Felix Bärlocher - Böcker

Decomposition of organic matter is a major ecosystem process involving an array of different organisms, including bacteria, fungi and invertebrates. The main objective of this book is to provide students and laboratory instructors at universities and professional ecologists with a broad range of established methods to study plant litter decomposition. Detailed protocols for direct use in the field or laboratory are presented in an easy to follow step-by-step format. A short introduction to each protocol reviews the ecological significance and principles of the technique and points to key references. Although most methods are described for freshwater ecosystems, many will work equally well in the presented or slightly modified form for studies in marine and terrestrial environments.

This edited volume is an extensive collection of methods for investigating plant litter dynamics in ecosystems.

This edited volume is an extensive collection of methods for investigating plant litter dynamics in ecosystems.

Aquatic hyphomycetes were discovered 50 years ago by C.T.Ingold. They remained a relatively obscure group until theirrole as intermediaries between deciduous leaves and streaminvertebrates was established some 20 years ago. This book,for the first time, provides a comprehensive summary andcritical evaluation of the biology and ecology of theseorganisms. Aspecial effort was made to evaluate thepotential and actual insight that have been or will bederived from work in related disciplines such as the ecologyof other fungal groups, stream ecology, or populationecology. The topics treated include the basic life historyof the fungi and the potential role of wood, a discussion ofhow the fungi have adjusted to life in running water, theirinteractions with invertebrates, the attachment andgermination of their spores, what is known about sexualreproduction, how water chemistry may influence theirdistribution and activity, how they react to humandegradation of their environment, and a summary of theresearch done on the Indian subcontinent. The volume is ofspecial interest to mycologists and stream ecologists andshould facilitate the entry of new workers into thisexciting area.