Elements of Ecology

by Smith, Robert Leo; Smith, Thomas M.

• ISBN13: 9780321042965
• ISBN10: 0321042964
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-12-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

With its unique modular organization and striking four-color art program, Elements of Ecology provides a clear introduction to ecology. Far reaching in its coverage, the Fourth Edition Update not only presents the principles of ecology but shows their relationship to today's most pressing environmental issues in a way that is meaningful to students. NewEcological Application essays synthesize concepts to illustrate their relevance to real-life problems. Chapter 26, Global Environmental Change has been revised to incorporate new research from this rapidly changing field. New Elements of Ecology Companion Website includes student and instructor resources geared specifically to the text.

Table of Contents

PART I WHAT IS ECOLOGY?	1	(28)
The Nature of Ecology	2	(7)
The Organism and its Environment	9	(11)
Key Processes of Exchange	20	(9)
Ecological Application: How a Lack of Mushrooms Helped Power the Industrial Revolution	I-A
PART II CONDITIONS FOR LIFE	29	(96)
Climate	30	(13)
Light	43	(12)
Temperature	55	(16)
Moisture	71	(14)
Periodicity	85	(11)
Nutrients	96	(13)
Soil	109	(16)
Ecological Application: St. Patrick and the Absence of Snakes in Ireland	II-A
PART III POPULATIONS	125	(142)
Properties of Populations	126	(10)
Life History Patterns	136	(13)
Population Growth	149	(16)
Intraspecific Population Regulation	165	(12)
Interspecific Competition	177	(15)
Predation	192	(16)
Parasitism and Mutualism	208	(16)
Human Interactions with Natural Populations	224	(18)
Population Genetics and Speciation	242	(25)
Ecological Application: The Complete Receipe for Apple Pie	III-A
PART IV COMMUNITIES	267	(46)
Community Structure	268	(11)
Community Dynamics	279	(23)
Processes Shaping Communities	302	(11)
Ecological Application: Asteroids, Bulldozers, and Biodiversity	IV-A
PART V ECOSYSTEMS	313	(76)
Production in Ecosystems	314	(14)
Trophic Structure	328	(14)
Biogeochemical Cycles	342	(21)
Global Environmental Change	363	(26)
Ecological Application: Time to Rethink the Lawn	V-A
PART VI A GUIDE TO ECOSYSTEMS	389
Introduction: Ecosystem Patterns	390	(6)
Grasslands and Savannas	396	(12)
Shrublands and Deserts	408	(11)
Tundra and Taiga	419	(11)
Temperate Forests	430	(12)
Tropical Forests	442	(9)
Lakes and Ponds	451	(12)
Freshwater Wetlands	463	(11)
Streams and Rivers	474	(13)
Oceans	487	(11)
Intertidal Zones and Coral Reefs	498	(10)
Estuaries, Salt Marshes, and Mangrove Forests	508
Ecological Application: Time is on Their Side	VI-A