Environmental biology is a study in the conditions of life; these conditions impact the life within it. The conditions of life are not limited to the present time; environmental biology has applications to any time in the history (or future) of any place on earth (or beyond). The environment sets limits on the life within it. The loss of habitat is the loss of the conditions of life; that is, loss of habitat is really loss of the conditions of existence necessary for the life within. The loss of habitat is the primary cause of extinction. This book clearly identifies why habitat destruction is the primary cause of extinction, not only for today, but for all time. It establishes that the degree of habitat destruction is directly proportional to the degree of past extinction event severity. Habitat destruction creates changing, isolated environments, which seem to be a component of both destructive and creative evolutionary change.
Prologue
Overview
Retrospective
Beyond Ancient History
The Atmosphere
Milankovitch Cycle(s)
Climate
Major Environmental Extinction Events
Extinction Events Initiate Change
Chicken Little Was Right
Fire Down Below
Constant Extinction
Ecological Succession
Extinction Event Significance
Environmental Extinction and Environmental Creation
Environmental Creation Significance
The Rest of the Story
Environmentally AND Genetically Determined Evolution
Alone
Genetic Perspective
Genotype and Phenotype
Alleles
Mutation
Phenotype and Environment
Genetic Constraint
Genetic Variation
Environmental Adaptation
A Foundation of Modern Evolutionary Biology
Difficulties on Theory
Environmentally-Determined Evolution?
Macroevolution and Microevolution
Philosophy of Genetic Mechanisms
Biochemistry of Genetic Mechanisms
Primary Production
Respiration
Ecosystem Energy Flow
Common Ground
Biodiversity
Habitat Diversity
Overpopulation
Humanity
Do the Math
The Ongoing Losses
A Choice
Epilogue
Environment and Evolution Questions
Human Population and Resource Questions
References
Index
Biography
Hilleman, Terry Bruce