Clonal plants: beyond the patterns—ecological and evolutionary dynamics of asexual reproduction

More than 25 years have passed since publication of the first comprehensive multi-authored landmark volume on the population biology and evolution of clonal organisms (Jackson et al. 1985). Since then, no less than eight symposium volumes or special issues have appeared in scientific journals reporting on advances in the field of clonal plant research, indicating that the study of clonal organisms has remained an important topic in ecological research. The three most recent overviews were published in special issues of this journal (Stuefer et al. 2000; Tolvanen et al. 2004; Sammul et al. 2008), and these are now supplemented with a fourth special issue of Evolutionary Ecology. The articles published here reflect some of the most important contributions to a workshop on clonal plant biology held in Leuven (Belgium) in July 2009 and they illustrate some major advances that have been made over the last few years. In the following paragraphs, we first summarize some representative contributions to the current issue, and second, we put forward some personal ideas about promising and underexplored research lines in clonal plant research.     

Ecosystem and Ecotomo: A Nature or Society-Nature Relationship?

The notion of entorno is discussed and its mutual dependence upon the organism is emphasised. Both the etymology and meaning of ethos, oikos, entorno and ecotomo are discussed. The intimate relation between Ethology and Ecology is also shown. A reference background is given to explain how the commonly considered isolated components organism/society and entorno/nature articulate in the form of a relation. It is argued that the integrated concepts that originated the notion of ecosystem have been set aside. The term ecotomo is proposed, which refers to any territorial unit that, considered at a local, regional or global level, emerges from the society-nature relationship.     

Celebrating the millennium – historical highlights of photosynthesis research,Part 2

This paper is an introduction to Part 2 of our celebrations of the historical highlights of photosynthesis research. Part 1 was published in October 2002 as Volume 73 of Photosynthesis Research. After a brief introduction, we recognize two giants in the field: Cornelis B. van Niel (for anoxygenic photosynthesis), and Robert Hill (for oxygenic photosynthesis). This is followed by recognition of a 1960 book by Hans Gaffron, and a multi-authored book edited by W. Ruhland and André Pirson, and inclusion in the appendix of a list of selected books. Our celebration is enhanced by the inclusion of beautiful paintings of cells by Antoinette Ryter. After introducing all the historical papers contained in this volume, we honor Louis N. M. Duysens, one of the greatest biophysicists of our time, and finally we dedicate this volume to a great scientist, humanist and peacemaker: Eugene I. Rabinowitch. [12pt] 'Annihilating all that is made To a green thought in a green shade' – Andrew Marvell (1621–1678), The Garden (1681) This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Life cycle inventory dataset review criteria—a new proposal

Purpose

A review of LCA process datasets is an important element of quality assurance for databases and for other systems to provide LCA datasets. Somewhat surprisingly, a broadly accepted and applicable set of criteria for a review of LCA process datasets was lacking so far. Different LCA databases and frameworks are proposing and using different criteria for reviewing datasets. To close this gap, a set of criteria for reviewing LCA dataset has been developed within the Life Cycle Initiative.

Methods

Previous contributions to LCA dataset review have been analysed for a start, from ISO and various LCA databases. To avoid somewhat arbitrary review criteria, four basic rules are proposed which are to be fulfilled by any dataset. Further, concepts for assessing representativeness and relevance are introduced into the criteria set from established practices in statistics and materiality. To better structure the criteria and to ease their application, they are grouped into clusters. A first version of the developed review criteria was presented in two workshops with database providers and users on different levels of experience, and draft versions of the criteria were shared within the initiative. The current version of the criteria reflects feedback received from various stakeholders and has been applied and tested in a review for newly developed datasets in Brazil, Malaysia and Thailand.

Results and discussion

Overall, 14 criteria are proposed, which are organised in clusters. The clusters are goal, model, value, relevance and procedure. For several criteria, a more science-based definition and evaluation is proposed in comparison to ‘traditional’ LCA. While most of the criteria depend on the goal and scope of dataset development, a core set of criteria are seen as essential and independent from specific LCA modelling. For all the criteria, value scales are developed, typically using an ordinal scale, following the pedigree approach.

