Historical Load and Mediterranean Adaptations.- 2.5 Humans and the Mediterranean Biota.- 2.6 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function at the Community Level.- 2.7 Functional Groups and Redundancy.- 2.8 Ecological and Evolutionary Consequences of Patchiness.- 2.9 The Future.- References.- 3 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Mediterranean-Climate California.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Patterns and Determinants of Diversity.- 3.3 Biodiversity and Community Structure and Function.- 3.4 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function.- 3.5 Conclusions.- 3.6 Future Research Needs.- References.- 4 Functional Approaches to Biodiversity in the Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems of Central Chile.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Biodiversity in Chile.- 4.3 Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems in Central Chile.- 4.4 The Role of Diversity in Ecosystem Function.- 4.5 Plant Species Diversity and Growth-Form Diversity.- 4.6 Environmental Resources as a Factor in Diversity.- 4.7 Storage of Species Diversity.- 4.8 Biodiversity in Vertebrate Predator/Prey Systems.- 4.9 Production of Honey at the Community Level.- 4.10 Impact of Changes in Climate and Land-Use on Biodiversity.- 4.11 Conclusions.- References.- 5 Function of Biodiversity in the Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems of Southwestern Australia.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems in Australia.- 5.3 Ecosystem Function of Biodiversity.- 5.4 Research Opportunities.- 5.5 Conclusions.- References.- 6 Links between Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in the Cape Floristic Region.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Geography of the Region.- 6.3 Patterns of Biodiversity in the Cape Floristic Region.- 6.4 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function: Community-Level Perspectives.- 6.5 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function: Landscape-Level Perspectives.- 6.6 The Ecology of Formation Shifts.- 6.7 Conclusions.- References.- 7 Ecosystem Function of Biodiversity: Can We Learn From the Collective Experience of MTE Research?.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems as a Focus.- 7.3 Diversity and System Function: a Distillation of MTE Thinking.- 7.4 The Way Ahead.- References.- Taxonomic Index.