THE BIOLOGY OF FROG AND TOAD TADPOLES
2
© 2001 Blackwell Science Ltd. http://www.blackwell-science.com/geb 111 LIBRARY LETTERS Global Ecology & Biogeography (2001) 10 , 111–112 Blackwell Science, Ltd Oxford, UK GEB Global Ecology and Biogeography Letters 1466-822X Blackwell Science, Ltd 10 no issue no. 2001 137 Library Letters Library Letters LIBRARY LETTERS 1 00 Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong GLOBAL CHANGE IN THE ARCTIC RIVIERA Hofgaard, A., Ball, J.P., Danell, K. and Callaghan, T.V. (1999) Animal responses to global change in the north . Ecological Bulletins, no. 47 . Munksgaard International Publishers Ltd, Copenhagen. 187 pp, tables, figs. Hardback: Price US$33.00, DKK 250. ISBN 8 716 16381 8, ISSN 0346 – 6868. This volume arises from a workshop held under the auspices of ARTERI (The Arctic and Alpine Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Initiative) at Abisko in Swedish Lapland. The aim of ARTERI, stated in the preface, is ‘to provide a forum for the exchange of information and the develop- ment of collaboration in European Arctic and alpine terrestrial research and … to develop a theoretical and practical framework for the integra- tion of the research effort.’ Specifically this work- shop set out to ‘bring together many of the relatively few ongoing studies of animal responses to global change in cold regions.’ Given these admirable aims and the alluring title I read this Bulletin with anticipation, but I found several aspects disappointing. The title to begin with is a little misleading. The volume deals with selected responses by a limited range of organisms to aspects of global change in a restricted part of the north. For example, the volume, despite notable excep- tions, deals mainly with the European low Arctic (or alpine regions), the soft underbelly of the Arctic, or as some would have it the Arctic Riviera. Given that global climate change is predicted to be most rapid and most marked in the high Arctic, this is surprising. Similarly, there is nothing on below ground invertebrates, the dominant terrestrial fauna in the far north, despite extens- ive relevant research on Svalbard by British and Norwegian groups. Thus, anyone who is inter- ested in the broader picture, needs to be aware of the proceedings of relevant earlier ARTERI work- shops (see Heal et al. , 1998; Heal, 1999), which are not cross-referenced in the preface or intro- duction. The volume contains some interesting indi- vidual papers covering a range of disparate topics from the response of plant chemistry to UVB, through effects on man-modified landscapes, to the majority of papers that focus on the impact of climate change on particular taxa or on the interactions between trophic levels, especially between animals and plants. The animal groups covered include insects (aphids, sawflies, bark beetles and defoliating Lepidoptera), mammals (voles, reindeer, moose, red deer, chamois and isard) and wading birds. I was particularly intrigued by papers by Post et al . and Loison et al . that linked changes in the survivorship of populations of deer in Scotland and Norway and isard in the Pyrenees to the North Atlantic Oscillation. Similarly, Lindström and Agrell present a broader synthesis of global change and Arctic-breeding waders. Most of the papers, however, despite their individual merits, are more narrowly focused and the workshop objectives, while loosely addressed, often take a back seat. As a collection of individual symposium-style papers this is fine but does it meet the specific objectives of the workshop? Few of the papers address the broader implications and several reit- erate work that is already published elsewhere. I was particularly disappointed by the lack of any- thing really new to emerge by way of general integration, synthesis and hypothesis between participants that could point the way forward. In a workshop of this nature I feel that there needs to be a stronger focus by those taking part on the defined primary theme. Where are the new conceptual ideas and links being developed? This is still a useful book, but I feel that it highlights the problem of ecologists as a functional group. We (myself included) are all very good at ploughing the furrow of our own interest and we all enjoy a good meeting at the end of the day’s ploughing. What we are still not good at is finding and cultivating the common ground and develop- ing the common interest. The well-organized physical scientists still have a lot to teach us when addressing major issues such as global change. Ian Hodkinson School of Biological and Earth Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool, U.K.
