Community Ecology. is a book for graduate students, researchers, and advancedundergraduates seeking a broad, up-to-date coverage of ecological concepts atthe community level. Community ecology has undergone a transformation in recent years, from a discipline largely focused on processes occurring within a local area to a discipline encompassing a much richer domain of study, includingthe linkages between communities separated in space (metacommunity dynamics),niche and neutral theory, the interplay between ecology and evolution (eco-evolutionary dynamics), and the influence of historical and regional processes in shaping patterns of biodiversity. To fully understand these new developments, however, students need a strong foundation in the study of species interactions and how these interactions are assembled into food webs and other ecological networks. Both 'new' and 'traditional' aspects of community ecology are covered in the book's five sections: The Big Picture: Patterns, Causes, and Consequences of Biodiversity . The Nitty-Gritty: Species Interactions in Simple Modules . Putting the Pieces Together: Food Webs and Ecological Networks . Spatial Ecology: Metapopulations and Metacommunities . Species in Changing Environments: Ecology and Evolution. Applied aspects of community ecology (e.g. resource harvesting, invasive species, community restoration) are treated throughout the book as natural extensions of basic theoretical and empirical work. Theoretical concepts are developed using simple equations, and there is an emphasis on the graphical presentation of ideas. Each chapter concludes with a summary. INDICE: Preface.Introduction.PART I: THE BIG PICTURE: PATTERNS, CAUSES, AND CONSEQUENCES OF BIODIVERSITY .Biodiversity at Local and Regional Scales.Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning.PART II: THE NITTY-GRITTY: A MECHANISTIC LOOK AT SPECIES INTERACTIONS IN SIMPLE MODULES .Population Growth.Predation: TheFundamentals of Predator-Prey Interactions.Predation: Selective Predators andResponsive Prey.Interspecific Competition.Competition in Nature: Empirical Patterns and Tests of Theory.Beneficial Interactions in Communities: Mutualism and Facilitation.PART III: PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER: FOOD WEBS AND ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS .Species Interactions in Ecological Networks.Food Chains and Food Webs: Controlling Factors and Cascading Effects.PART IV: SPATIAL ECOLOGY: METAPOPULATIONS AND METACOMMUNITIES .Spatial Ecology: Patchy Environments, Metapopulations and Fugitive Species.Spatial Ecology: Metacommunities and the Neutral Theory.PARTV: CHANGING ENVIRONMENTS AND CHANGING SPECIES .Species in Variable Environments.Interaction of Ecological and Evolutionary Processes.Conclusions and Future Directions .
- ISBN: 978-0-87893-509-3
- Editorial: Sinauer
- Encuadernacion: Cartoné
- Páginas: 350
- Fecha Publicación: 29/07/2012
- Nº Volúmenes: 1
- Idioma: Desconocido