Conclusions

Review criteria for LCI datasets are now defined based on a stringent approach. They aim to be globally acceptable, considering also database interoperability and database management aspects, as well as feedback received from various stakeholders, and thus close an important gap in LCA dataset quality assurance. The criteria take many elements of already existing criteria but are the first to fully reflect the implications of the ISO data quality definition, and add new concepts for representativeness and relevance with the idea to better reflect scientific practice outside of the LCA domain. A first application in a review showed to be feasible, with a level of effort similar to applying other review criteria. Aspects not addressed yet are the review procedure and the mutual recognition of dataset reviews, and their application for a very high number of datasets.

     

The Role of DNA–DNA Hybridization and 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing in Solving Taxonomic Problems by the Example of the Order Haloanaerobiales

In this review, the validity of evolutionary conclusions inferred from the quantitative estimates of the similarity between bacterial genes is evaluated using the order Halonanaerobiales as an example. The haloanaerobic phenotype is briefly characterized, as are some specific features that allow the order Haloanaerobiales to serve as a reference taxon. Phylogenetic analysis provides a set of standard quantitative criteria for ranking bacterial taxa from species to families. Recommendations for the use of these standard criteria are given.     

Fixing the cultural fallacy

ABSTRACT

In this review essay, I place The Asian American Achievement Paradox, by Jennifer Lee and Min Zhou within a broad framework that reaches beyond immigration studies. I consider the book’s main contributions surrounding immigrant hyper-selectivity and stereotype promise in relation to class background, noting how the book makes an important contribution to our understanding of variations in educational achievement within and among ethno-racial groups. I note the relationship between stereotype promise and Robert K. Merton’s classic understanding of ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’. Finally, I draw attention to the way in which race and culture have been conflated thus creating new intellectual challenges for those interested in reaching greater levels of precision in analysis.     

How Charles Darwin received Wallace's Ternate paper 15 days earlier than he claimed: a comment on van Wyhe and Rookmaaker (2012)

Van Wyhe and Rookmaaker (2012) postulate a set of events to support their claim that Wallace's ‘evolution’ letter, posted at Ternate in the Moluccas in the spring of 1858, arrived at Darwin's home on 18 June 1858. If their claim were to be proven, then evidence that Darwin probably received Wallace's letter 2 weeks earlier than he ever admitted would clearly be erroneous, and any charges that he plagiarized the ideas of Wallace from that letter would be shown to be wrong. Here, evidence against this interpretation is presented and it is argued that the letter did indeed arrive in the port of Southampton on 2 June 1858 and would have been at Darwin's home near London the following day. If this were true, then the 66 new pages of material on aspects of Divergence that Darwin entered into his ‘big’ species book in the weeks before admitting he had received the letter could be interpreted as an attempt to present Wallace's ideas as his own. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 105 , 472–477.     

Erratum to: Bai,X. 2010. Review of Urbanization Challenges in China: Critical Issues in an Era of Rapid Growth,edited by Yan Song and Chengri Ding; Smart Urban Growth for China,edited by Yan Song and Chengri Ding. Journal of Industrial Ecology 14(6): 982–984.

In this book review, the title of one of Song and Ding's books was incorrectly given as Urbanization Challenges in China: Critical Issues in an Era of Rapid Growth, with an incorrect publication date of 2009. The actual title is Urbanization in China: Critical Issues in an Era of Rapid Growth, and the book was published in 2007.     

Review of LCA datasets in three emerging economies: a summary of learnings

Purpose

In response to a need for interoperable LCA databases of adequate quality, a review of 40 datasets from emerging economies has been conducted with UNEP support by independent LCA experts, with the purpose to encourage improvements, either prior to publication or as part of a continuous improvement cycle. We discuss the lessons learned during this reviewing process.

Methods

The review effort had to be delivered in a set and limited timeline of 9 months and covered 20 datasets from Malaysia, ten from Brazil, and ten from Thailand. The developed review process consisted in, among others, (i) developing a set of review criteria for this specific effort, (ii) pairing a local sector reviewer with an international LCA expert to enhance capacity development, (iii) establishing a legal relationship via a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) between the data provider and the data reviewers, and (iv) providing a review report for each dataset that assesses the presence and magnitude of gaps or deficiencies relative to the criteria, as well as their implications for qualifying usage.

Results and discussion

The reviews provided solid recommendations for improvement to the majority of the datasets submitted by the three countries. This review exercise has been conducted in the given timeframe for the majority of the datasets. Many challenges have been faced along the way; among them agreeing on an NDA, the need for sufficient information, and the question of the confidentiality of the data. The developed set of criteria for this exercise have not been presented or discussed outside of the narrow review exercise and therefore can be seen as a starting point for further debates and improvements that should involve the broad LCA community.

