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Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) represents small, random deviations from symmetry of a bilaterally symmetrical trait (Ludwig 1932). This variation is non-directional, with a normal distribution of signed right minus left differences whose mean is zero. Some researchers, however, suggest that the distribution of these values is generally leptokurtic, i.e., with a more acute peak around the mean and fatter...
Vegetation, i.e., the plant life of a region, not only shapes terrestrial ecosystems but also serves several crucial functions in the biosphere. Due to the importance of vegetation for mankind, deterioration of plant communities under pollution impacts attracted considerable scientific and public attention more than a century ago (Holland 1888; Haselhoff & Lindau 1903; Stoklasa 1923). Historically,...
Many different ways to define plant vitality or vigour have been suggested. Although definitions differ in details, they generally refer to the capacities to live or grow, as well as to resist stress (reviewed by Dobbertin 2005). Importantly, the hypothetical ‘optimal’ plant vitality remains a theoretical concept: it can neither be measured directly nor predicted on the basis of other measurements...
We identified about 2,500 data sources that report impacts of point polluters on terrestrial biota and fit criteria listed in Section 5.1.2. We think that our collection is sufficiently representative and covers at least a half of existing publications. Although we have started a systematic review of these publications, we estimate that the completed meta-analyses (Ruotsalainen & Kozlov 2006;...
Since highly productive terrestrial ecosystems sustain a larger level of herbivory per unit of primary production than less productive ecosystems (McNaughton et al. 1989), pollution-induced changes in the structure and productivity of plant communities (Chapter 6) are likely to change the pattern of herbivory. On the other hand, herbivores consume a large proportion of primary production, contributing...
Soil, like air and water, is an integral component of our environment. The value of soil is difficult to overestimate. One definition of soil especially stresses that this naturally occurring, unconsolidated or loose covering of broken rock particles and decaying organic matter on the surface of the Earth is capable of supporting life (Voroney 2006). Soil, together with water, constitutes the...
We are living in a rapidly changing world. Human domination of the Earth alters the composition, structure and function of ecosystems, emphasising an urgent need to consider ecological principles on a global scale. Knowledge of these principles is necessary to understand ecosystem development and to manage ecosystem services crucial to human survival (Kremen & Ostfeld 2005; Mokany et al. 2006;...
Charles J. Krebs (1989) started his famous book Ecological Methodology with the following statement: ‘Ecologists collect data and, as in other fields in biology, the data they collect are to be used for testing hypotheses’. This is true, but where do the new hypotheses originate? The roots of many theories, including the Newton’s law of universal gravitation and Darwin’s evolutionary theory,...
In order to obtain an unbiased estimate of the overall effect of point polluters on terrestrial biota, we needed to explore a random sample from the entire population of polluters. Unfortunately, this task is hardly feasible, keeping in mind obvious financial and time constraints. Therefore we selected a representative sample of point polluters according to the following basic criteria: The explored...
This book is unique in identifying general patterns in responses of terrestrial biota to industrial pollution and the sources of variation in these responses. The meta-analysis is based on extensive original data on soils, plants and animals collected around 18 industrial polluters in six countries. The colour section is self-explanatory and informative, showing examples of severely polluted landscapes...
Recent findings suggest that impacts of endemic herbivory on forest ecosystems over the long term may exceed impacts of herbivore outbreaks. However, responses of trees to minor and local damage imposed by small arthropod herbivores, especially by those mining or skeletonising individual leaves, remain poorly understood. We studied the delayed effects of injuries by several leafmining and leafrolling...
Effects of environmental contamination on plant seasonal development have only rarely been properly documented. Monitoring of leaf growth in mountain birch, Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii, around a nickel–copper smelter at Monchegorsk hinted advanced budburst phenology in most polluted sites. However, under laboratory conditions budburst of birch twigs cut in late winter from trees naturally...
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