The Ecological World ViewThis new textbook fills an important niche by offering a lively overview of the principles of ecology for a broad audience including college level science and biology students as well as readers interested in the fundamentals of ecological science. Filled with many vivid examples of topic issues and current events, The Ecological World View develops a basic understanding of how the natural world works and of how humans interact with the planet's natural ecosystems. It briefly and lucidly covers the history of ecology and describes the general approaches of the scientific method, then takes a wide-ranging look at basic principles of population dynamics and applies them to everyday practical problems. Each chapter is devoted to an important environmental story that has been covered in the media in order to illustrate how the science works in real situations. |
Contents
GEOGRAPHIC ECOLOGY | 19 |
WHAT LIMITS GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION? | 41 |
2 | 44 |
3 | 74 |
Summary | 82 |
2 | 93 |
POPULATION DYNAMICSABUNDANCE IN TIME | 111 |
NEGATIVE SPECIES INteractionsPREDATION HERBIVORY AND COMPETITION | 131 |
COMMUNITY DYNAMICSFOOD WEBS | 275 |
COMMUNITY DYNAMICSDISTURBANCE ECOLOGY | 307 |
ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGYENERGY FLOWS AND PRODUCTION | 339 |
ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGYNUTRIENT RECYCLING | 365 |
LANDSCAPE ECOLOGYINTERMINGLED ECOSYSTEMS | 395 |
HARVESTING POPULATIONSHOW TO FISH SUSTAINABLY | 421 |
WHY WE CANNOT ELIMINATE PESTS | 449 |
ENDANGERED SPECIES AND ECOSYSTEMS | 479 |
NEGATIVE SPECIES INTERACTIONSINFECTION AND PARASITISM | 151 |
POSITIVE INTERACTION BETWEEN SPECIESMUTUALISM AND COMMENSALISM | 171 |
POPULATION REGULATION AND THE BALANCE OF NATURE | 189 |
COMMUNITY DYNAMICSSUCCESSION | 213 |
COMMUNITY DYNAMICSBIODIVERSITY | 245 |
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Common terms and phrases
abundance agricultural algae areas Australia average biodiversity biological control biomass birds carbon cause climate change competition conservation conservation biology coral reef crop decline density disease dispersal disturbance diversity dynamics ecological ecologists ecosystems effects energy environment environmental equilibrium example extinction factors feed Figure fish fishery food web food webs forest freshwater genetic global grazing growth habitat harvesting herbivores human hypothesis impact important increase individuals insect interactions islands keystone species lake land landscape landscape ecology limiting mammals marine maximum sustainable yield measured mortality natural niche nitrogen North America number of species nutrient cycling occur ocean organisms parasites patches pathogens pest phosphorus photo courtesy phytoplankton pine population density predators predict primary production problem reduced region reproductive restoration ecology scale seedlings seeds soil species richness stable succession survival temperature terrestrial tion trees trophic level tropical variable vegetation virus whales zooplankton