Conclusions

This hands-on exercise provided some valuable insights into the road towards global consensus and guidance on data review. Beyond this time-constrained effort, a broader discussion and consensus at international level on the review of datasets and a continuous effort in reviewing datasets is desirable. Four key aspects were identified as necessary to consider: review criteria, review process, reviewers’ selection criteria, and development of a legal basis which protects the confidentiality of the data, as well as the position of the reviewers. This last aspect is sensitive as, in LCA datasets reviews, companies and/or countries might disclose some information with high stakes regarding competition and trade.

     

Recent ornithological publications

The titles reviewed in this section of Ibis are available for reference at the Alexander Library of the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK. The library is open to BOU members, Monday to Friday (09:00–17:00 h). Please write or telephone (+44 (0)1865 271143) prior to your visit to ensure the library is open. The aim of the Alexander Library is to build up a comprehensive collection of literature as a service to ornithologists. Its holdings include an extensive range of periodicals and a large number of reprints drawn from many sources: additional reprints of readers’ papers are always welcome. The library has always greatly benefited from its close relationship with the BOU. For a number of years, all journals received in exchange for Ibis have been deposited in the library, and through the generosity of reviewers, most of the books sent for review. In return, as a service to readers, this review section of Ibis is organized and edited by Michael G. Wilson and Professor Ben Sheldon of the Edward Grey Institute, with the help of a panel of contributors. They are always grateful for offers of further assistance with reviewing, especially with foreign language titles. Part of the cost of this book review section has been subsidized by Subbuteo Natural History Books. Subbuteo are an international mail‐order book company stocking over 2000 titles covering all natural and environmental sciences. They can also source titles from around the world. Titles reviewed here can be ordered from Subbuteo and payment can be accepted by credit card or cheques in £/$. Postage, packing and insurance is £1.99 per order. International postage is charged at cost; please contact them for a quote. To order a book or to request the full catalogue please contact: Subbuteo Natural History Books
Ref. 0252, The Rea, Upton Magna, Shrewsbury SY4 4UR, UK.
Tel: 0870 010 9700 Fax: 0870 010 9699.
Email: info@wildlifebooks.co.uk Website: http://www.wildlifebooks.com     

Recent ornithological publications

The titles reviewed in this section of Ibis are available for reference at the Alexander Library of the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK. The library is open to BOU members, Monday to Friday (09:00–17:00 h). Please write or telephone (+44 (0)1865 271143) prior to your visit to ensure the library is open. The aim of the Alexander Library is to build up a comprehensive collection of literature as a service to ornithologists. Its holdings include an extensive range of periodicals and a large number of reprints drawn from many sources: additional reprints of readers’ papers are always welcome. The library has always greatly benefited from its close relationship with the BOU. For a number of years, all journals received in exchange for Ibis have been deposited in the library, and through the generosity of reviewers, most of the books sent for review. In return, as a service to readers, this review section of Ibis is organized and edited by Michael G. Wilson and Professor Ben Sheldon of the Edward Grey Institute, with the help of a panel of contributors. They are always grateful for offers of further assistance with reviewing, especially with foreign language titles. Part of the cost of this book review section has been subsidized by Subbuteo Natural History Books. Subbuteo are an international mail‐order book company stocking over 2000 titles covering all natural and environmental sciences. They can also source titles from around the world. Titles reviewed here can be ordered from Subbuteo and payment can be accepted by credit card or cheques in £/$. Postage, packing and insurance is £1.99 per order. International postage is charged at cost; please contact them for a quote. To order a book or to request the full catalogue please contact: Subbuteo Natural History Books
Ref. 0252, The Rea, Upton Magna, Shrewsbury SY4 4UR, UK.
Tel: 0870 010 9700 Fax: 0870 010 9699.
Email: info@wildlifebooks.co.uk Website: http://www.wildlifebooks.com     

