Overview

Humans have been fascinated by bees for centuries. Bees display a wide spectrum of behaviours and ecological roles that have provided biologists with a vast amount of material for study. Among the types observed are both social and solitary bees, those that either pollinate or destroy flowers, and those that display traits allowing them to survive underwater. Others fly mainly at night, and some build their nests either in the ground or in the tallest rain forest trees. This highly acclaimed book summarises and interprets research from around the world on tropical bee diversity and draws together major themes in ecology, natural history and evolution. The numerous photographs and line illustrations, and the large reference section, qualify this book as a field guide and reference for workers in tropical and temperate research. The fascinating ecology and natural history of these bees will also provide absorbing reading for other ecologists and naturalists. This book was first published in 1989.

Full Product Details

Author:   David W. Roubik
Publisher:   Cambridge University Press
Imprint:   Cambridge University Press (Virtual Publishing)
ISBN:  

9780511574641

ISBN 10:   0511574649
Publication Date:   04 August 2010
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Undefined
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock  
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Table of Contents

Preface; Acknowledgments; Part I. Introduction: 1. Approaches to tropical bee biology; 2. Diversity of tropical bees; Part II. Foraging and Pollination: 3. Resources gathered by bees; 4. Mechanisms of resource collection; 5. Foraging and flight activity; 6. Pollination ecology; Part III. Nesting and Reproduction Biology: 7. Bee nests; 8. Nest predators, associates and defense; 9. Mating and brood production; Part IV. Community Ecology: 10. Seasonality, abundance and flower preference; 11. Composition of bee assemblages; 12. Roles of bees in communities; References; Index; Appendices.

Reviews

'It will be valued for its substantial and wide-ranging bibliography, as well as for the text, which is a carefully organised mosaic of sparkling fragments giving tempting glimpses of a relatively unexplored world.' Trends in Ecology and Evolution ' ... it should be on the shelves of anyone interested in bees, insects or the ecology of the tropics.' New Scientist ...an important book, not only for the bee biologists, but for anyone interested in studying and conserving the intricate world of tropical ecosystems. Science This book is not a mere uncritical regurgitation of abstracts of other's research, but an authoritative winnowing and comparative synthesis of our current body of knowledge for the thousands of tropical species of bees. Quarterly Review of Biology ...will be valued for its substantial and wide-ranging bibliography, as well as for the text, which is a carefully organised mosaic of sparkling fragments giving tempting glimpses of a relatively unexplored world. Trends in Ecology and Evolution ...a book which should serve generations of scholars and students [and] be on the shelves of anyone interested in bees, insects, or the ecology of the tropics. New Scientist I recommend this book for anyone who is serious about tropical ecology, bee biology, coevolution, or the evolution of complex social behavior. It is a great resource for looking up particular subjects of interest and getting into the literature. Evolution I know of no other book as comprehensive and current. Ecology David Roubik deserves all the congratulations he has no doubt received for publishing this fascinating, thorough, scholarly, and encyclopaedic book....an important scholarly work....a must for the specialist, not just in apiology, but also in entomology and for biologists concerned with tropical ecology generally. Peter G. Kevan, E.S.C. Bulletin

'It will be valued for its substantial and wide-ranging bibliography, as well as for the text, which is a carefully organised mosaic of sparkling fragments giving tempting glimpses of a relatively unexplored world.' Trends in Ecology and Evolution ' ... it should be on the shelves of anyone interested in bees, insects or the ecology of the tropics.' New Scientist

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