Complex and diverse, modern ecology is often difficult to introduce to undergraduate students in a way that conveys the excitement and enthusiasm that ecologists feel for their field. In this text, the authors aim to encourage students by adopting a new approach to teaching modern ecology, dividing the field into several distinct subdisciplines, each with its own way of looking at the world... Unique and accessible, Ecology concentrates on the ideas and techniques that separate different concept-based approaches to the study of ecology. It discusses six kinds of ecology: landscape, physiological, ecosystem, population, community, and behavioral, focusing on the kinds of questions ecologists ask about their world rather than on accumulated ecological knowledge. For each type of ecology, the authors explore how it is distinct, the theory and technology involved, and its successes and possibilities for the future. Each chapter discusses the roles of evolution and of modeling in that particular kind of ecology, and also emphasizes that there are important questions ecologists do not yet have the answers to. These questions encourage students to consider pursuing the study of ecology because there is still much significant work to be done. The authors, all experts in specific areas of ecology, strive to inspire students by communicating the excitement they feel about their respective fields of study and by actively involving students in the learning process. The discussions are set in the context of the human relationship to nature and include practical applications of ecology, such as resource management and conservation. Easily accessible to undergraduate students in general ecology, this brief, up-to-date, and lucidly written text is an ideal starting place for learning ecology. It sets ecology in its cultural context and encourages students to see ecology happening all around them, opening their eyes to the wide range of possibilities in the field and providing them with a firm basis for further reading and for choosing advanced courses and careers. The text will soon be enhanced by helpful supplemental material: the authors are currently in the process of developing a website (which will include the art from the book, lab and field experiments, data sets, and sample tests) and a book of readings to accompany the text.

Ecology

Science & Math

Dodson, Stanley I.

Carpenter, Stephen R.

Ives, Anthony R.

Jeanne, Robert L.

Kitchell, James F.

Langston, Nancy E.

Turner, Monica G.

Allen, Timothy F.H.

Biological Sciences

Oxford University Press

Landscape ecology as a modern interdisciplinary science is making use increasingly of quantitative research techniques adopted from other fields. So far, no synthetic reference has been available to those wishing to acquaint themselves with new approaches to quantitative analysis of spatial heterogeneity at the landcape level. This book seeks to meet this need by providing a conceptual framework and illustrating potential applications for methods such as pattern analysis, spatial statistics, fractals, spatial modeling, broad-scale studies, and extrapolation across scales. Each technique is discussed in sufficient detail to be adaptable to a variety of research problems. Quantitative Methods in Landscape Ecology is an important resource for researchers and students of landscape and ecosystem ecology in understanding and analyzing the dynamics of complex spatial systems.

Quantitative Methods in Landscape Ecology: The Analysis and Interpretation of Landscape Heterogeneity (Ecological Studies)

Springer

An ideal text for students taking a course in landscape ecology. The book has been written by very well-known practitioners and pioneers in the new field of ecological analysis. Landscape ecology has emerged during the past two decades as a new and exciting level of ecological study. Environmental problems such as global climate change, land use change, habitat fragmentation and loss of biodiversity have required ecologists to expand their traditional spatial and temporal scales and the widespread availability of remote imagery, geographic information systems, and desk top computing has permitted the development of spatially explicit analyses. In this new text book this new field of landscape ecology is given the first fully integrated treatment suitable for the student. Throughout, the theoretical developments, modeling approaches and results, and empirical data are merged together, so as not to introduce barriers to the synthesis of the various approaches that constitute an effective ecological synthesis. The book also emphasizes selected topic areas in which landscape ecology has made the most contributions to our understanding of ecological processes, as well as identifying areas where its contributions have been limited. Each chapter features questions for discussion as well as recommended reading.

Landscape Ecology in Theory and Practice: Pattern and Process

Politics & Social Sciences

Gardner, Robert H.

O'Neill, Robert V.

Social Sciences

Textbook with a synthetic treatment of contemporary landscape ecology, geared toward ecologists and graduate students. Places an emphasis on the interaction between spatial pattern and ecological process.

This work provides in-depth analysis of the origins of landscape ecology and its close alignment with the understanding of scale, the causes of landscape pattern, and the interactions of spatial pattern with a variety of ecological processes. The text covers the quantitative approaches that are applied widely in landscape studies, with emphasis on their appropriate use and interpretation.
The field of landscape ecology has grown rapidly during this period, its concepts and methods have matured, and the published literature has increased exponentially. Landscape research has enhanced understanding of the causes and consequences of spatial heterogeneity and how these vary with scale, and they have influenced the management of natural and human-dominated landscapes. Landscape ecology is now considered mainstream, and the approaches are widely used in many branches of ecology and are applied not only in terrestrial settings but also in aquatic and marine systems. In response to these rapid developments, an updated edition of Landscape Ecology in Theory and Practice provides a synthetic overview of landscape ecology, including its development, the methods and techniques that are employed, the major questions addressed, and the insights that have been gained.”

Reference

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