Essentials of Ecology, 3rd Edition

by Colin R. Townsend (Conservation and Biodiversity Research Group at Otago, New Zealand); Michael Begon (University of Liverpool); John L. Harper (University of Exeter)

• ISBN13: 9781444305340
• ISBN10: 1444305344
• Format: eBook
• Copyright: 2009-03-01
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

This textbook 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 this book an ideal introduction to ecology for students at all levels.The third edition of this successful text is much more than a simple update, reflecting the vibrancy of the field. With hundreds of new examples, it contains for the first time a separate chapter on evolutionary ecology, with all other chapters, especially those on applied aspects, having been extensively revised and re-written. The new edition also features new artwork and an enhanced design, making this book as attractive as it is up-to-date and relevant.Outstanding features of the third edition of Essentials of Ecology include: Dedicated website - available at www.blackwellpublishing.com/townsend, featuring study resources and web research questions Key Concepts - summarized at the beginning of each chapter History boxes outlining key landmarks in the development of ecology Quantitative boxes - allowing mathematical aspects of ecology to be explained clearly without interrupting the flow of the text Topical ECOncerns boxes - highlighting ethical, social and political questions in ecology Review questions - included at the end of each chapter

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction:

Ecology and how to do it

Introduction

Scales, diversity and rigor

Ecology in practice

Ecology's evolutionary backdrop

Introduction

Evolution by natural selection

Evolution within species

The ecology of speciation

Effects of climatic change on the evolution and distribution of species

Effects of continental drift on the ecology of evolution

Interpreting the results of evolution: convergents and parallels

Conditions and Resources:

Physical conditions and the availability of resources

Introduction

Environmental conditions

Plant resources

Animals and their resources

Effects of intraspecific competition for resources

Conditions, resources and the ecological niche

Conditions, resources and the world's communities

Introduction

Geographic patterns at large and small scales

Temporal patterns in conditions and resources

Terrestrial biomes

Aquatic environments

Individuals, Populations, Communities and Ecosystems:

Birth, death and movement

Introduction

Life cycles

Monitoring birth and death: life tables and fecundity schedules

Dispersal and migration

The impact of intraspecific competition on populations

Life history patterns

Interspecific competition

Introduction

Ecological effects of interspecific competition

Evolutionary effects of interspecific competition

Interspecific competition and community structure

How significant is interspecific competition in practice?

Predation, grazing and disease

Introduction

Prey fitness and abundance

The subtleties of predation

Predator behaviour: foraging and transmission

Population dynamics of predation

Predation and community structure

Evolutionary ecology

Introduction

Molecular ecology: differentiation within and between species

Coevolutionary arms races

Mutualistic interactions

From populations to communities

Introduction

Multiple determinants of the dynamics of populations

Dispersal, patches and metapopulation dynamics

Temporal patterns in community composition

Food webs

Patterns in species richness

Introduction

A simple model of species richness

Spatially varying factors that influence species richness

Temporally varying factors that influence species richness

Gradients of species richness

Patterns in taxon richness in the fossil record

Appraisal of patterns in species richness

The flux of energy and matter through ecosystems

Introduction

Primary productivity

The fate of primary productivity

The process of decomposition

The flux of matter through ecosystems

Global biogeochemical cycles

Applied Issues in Ecology:

Sustainability

Introduction

The population 'problem'

Harvesting living resources from the wild

The farming of monocultures

Pest control

Integrated farming systems

Forecasting agriculturally driven global environmental change

Habitat degradation

Introduction

Degradation via cultivation

Power generation and its diverse effects

Degradation in urban and industrial landscapes

Maintenance and restoration of ecosystem services

Conservation

Introduction

Threats to biodiversity

Conservation in practice

Conservation in a changing world

Finale

References

Index

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