Natural Enemies The Population Biology of Predators, Parasites and Diseases

by Crawley, Michael J.

• ISBN13: 9780632026982
• ISBN10: 0632026987
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1992-11-03
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

This book is about disease and death. It is an ecologist's view of Darwin's vivid evocation of Nature, red in tooth and claw. An international team of authors examines broad patterns in the population biology of natural enemies, and addresses general questions about the role of natural enemies in the population dynamics and evolution of their prey. For instance, how do large natural enemies like wolves differ from small natural enemies like bacterial diseases in their effects on prey abundance? Is it better to chase after prey, or sit and wait for it to come to you? How should prey behave in order to minimize the risk of being eaten? The answers are all in this fascinating senior undergraduate/postgraduate text.

Author Biography

Michael J. Crawley, FRS, is with the Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. He is the author of three bestselling Wiley statistics titles and five life science books.

Table of Contents

Background

Evolution of exploiter - victim relationships

Correlates of carnivory: approaches and answers

Population dynamics of natural enemies and their prey

Foraging theory

Population biology of natural enemies

Large carnivores

Birds of prey

Insectivorous mammals

Marine mammals

Marine invertebrates

Predatory arthropods

Bloodsucking arthropods

Spiders as representative sit-and-wait predators

Macroparasites: worms and others

Macroparasites: viruses and bacteria

Synthesis

Predator psychology and the evolution of prey coloration

Natural enemies and community dynamics

Biological control

The dynamics of predator-prey and resource-harvester systems

Prey defence and predator foraging

Overview

References

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.