Recent ornithological publications

The titles reviewed in this section of Ibis are available for reference at the Alexander Library of the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK. The library is open to BOU members, Monday to Friday (09:00–17:00 h). Please write or telephone (+44 (0)1865 271143) prior to your visit to ensure the library is open. The aim of the Alexander Library is to build up a comprehensive collection of literature as a service to ornithologists. Its holdings include an extensive range of periodicals and a large number of reprints drawn from many sources: additional reprints of readers’ papers are always welcome. The library has always greatly benefited from its close relationship with the BOU. For a number of years, all journals received in exchange for Ibis have been deposited in the library, and through the generosity of reviewers, most of the books sent for review. In return, as a service to readers, this review section of Ibis is organized and edited by Michael G. Wilson and Professor Ben Sheldon of the Edward Grey Institute, with the help of a panel of contributors. They are always grateful for offers of further assistance with reviewing, especially with foreign language titles. Part of the cost of this book review section has been subsidized by Subbuteo Natural History Books. Subbuteo are an international mail‐order book company stocking over 2000 titles covering all natural and environmental sciences. They can also source titles from around the world. Titles reviewed here can be ordered from Subbuteo and payment can be accepted by credit card or cheques in £/$. Postage, packing and insurance is £1.99 per order. International postage is charged at cost; please contact them for a quote. To order a book or to request the full catalogue please contact: Subbuteo Natural History Books
Ref. 0252, The Rea, Upton Magna, Shrewsbury SY4 4UR, UK.
Tel: 0870 010 9700 Fax: 0870 010 9699.
Email: info@wildlifebooks.co.uk Website: http://www.wildlifebooks.com     

Recent ornithological publications

The titles reviewed in this section of Ibis are available for reference at the Alexander Library of the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK. The library is open to BOU members, Monday to Friday (09:00–17:00 h). Please write or telephone (+44 (0)1865 271143) prior to your visit to ensure the library is open. The aim of the Alexander Library is to build up a comprehensive collection of literature as a service to ornithologists. Its holdings include an extensive range of periodicals and a large number of reprints drawn from many sources: additional reprints of readers’ papers are always welcome. The library has always greatly benefited from its close relationship with the BOU. For a number of years, all journals received in exchange for Ibis have been deposited in the library, and through the generosity of reviewers, most of the books sent for review. In return, as a service to readers, this review section of Ibis is organized and edited by Michael G. Wilson and Professor Ben Sheldon of the Edward Grey Institute, with the help of a panel of contributors. They are always grateful for offers of further assistance with reviewing, especially with foreign language titles. Part of the cost of this book review section has been subsidized by Subbuteo Natural History Books. Subbuteo are an international mail‐order book company stocking over 2000 titles covering all natural and environmental sciences. They can also source titles from around the world. Titles reviewed here can be ordered from Subbuteo and payment can be accepted by credit card or cheques in £/$. Postage, packing and insurance is £1.99 per order. International postage is charged at cost; please contact them for a quote. To order a book or to request the full catalogue please contact: Subbuteo Natural History Books
Ref. 0252, The Rea, Upton Magna, Shrewsbury SY4 4UR, UK.
Tel: 0870 010 9700 Fax: 0870 010 9699.
Email: info@wildlifebooks.co.uk Website: http://www.wildlifebooks.com     

Migration comes of age

The Age of Migration has been uniquely successful as a student text on international migration, not only filling a niche but defining the field. This review article documents the evolution of the five editions of the book in terms of its core structure and enlarging scope. In a more critical vein, I note some omissions and potential shortcomings, while acknowledging the subjectivity of my perspective. More attention could have been given to the mobilities paradigm, transnationalism, internal and return migration, and quantitative analyses. Nevertheless, this book has done more than any other to ensure that the academic study of migration now occupies a central place in the social sciences.     

Recent ornithological publications

The titles reviewed in this section of Ibis are available for reference at the Alexander Library of the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK. The library is open to BOU members, Monday to Friday (09:00–17:00 h). Please write or telephone (+44 (0)1865 271143) prior to your visit to ensure the library is open. The aim of the Alexander Library is to build up a comprehensive collection of literature as a service to ornithologists. Its holdings include an extensive range of periodicals and a large number of reprints drawn from many sources: additional reprints of readers’ papers are always welcome. The library has always greatly benefited from its close relationship with the BOU. For a number of years, all journals received in exchange for Ibis have been deposited in the library, and through the generosity of reviewers, most of the books sent for review. In return, as a service to readers, this review section of Ibis is organized and edited by Michael G. Wilson and Professor Ben Sheldon of the Edward Grey Institute, with the help of a panel of contributors. They are always grateful for offers of further assistance with reviewing, especially with foreign language titles. Part of the cost of this book review section has been subsidized by Subbuteo Natural History Books. Subbuteo are an international mail‐order book company stocking over 2000 titles covering all natural and environmental sciences. They can also source titles from around the world. Titles reviewed here can be ordered from Subbuteo and payment can be accepted by credit card or cheques in £/$. Postage, packing and insurance is £1.99 per order. International postage is charged at cost; please contact them for a quote. To order a book or to request the full catalogue please contact: Subbuteo Natural History Books
Ref. 0252, The Rea, Upton Magna, Shrewsbury SY4 4UR, UK.
Tel: 0870 010 9700 Fax: 0870 010 9699.
Email: info@wildlifebooks.co.uk Website: http://www.wildlifebooks.com     

