Essentials of Ecology

About this book

Essentials of Ecology presents introductory ecology in an accessible, state-of-the-art format designed to cultivate the novice student's understanding of and fascination with the natural world. In a concise, engaging style, this text outlines the essential principles of ecology from the theoretical fundamentals to their practical applications. Full color artwork, simple pedagogical features and a wide range of carefully-chosen examples make Essentials of Ecology an ideal introduction to ecology for students at all levels.

New to this edition:
- Dramatic changes have been made to the art program, freshened up with new “thought bubbles” that highlight the important takeaways from complex figures.
- Structural changes to the text (now 5 sections instead of 4) and expansion of certain topics, but maintained accessible text length.
- Expanded coverage of ecosystem science and biogeochemistry, including extensive attention to both terrestrial and aquatic ecology and how ecological principles apply equally to both types of environments.
- Hundreds of new studies added to demonstrate both fundamental and applied aspects of ecology.

Contents

Part I Introduction
 1     Ecology and how to do it
 2     Ecology’s evolutionary backdrop

Part II Conditions and Resources
 3     Physical conditions and the availability of resources
 4     Climate and the world’s biomes

Part III Individuals and Populations, Communities and Ecosystems
 5     Birth, death and movement
 6     Interspecific competition
 7     Predation, grazing and disease
 8     Molecular and evolutionary ecology
 
Part IV Communities and Ecosystems
 9     From populations to communities
10     Patterns in species richness
11     The flux of energy and matter through ecosystems
 
Part V Applied Issues in Ecology
12     Global biogeochemical cycles and their alteration by humans
13     Conservation ecology
14    The ecology of human population growth, disease, and food supply

Customer Reviews

Biography

Michael Begon is Professor of Ecology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Liverpool. He has authored several books in addition to Ecology and around 150 research articles. His current research interests are focused on the population ecology of pathogens in wildlife populations.

Colin R. Townsend is the Director of the Ecology, Conservation and Biodiversity Research Group at the University of Otago. He has published over 150 ecology papers and books, including the best-selling and award-winning Ecology, 4th Edition, with co-authors Michael Begon and John L. Harper. He is also co-editor of the international journal Freshwater Biology.