Instant Notes in Ecology

About this book

Contents include:- Introduction to ecology; The organism and its environment; Adaptation; The Niche; Climate; Population ecology; Competition; Predation; Parasitism; Mutualism; Behavioural ecology; Population genetics; Ecosystems and communities; Applied ecology; Conservation; Harvesting; Air pollution.

Contents

Section A - INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY. What is ecology?. Ten rules in ecology. Section B - ADAPTATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT. Adaptation. Coping with environmental variation. The niche. Section C - CLIMATE. Solar radiation and climate. Microclimate. Section D - WATER. The properties of water. Plants and water. Animals and water. Section E - TEMPERATURE. 4Temperature and metabolism. Responses to temperature. Temperature and species distribution Section F - RADIATION. Solar radiation and plants. Section G - NUTRIENTS. Sources and cycles. Plants and consumers. Soil formation, properties and classification. Section H - POPULATION ECOLOGY. Populations and population structure. Natality, morality and population growth. Density and density dependence. Population dynamics - fluctuations, cycles and chaos. Section I - COMPETITION. The nature of competition. Intraspecific competition. Resource partitioning. Section J - PREDATION. The nature of predation. Predator behavior and prey response. Section K - PARASITISM. The nature of parasitism. The dynamics of parasitism. Section L - MUTUALISM. Mutualism. Section M - LIFE HISTORY PATTERNS. Life history. Section N - BEHAVIOURAL ECOLOGY. Social group, cooperation and altruism. Sex in ecology. Section O - POPULATION GENETICS. Genetic variation. Speciation. Section P - ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES. Components and processes. Primary and secondary production. Food chains. Section Q - COMMUNITIES. The community, structure and stability. Island communities and colonization. Community patterns, competition and predation. Section R - COMMUNITY DYNAMICS. Succession. Community responses to disturbance. BIOMES. Ecosystem patterns. Grasslands. Tundra. Forests. Deserts, semi-deserts and shrubland. Saltwater biomes. Freshwater biomes. Section S - HARVESTING. Harvesting theory. Fishing and whaling. Section T - PEST CONTROL. The pest problem and control strategies. Pesticides and problems. Biological control and integrated pest management. Section U - CONSERVATION. Rare species, habit loss and extinction. Conservation strategies. Biological resources and gene banks. Section V - POLLUTION AND GLOBAL WARMING Air, water and soil pollutants. Greenhouse gases and global warming. Ozone. Section W- THE ECOLOGY OF AGRICULTURE. Soil erosion and agriculture. Nutrient, water and energy use

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