On the Ecology of Australia’s Arid Zone

This book will appeal to an international audience as well as be irresistible to local readers. Anyone working or with an interest in Australia’s arid zone should need ready access to this book. There is no equivalent publication out there at the moment, and this book has many authoritative chapters, richly illustrated with colourful material. The challenge of this book was to assemble current knowledge on particular topics and concepts, and principles relating to them. It is also forward-looking by identifying where there are gaps or inadequacies in knowledge, and where future research needs to be directed. Lead authors were encouraged to take such an approach; they had the opportunity to involve any author they considered appropriate. The final product should be a fabulous resource, also for university courses, especially at MSc level. Front Matter ....Pages i-vi Introduction (Hans Lambers)....Pages 1-4 Seeing Red: Some Aspects of the Geological and Climatic History of the Australian Arid Zone (Brad J. Pillans)....Pages 5-43 Evolutionary History (Margaret Byrne, Leo Joseph, David K. Yeates, J. Dale Roberts, Danielle Edwards)....Pages 45-75 Mineral Nutrition of Plants in Australia’s Arid Zone (Honghua He, David J. Eldridge, Hans Lambers)....Pages 77-102 Ecophysiology of Australian Arid-Zone Marsupials (S. Don Bradshaw)....Pages 103-132 Ecophysiology of Australian Arid-Zone Reptiles (S. Don Bradshaw)....Pages 133-148 The Evolution, Physiology and Ecology of the Australian Arid-Zone Frog Fauna (J. Dale Roberts, Danielle Edwards)....Pages 149-180 Terrestrial and Inland-water Invertebrates of the Australian Arid Zone (Jonathan D. Majer, Mark S. Harvey, W. F. Humphreys, Jenny A. Davis, Alan L. Yen)....Pages 181-213 Subterranean Fauna of the Arid Zone (Stuart A. Halse)....Pages 215-241 On the Ecology of Australia’s Arid Zone: ‘Fire Regimes and Ecology of Arid Australia’ (Eddie J. B. van Etten, Neil D. Burrows)....Pages 243-282 Archaeology and Rock Art of the North-West Arid Zone with a Focus on Animals (Peter Veth, Jo McDonald, Sarah de Koning)....Pages 283-305 Weeds in Australian Arid Regions (John K. Scott, Margaret H. Friedel, A. C. Grice, Bruce L. Webber)....Pages 307-330 Feral Animals in the Semi-arid and Arid Regions of Australia: Origins, Impacts and Control (Neil D. Burrows)....Pages 331-373 Climate Change (Ian Foster)....Pages 375-388