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Transcript of THE BIOLOGY OF FROG AND TOAD TADPOLES
© 2001 Blackwell Science Ltd. http://www.blackwell-science.com/geb
111
LIBRARY LETTERS
Global Ecology & Biogeography
(2001)
10
, 111–112
Blackwell Science, LtdOxford, UKGEBGlobal Ecology and Biogeography Letters1466-822XBlackwell Science, Ltd10no issue no.2001137Library LettersLibrary LettersLIBRARY LETTERS100Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong
GLOBAL CHANGE IN THE ARCTIC RIVIERA
Hofgaard, A., Ball, J.P., Danell, K. and Callaghan, T.V.(1999)
Animal responses to global change in thenorth
.
Ecological Bulletins, no. 47
. MunksgaardInternational Publishers Ltd, Copenhagen. 187 pp,tables, figs. Hardback: Price US$33.00, DKK 250.ISBN 8 716 16381 8, ISSN 0346–6868.
This volume arises from a workshop held underthe auspices of ARTERI (The Arctic and AlpineTerrestrial Ecosystems Research Initiative) atAbisko in Swedish Lapland. The aim of ARTERI,stated in the preface, is ‘to provide a forum forthe exchange of information and the develop-ment of collaboration in European Arctic andalpine terrestrial research and … to develop atheoretical and practical framework for the integra-tion of the research effort.’ Specifically this work-shop set out to ‘bring together many of therelatively few ongoing studies of animal responsesto global change in cold regions.’ Given theseadmirable aims and the alluring title I read thisBulletin with anticipation, but I found severalaspects disappointing. The title to begin with isa little misleading. The volume deals with selectedresponses by a limited range of organisms to aspectsof global change in a restricted part of the north.For example, the volume, despite notable excep-tions, deals mainly with the European low Arctic(or alpine regions), the soft underbelly of theArctic, or as some would have it the Arctic Riviera.Given that global climate change is predicted tobe most rapid and most marked in the highArctic, this is surprising. Similarly, there is nothingon below ground invertebrates, the dominantterrestrial fauna in the far north, despite extens-ive relevant research on Svalbard by British andNorwegian groups. Thus, anyone who is inter-ested in the broader picture, needs to be aware ofthe proceedings of relevant earlier ARTERI work-shops (see Heal
et al.
, 1998; Heal, 1999), whichare not cross-referenced in the preface or intro-duction.
The volume contains some interesting indi-vidual papers covering a range of disparate topicsfrom the response of plant chemistry to UVB,
through effects on man-modified landscapes, tothe majority of papers that focus on the impactof climate change on particular taxa or on theinteractions between trophic levels, especiallybetween animals and plants. The animal groupscovered include insects (aphids, sawflies, barkbeetles and defoliating Lepidoptera), mammals(voles, reindeer, moose, red deer, chamois andisard) and wading birds. I was particularlyintrigued by papers by Post
et al
. and Loison
et al
. that linked changes in the survivorship ofpopulations of deer in Scotland and Norwayand isard in the Pyrenees to the North AtlanticOscillation. Similarly, Lindström and Agrellpresent a broader synthesis of global changeand Arctic-breeding waders. Most of the papers,however, despite their individual merits, are morenarrowly focused and the workshop objectives,while loosely addressed, often take a back seat.
As a collection of individual symposium-stylepapers this is fine but does it meet the specificobjectives of the workshop? Few of the papersaddress the broader implications and several reit-erate work that is already published elsewhere. Iwas particularly disappointed by the lack of any-thing really new to emerge by way of generalintegration, synthesis and hypothesis betweenparticipants that could point the way forward. Ina workshop of this nature I feel that there needsto be a stronger focus by those taking part onthe defined primary theme. Where are the newconceptual ideas and links being developed?
This is still a useful book, but I feel that ithighlights the problem of ecologists as a functionalgroup. We (myself included) are all very good atploughing the furrow of our own interest and weall enjoy a good meeting at the end of the day’sploughing. What we are still not good at is findingand cultivating the common ground and develop-ing the common interest. The well-organizedphysical scientists still have a lot to teach us whenaddressing major issues such as global change.
Ian Hodkinson
School of Biological and Earth Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool, U.K.
GEB137.fm Page 111 Wednesday, February 21, 2001 8:43 AM
112
Library Letters
© 2001 Blackwell Science Ltd,
Global Ecology & Biogeography
,
10
, 111–112
REFERENCES
Heal, O.W., ed. (1999) Collected papers on ‘Currentissues in Arctic soil ecology’ arising from a work-shop on global change and tundra biology.
