Hughes, Terry P. (2000) Geology and ecology of coral reefs: book review of "Reef Evolution" by Rachel Wood, 1999, Oxford University Press. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 15 (3). p. 125.

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Abstract

[Extract] Ecologists and paleontologists tend to have a different view of the world. This is particularly obvious when the research interests of the two groups converge on the same system (e.g. studies of coral reefs and their fossil analogues). Ecologists, like the proverbial blind man touching an elephant, work at small scales that might not reveal the whole picture. Their perception is that reefs are dynamic, undergoing frequent local extinctions from cyclones and other disturbances at a timescale of a few years. However, paleontologists and geologists often express the view that reefs are remarkably stable and resilient systems, changing little for hundreds of thousands of years or longer. Of course, both perceptions are equally correct and equally wrong; the disparity between them is driven largely by the spatial and temporal scales of the different disciplines.

Item ID:	26675
Item Type:	Article (Book Review)
ISSN:	1872-8383
Date Deposited:	25 Jun 2013 03:54
FoR Codes:	06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0602 Ecology > 060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology) @ 100%
SEO Codes:	96 ENVIRONMENT > 9608 Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity > 960808 Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity @ 100%
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