Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation The Freshwater Fish of Tropical Africa

About this book

Tropical systems are amongst the most diverse and most threatened globally, but the diversity of freshwaters are poorly understood. This comprehensive book uses the fish of tropical African systems to show how these systems evolved, what holds them together, and what is tearing them apart.

Contents

Introduction; Acknowledgements; Part I. The Diversity of African Freshwater Fish: 1. The diversity and variability of freshwater ecosystems in tropical Africa; 2. The fish fauna of Africa; 3. Genetic diversity and mechanisms of speciation; Part II. The Past as a Key to Understanding the Present: 4. Species diversity: evolution at work; 5. Classification of diversity; 6. Chance and challenge in a changing environment; Part III. The Diverse Lifestyles of African Freshwater Fish: 7. Diversity of growth and feeding behaviours; 8. Diversity of reproductive strategies and life histories; 9. Diversity of responses to environmental constraints; Part IV. Dynamics of Fish Assemblages: 10. Fish assemblages in tropical Africa; 11. Equilibrium processes of species richness and diversity; 12. Diversity of habitats, temporal change and assemblage dynamics; 13. Fish diversity and ecosystem functioning; Part V. Conservation of Biodiversity: 14. The threats to fish biodiversity; 15. The economic role of fish biodiversity; 16. Conservation options; Bibliography; Species index; Subject index.

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