Overall Score:

Target Readership	Undergrad+					For help with criteria, click here
Presentation/Style
Content
Literature
Originality
Overall

Return to main review page

Contents:

Estimating rates of gene flow in endemic butterfly races; 2 - Virus transmission and gene flow between two species of the Dutch Elm disease fungi...;3 - The population genetic consequences of range expansion; 4 - A genetic perspective of Drosophila melanogaster latitudinal body size clines; 5 - Spatial geometry determines gene flow in plant populations; 6 - Measuring genetic variation in wild populations; 7 - Have recent developments in molecular techniques led to greater insight into evolutionary and ecological processes in plant populations?; 8- The role of methylotrophic bacteria for understanding biogeochemical cycling; 9 - Microbiological basis of land use impact on the soil methane sink; 10 - Molecular genetic analysis of the ammonia-ozidizing bacterial community in a defined hypereutrophic freshwater lake ; 11 - The influence of selection pressures on species diversity, functional gene diversity and activity of ammonia-oxydizing bacteria; 12 - Mutualistic interactions amongst viruses?; 13 - The ecology of turnip mosaic virus in wild populations of Brasica species; 14 - The molecular evolution of host specificity in the rhizobium-legume symbiosis; 15 - The existence and persistence of phenotypic variation in nucleopolyhedrovirus populations; 16 - Host dynamics and pathogen variation in insect-baculovirus interactions; 17 - The ecological significance of symbiotic microorganisms in animals.

Review:

Although ecology continues to give us great insights about our environment, some areas are more dynamic than others. In terms of fundamentals, gene studies are some of the most crucial research programmes being conducted. There is general agreement about the importance of genetic research to ecology even if there is disagreement in the detail. What's more interesting is the way the topic has flourished from a few ideas only 15 years ago to a standard undergraduate element in ecology programmes. It follows that we need to be alerted to key elements of the topic. This BES symposium volume is an attempt to do this.

The text is divided into three parts. The first deals with gene flow and spatial dynamics. Once we look at the genetic structure of organisms (and especially if we subsequently use that to aid classification) the notion of species becomes increasingly problematic. It is possible to argue for genetic diversity as well as (or possibly instead of) biological diversity. If we are to understand population changes from adaptation to evolution then we need a way of charting the movement of genetic material (gene flow) in an species. Often this means studying the individual populations (i.e metapopulations) that make up a species. From this, it should be possible to work out how, and how fast, genetic variation flows between and within metapopulations. It we know this then we can better understand speciation (and possibly extinction). The 7 chapters in this part cover a wide range of topics. The first two chapters focus most on gene flow in, respectively, butterflies and fungi. Mostly, we work on population reductions because this is what we see more of but, as chapter three notes, there are consequences for expanding your range as well. Genetic changes can also affect physical characteristics such as body size. Charting this (chapter four) helps us understand life history and ecology. Chapter five turns to the physical environment in considering the impact of space and patterning on gene flow. The final two chapters examine the use of molecular techniques and concepts in the studying of gene flow Part two deals with soil and water microbial populations. Microbes are easier to study than many organisms allowing us powerful insights into species development (chapter 8). Changes in land use can affect the microbiology of the soil. Chapter 9 explores some of the potential problems and prospects that can be involved. Many studies can be carried out in laboratory conditions (chapters 9 and 11) but some still require fieldwork as chapter 10 reminds us. Part three looks at host-pathogen interactions. The notion of antagonism between species is immediately challenged by chapter 12 which argues for some mutual interaction between viruses. There is no mutualism between the mosaic virus and wild turnips. Here, the conclusions seem to indicate that reaction (or resistance) to viruses can have considerable genetic consequences. Chapter 13 takes another turn in looking at molecular patterns, this time in turnip viruses. It must be remembered that genetics can also permit changes in basic organism structure and function (chapter 14). After reports on work looking at pathogen genetics (chapters 15 and 16) we reach the conclusion which argues strongly for micro-organisms and their survival.

Overall, this is very much a specialist text for undergraduates and above. It highlights the strides being made in ecological genetics and outlines the ways in which such research can aid our understanding.