Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 290 pages
- Published by: Sinauer Associates, Inc.
- Edition: 4th Edition May 30, 2008
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0878933182
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0878933181
-
Book Dimensions:
8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
- Weighs: 1 pounds
Product Description
A Primer of Ecology, Third Edition, presents a concise but detailed exposition of the most common mathematical models in population and community ecology. It is intended to demystify ecological models and the mathematics behind them by deriving the models from first principles. The book may be used as a self-teaching tutorial by students, as a primary textbook, or as a supplemental text to a general ecology textbook.
The Primer explains in detail basic concepts of exponential and logistic population growth, age-structured demography, metapopulation dynamics, competition, predation, island biogeography, and, in a chapter new to this edition, succession. Each chapter is carefully graded from simple material that is appropriate for beginning undergraduates to advanced material, which is suited for upper-division undergraduates and beginning graduate students. Advanced topics include environmental and demographic stochasticity, discrete population growth and chaos, stage-structured demography, intraguild predation, nonlinear predator-prey isoclines, and passive sampling. Each chapter follows the same structure: model presentation and predictions, model assumptions, model variations, empirical examples, and problems.
Essential equations are highlighted for students' use. Intermediate algebraic "expressions" are also illustrated so that students see where the equations came from. New terms are introduced in the text in boldface type to alert students to novel concepts. The Primer contains more mathematical detail than many ecology textbooks, but avoids jargon and mathematical terminology that can intimidate students. Both simple and advanced problems are included, followed by fully worked solutions so that students can gain confidence and a better understanding of the models. Citations are kept to a minimum.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Reader Reviews
This review is from: A Primer of Ecology (Paperback)
Four and one half stars. Dr. Gotelli's book is the most successful which I am familiar at "demystifying" the mathematical concepts in ecology. "A primer of ecology" is very well organized and written so as not to frighten off the uninitiated, but covers the mathematics well enough to be an adequate refresher for those that have slipped in some areas. The inclusion of ecological succession in the 3rd edition is an important addition and not merely a reason to put out a new version. I highly recommend this text to anyone who is interested in learning about ecological study, and I think it would make an excellent senior undergraduate or supplemental graduate text.
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