The Biology of Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems

In her research, Professor Karen J. Esler simultaneously navigates disciplinary depths in ecology to work across disciplines, allowing her to contribute to inter-disciplinary and applied spaces. Her goal is to understand how drivers of change influence population and community structure and processes in mediterranean-type ecosystems, arid ecosystems, and riparian vegetation. The applied aspect of this work has been to develop and translate best-practice advice for management, restoration, and conservation. She is head of the Department of Conservation Ecology & Entomology at Stellenbosch University and a core team member of the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology. Professor Esler is the South African representative on the International Society for Mediterranean Ecology, and a member of the International Cooperative for the Management of Mediterranean-Climate Ecosystems (INCOMME)Dr. Anna L. Jacobsen's research examines plant structure and function, with a focus on woody plant anatomy and hydraulic transport. She has conducted research in arid and semi-arid shrub communities in both California and South Africa, with much of her research examining mediterranean-type plants and their responses to both drought and fire. As part of her research and as an active attendee of MEDECOS meetings, she has visited all five global MTEs and has participated in several global collaborative research projects. She has published numerous scholarly articles in her areas of expertise.Dr. Brandon Pratt is a plant ecophysiologist whose work focuses on mediterranean-type ecosystems. He has worked in both California and South Africa studying adaptations of shrub species to drought, fire, and the unique mediterranean-type environment. His work has been funded by the Andrew Mellon Foundation and the National Science Foundation, USA. As a professor, he teaches plant ecophysiology, ecosystems ecology, California natural history, and general botany at California State University, Bakersfield. He has regularly attended the mediterranean-ecosystems (MEDECOS) conferences since 2004.

• 1: Introduction2: Characteristics of Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems3: Organisms and their Interactions4: Diversity and Community Structure5: Evolution and Diversity6: Form and Function of Mediterranean Shrublands7: Ecosystems Processes8: Transformation9: Planning for the Future

The authors have done a great job in combining well-established concepts with recent novel research in topics associated with ecology (ecosystem, community, and functional ecology) and evolutionary biology. This combination provides a highly interesting review for those more experienced researchers who focus on exploring in depth the processes driving the similitudes and differences of these unique ecosystems. For myself, this book makes me ponder new questions while traveling by train through Mediterranean mixed-oak forests in south Spain.