Recent ornithological publications

The titles reviewed in this section of Ibis are available for reference at the Alexander Library of the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK. The library is open to BOU members, Monday to Friday (09:00–17:00 h). Please write or telephone (+44 (0)1865 271143) prior to your visit to ensure the library is open. The aim of the Alexander Library is to build up a comprehensive collection of literature as a service to ornithologists. Its holdings include an extensive range of periodicals and a large number of reprints drawn from many sources: additional reprints of readers’ papers are always welcome. The library has always greatly benefited from its close relationship with the BOU. For a number of years, all journals received in exchange for Ibis have been deposited in the library, and through the generosity of reviewers, most of the books sent for review. In return, as a service to readers, this review section of Ibis is organized and edited by Michael G. Wilson and Professor Ben Sheldon of the Edward Grey Institute, with the help of a panel of contributors. They are always grateful for offers of further assistance with reviewing, especially with foreign language titles. Part of the cost of this book review section has been subsidized by Subbuteo Natural History Books. Subbuteo are an international mail‐order book company stocking over 2000 titles covering all natural and environmental sciences. They can also source titles from around the world. Titles reviewed here can be ordered from Subbuteo and payment can be accepted by credit card or cheques in £/$. Postage, packing and insurance is £1.99 per order. International postage is charged at cost; please contact them for a quote. To order a book or to request the full catalogue please contact: Subbuteo Natural History Books
Ref. 0252, The Rea, Upton Magna, Shrewsbury SY4 4UR, UK.
Tel: 0870 010 9700 Fax: 0870 010 9699.
Email: info@wildlifebooks.co.uk Website: http://www.wildlifebooks.com     

