Migration: The Biology of Life on the Move - Hardcover

Dingle, Hugh

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195089626 ISBN 13: 9780195089622

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1996

Synopsis

Migration is one of the most fascinating and dramatic of all animal behaviors. Historically, however, the study of migration has been fragmented, with ornithologists, entomologists, and marine biologists paying little attention to work outside their own fields. This treatment of the subject shows how comparisons across taxa can in fact illuminate migratory life cycles and the relation of migration to other movements. The book thus takes an integrated ecological perspective, focusing on migration as a biological phenomenon. The work is divided into four parts, each with a brief introductory section. Part I defines migration, gives examples, and places migration in the spectrum of movement behaviors, concluding with a chapter on methods for its study. Part II focuses on proximate mechanisms, including physiology and morphology (and the constraints associated with them), the interactions between migration and wind and current patterns, and the various orientation and navigation mechanisms by which migrants find their way about. Part III on the evolution of migratory life histories addresses the evolutionary and ecological basis for migration and the roles of migration not only in the lives of organisms, but also in the ecological communities in which they live. Part IV is devoted to a brief consideration of migration and its relation to pest management and conservation. As a major contribution to a vital subject, this work will be valued by all researchers and students in the field of animal behavior, ecology, and zoology.

About this title

About the Author:

Hugh Dingle is at University of California, Davis.

Review:

"This book will be useful as a general reference to the phenomena associated with animal movements."--The Condor

". . . an excellent introduction to current ideas and concepts concerning the promotion and maintenance of a wide range of movement patterns."--IBIS

"This is an interesting and thought provoking book in which the author successfully accomplishes his primary aim of generating a comparative survey of migratory behavior. . . Perhaps most important, the author also successfully integrates the dizzying array of definitions and key terms, both conceptual and operational, that comprise this field. Migration by Hugh Dingle is first-rate and should prove to be a valuable reference to students and researchers alike, regardless of taxonomic bias."--American Zoologist

"The book is well written and illustrated, provides a coherent approach to movement patterns, addresses the major topic areas, and suggests areas for future research." --Quarterly Review of Biology

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0195089626
• ISBN 13: 9780195089622
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 480