AppliedSoil Ecology
,
11
, 107–187.Heal, O.W., Callaghan, T.V., Cornelissen, J.H.C.,
Korner, C. & Lee, S.E. (1998)
Global Change inEurope’s Cold Regions
. Ecosystems Research Report,no. 27. European Commission, Brussels.
10no issue no.2001137Library LettersLibrary LettersSTRAPLINE: LIBRARY LETTERS100Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong
THE BIOLOGY OF FROG AND TOAD TADPOLES
McDiarmid, R.W. & Altig, R. (eds) (1999)
Tad-poles: the biology of anuran larvae.
University ofChicago Press, Chicago. xiv + 444 pp, figs, tables,index. Hardback: Price £49.00, US$70.00. ISBN0 226 55762 6.
The introduction to
Tadpoles
starts with a quotefrom a commencement address given by Kermitthe Frog: ‘When I was a tadpole growing up inthe swamps, I never imagined that I would oneday address such an outstanding group of scholars’.This quote, and the rather dated cover picture,sets the relaxed and chatty editorial tone for asignificant review volume with chapters by 14authors. Unfortunately the book starts on a verymundane level with a chapter by the editors ontechniques. Do we really need to be told: ‘A goodmicroscope with variable magnification and strong,preferably fiber-optic lights, also of variable inten-sity, are prime requisites’? This material wouldhave been better at the end in an appendix. Theythen deal with the basic body plan and in the lastchapter provide a valuable guide to larval morpho-logy where the limitations of present knowledgeare also discussed.
Cannatella has written the first of three chap-ters with an anatomical slant. It is a clear andwell illustrated account of the cranial and axialmusculoskeleton. Viertel and Richter then describethe viscera and endocrines in a readable accountwith some beautiful diagrams and micrographs.As a tadpole neurobiologist I wished that Lannoo’schapter on nervous and sensory systems had beenfuller. This is a very active area where
Xenopus
isused extensively as a model system in both develop-mental and functional studies on the nervoussystem. However, information on cellular neuro-anatomy is not mentioned. This is specialized
information, but the fact that many tadpoles arelike jellyfish, having excitable skin and a pro-pagated ‘skin impulse’ which tells them aboutstronger noxious stimuli, would surely be ofgeneral interest. An essay on endotrophic anuransby Thibaudeau and Altig leads on to a veryuseful review of physiology, followed by chapterson behaviour and ecology.
There are areas of clear overlap in the materialon behaviour and ecology. For example, canni-balism is dealt with first under behaviour, andI was rather disappointed until I looked in theindex, which led me to the later ecology chapter.What was surprising was the lack of cross-referencing. As one might expect, there are fascinat-ing examples of curious behaviour, such as thatof the Central American frog
Dendrobates pumilo
.Here the mother returns once a week to feedindividual tadpoles she has placed in bromeliadleaf axils by laying an egg after the tadpole hasperformed a special tail-vibrating ‘dance’. Thebehaviour chapter is frustrating at times becausework is cited but the results are not given. I likedAlford’s review of ecology even though it gaveonly a brief mention to one of my favouritestories. Caldwell observed that tadpoles of
Acris
are cryptically coloured in permanent ponds withfish predators, but have a prominent black spoton the end of the tail in temporary ponds wheredragonfly nymphs are the dominant predator.She suggested that the black spot was selected forin temporary ponds as the nymphs will thenstrike at the end of the tail increasing the chancesfor escape by the tadpole. The last chapter beforethe review on diversity is by Harris and is onevolution.
A diverse book about a diverse group willprobably not satisfy anyone, but for all of us whoare interested in tadpoles this is a valuable referencework, which I hope I can persuade my library tobuy. I found the editorial style unselfcritical andlong-winded, but some of the chapters in thisbook will be really useful, including the last syn-thetic chapter on diversity. This is a good bookto consult and dip into to uncover new referencesand interesting stories.
Alan Roberts
School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol Bristol, U.K.
GEB137.fm Page 112 Wednesday, February 21, 2001 8:43 AM
