Introduction to Population Ecology

Download or read book Introduction to Population Ecology written by Larry L. Rockwood and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2015-04-07 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduction to Population Ecology, 2ndEdition is a comprehensive textbook covering all aspectsof population ecology. It uses a wide variety of field andlaboratory examples, botanical to zoological, from the tropics tothe tundra, to illustrate the fundamental laws of populationecology. Controversies in population ecology are brought fully upto date in this edition, with many brand new and revised examplesand data. Each chapter provides an overview of how population theory hasdeveloped, followed by descriptions of laboratory and field studiesthat have been inspired by the theory. Topics explored includesingle-species population growth and self-limitation, lifehistories, metapopulations and a wide range of interspecificinteractions including competition, mutualism, parasite-host,predator-prey and plant-herbivore. An additional final chapter, newfor the second edition, considers multi-trophic and other complexinteractions among species. Throughout the book, the mathematics involved is explained with astep-by-step approach, and graphs and other visual aids are used to present a clear illustration of how themodels work. Such features make this an accessible introduction topopulation ecology; essential reading for undergraduate andgraduate students taking courses in population ecology, appliedecology, conservation ecology, and conservation biology, includingthose with little mathematical experience.