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E-book Biodiversity of Angola : Science & Conservation: A Modern Synthesis

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Penilaian

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Angola is a country of unusually rich physiographic, climatic and biological diver-sity. It occupies only 4% of the terrestrial area of Africa, yet it possesses the highest diversity of biomes and is second only to mega-diverse South Africa in terms of the number of ecoregions found within its borders. However, scientific literature on its biodiversity is extremely limited when compared with most African countries. Much of that which has been published is difficult to access or out of print. This volume seeks to redress this situation.Here we present a review of what is known about Angola’s biodiversity. Much of the existing literature dates from the nineteenth and early to mid-twentieth centu-ries. Following independence in 1975, field studies were curtailed by the instabili-ties of an extended civil war. It was not until after the peace settlement of 2002 that a new wave of research has been possible. Initial attempts to establish collaborative field expeditions were frustrated by visa and permit restrictions, but these chal-lenges were gradually overcome and by the 2010s a vibrant programme of joint projects has evolved. Today many foreign specialists work in partnership with Angolan researchers and institutions, producing a new flow of scientific results of which many are presented in this volume.For any comprehensive synthesis, both temporal depth and spatial breadth is necessary. An historical perspective is presented in each chapter. Angolan indige-nous knowledge has contributed to the insights and materials that have informed visiting researchers from the eighteenth century to the present day. The pioneering studies and exhaustive botanical collections of the Austrian botanist, Friedrich Welwitsch (1806–1872), the zoological collections of the indefatigable Portuguese naturalist José Anchieta (1832–1897) and the Swiss botanist John Gossweiler (1873–1952) set benchmarks for later work (Swinscow 1972; de Andrade 1985). Each succeeding student of Angola has added to the description of its biological diversity. While botanists such as Romero Monteiro (1970) and zoologists such as Crawford-Cabral (1983) have summarised available biogeographic information within a national context, no comprehensive synthesis of studies on Angola’s fauna, flora and ecosystems has yet been undertaken. The need for an integrated account has become evident in the past decade, as increasing numbers of expeditions and collaborative projects have evolved as part of the country’s ‘peace dividend’. A modern synthesis is not easily achieved. Much of the early literature on Angola’s biodiversity resides in publications and reports that are difficult to source. This review attempts to reference these important but sometimes elusive accounts, in order to provide students with access to what information is available. While focus-ing on papers in peer-reviewed journals, some topics need to draw on unpublished reports filed in government departments. It also seeks to bring together the findings of recent, post-independence studies, many of which are still in progress or in press. It is intended to serve the new generation of Angolan students by providing a com-prehensive but focused synopsis of what is known on the biomes, landscapes, flora and fauna of Angola. It should also bring Angola to the attention of researchers across Africa and beyond, revealing the great diversity of life, and the multiple questions on the structure and functioning of Angola’s biodiversity that await explo-ration, examination and explanation.

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Ketersediaan

Informasi Detail

Judul Seri

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No. Panggil

577.82 BAP b

Penerbit

Switzerland : Springer Nature., 2019

Deskripsi Fisik

552 hlm

Bahasa

English

ISBN/ISSN

9783030030834

Klasifikasi

577.82

Tipe Isi

text

Tipe Media

computer

Tipe Pembawa

online resource

Edisi

-

Subjek

Ecological Communities

Info Detail Spesifik

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Pernyataan Tanggungjawab

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Versi lain/terkait

Lampiran Berkas

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