LIBRARY LETTERS

Lampert, W. & Sommer, U. (1997) Limnoecology: the ecology of lakes and streams. Oxford University Press, Oxford. xiv+382 pp., figs, tables, index. Hardback: Price £37.50. ISBN 0-19-509592-8. This book is an English translation of a volume that was first published in German in 1992 and is the result of a collaboration between Winfried Lampert, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Limnology at Plon, and Ulrich Sommer, Professor of Biological Oceanography at the University of Kiel. The book was written in response to the criticism that most textbooks in ecology use examples that are drawn, almost exclusively, from terrestrial systems. The authors’ intention was to produce a book on limnology that would highlight fundamental principles and would thus be of interest to a much wider audience. The first chapter, ‘Ecology and evolution’, develops the theme by explaining that one of the main aims of ecology is to investigate not only how organisms are adapted to their environment but also why they have developed particular adaptations. A number of important concepts, such as the difference between proximate and ultimate factors, are discussed and illustrated with examples drawn from the aquatic literature. The second chapter, ‘Methods of ecological research’, describes some of the methods used to test hypotheses and includes advice on the design of laboratory and field experiments. Some of this advice may appear elementary, but experienced researchers would do well to remember that ‘correlation analysis can be used to draw numerical, but not functional, relationships.’ Chapter 3, ‘Special features of aquatic habitats’, has clearly been included for the sake of completeness. The basic physical and chemical characteristics of lakes are discussed in time-honoured fashion and a few pages devoted to the special characteristics of running waters. The organization of Chapter 4, ‘The individual in its habitat’, is rather unbalanced and clearly reflects the authors’ areas of special interest. The best sections in the chapter are those devoted to the functional responses of aquatic organisms and the feeding mechanisms of the microcrustacea. Chapter 5, ‘Populations’, combines an introduction to the basic principles of population ecology with a review of more recent issues, such as the concept of r and K selected organisms. The factors that control population size are discussed in a simple but informative way, and are illustrated with examples drawn from studies of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Chapter 6, ‘Interactions’, is the longest in the book and clearly reflects the author's interest in the temporal dynamics of planktonic crustacea. The chapter starts in a fairly traditional way by reviewing the competition models of Lotka-Volterra and Tilman but then pursues a number of specialist issues, such the impact of chemical signals (kairomones) on the growth of rotifers. Chapter 7, ‘Communities’, is largely devoted to a discussion of the ‘top-down’ versus ‘bottom-up’ controversy that has preoccupied plankton ecologists for several decades. The authors provide a commendably dispassionate overview of the historical argument and highlight some recent studies that try to reconcile these opposing views. The chapter includes a brief discussion of the causes and maintenance of diversity and ends with a somewhat displaced account of the river continuum concept. Chapter 8, ‘Ecosystem perspectives’, is another chapter that appears to have been written as a matter of duty. The carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and silica cycles are, however, described before the authors return to the terra firma of plankton succession and the ‘climax’ concept. Chapter 9, ‘Final remarks’, is only three pages long but leaves the reader in no doubt as to why this book was written. The authors clearly view the recent trend towards more marketable ‘applied’ research with considerable concern: ‘The objective of this applied ecology is not the development of generalized theories, but the optimization of human living conditions.’ In a concluding paragraph, they point out that the relationship between ecology and environmental science can be compared to the relationship between physics and engineering. ‘Physics provides the fundamental materials from which the engineers make products.’ This is not a new definition of ecology, but we are left with the clear implication that this book would not have been written if the authors had spent most of their time working in the ‘engineering’ department! Like any book, its structure and content is strongly influenced by the specialist knowledge of the writers. The authors are at their best when they describe recent developments in their own fields of interest. The least satisfactory sections are the chapters and sections devoted to lake physics, chemistry and the spatial organization of limnetic systems. For example, in Chapter 3 the authors include a figure that purports to show that small vertical variations in water temperature can produce micro-layers of phytoplankton in the near-surface ‘mixed zone’. Thermally induced layers of this kind are periodically recorded in lakes, but in this example there is no evidence of any physical discontinuities. In 1892, Forel, a Swiss Professor, defined limnology as ‘the oceanography of lakes’. This book has not been designed as a textbook in that classical sense but provides an excellent introduction to those aspects of limnology that have a strong ecological bias. The book is well produced with clear line drawings and includes boxed sections of text that explain some technical issues in more detail. The translater should be congratulated for producing a text that reads very well in English and, as far as I can judge, conveys the philosophical as well as the factual message of the original text. Overall, it is a valuable, indeed elegant, addition to the existing English texts, which I would also recommend to those interested in general ecological theory.     

Reviews

Birds of Eastern and North Eastern Africa. C. W. Mackworth-Praed and C. H. B. Grant. 1980. Longman, London and New York. 2 volumes. Vol. 1 £25.00, vol. 2 £30.00. Robert Hudson

The Evolutionary Ecology of Animal Migration. R. R. Baker. 1978. Hodder & Stoughton, London. Pp. 1012. Price £35.00. Raymond J. O'Connor     

Recent ornithological publications

The titles reviewed in this section of Ibis are available for reference at the Alexander Library of the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK. The library is open to BOU members, Monday to Friday (09:00–17:00 h). Please write or telephone (+44 (0)1865 271143) prior to your visit to ensure the library is open. The aim of the Alexander Library is to build up a comprehensive collection of literature as a service to ornithologists. Its holdings include an extensive range of periodicals and a large number of reprints drawn from many sources: additional reprints of readers’ papers are always welcome. The library has always greatly benefited from its close relationship with the BOU. For a number of years, all journals received in exchange for Ibis have been deposited in the library, and through the generosity of reviewers, most of the books sent for review. In return, as a service to readers, this review section of Ibis is organized and edited by Michael G. Wilson and Professor Ben Sheldon of the Edward Grey Institute, with the help of a panel of contributors. They are always grateful for offers of further assistance with reviewing, especially with foreign language titles. Part of the cost of this book review section has been subsidized by Subbuteo Natural History Books. Subbuteo are an international mail‐order book company stocking over 2000 titles covering all natural and environmental sciences. They can also source titles from around the world. Titles reviewed here can be ordered from Subbuteo and payment can be accepted by credit card or cheques in £/$. Postage, packing and insurance is £1.99 per order. International postage is charged at cost; please contact them for a quote. To order a book or to request the full catalogue please contact: Subbuteo Natural History Books
Ref. 0252, The Rea, Upton Magna, Shrewsbury SY4 4UR, UK.
Tel: 0870 010 9700 Fax: 0870 010 9699.
Email: info@wildlifebooks.co.uk Website: http://www.wildlifebooks.com