Elements of Mathematical Ecology

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 464 pages
• Published by: Cambridge University Press August 6, 2001
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0521001501
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0521001502
• Book Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Weighs: 2.2 pounds

Product Review
"[T]his book is funuseful and interesting" Northeastern Naturalist

"Mark Kot has written a superb introduction to many aspects of population ecology, covering spatially structured, age-structured, and sex-structured models The treatment is interesting, and represents a genuine stimulus to keep going, even for an ecologist! Yet, the real excitement is invariably in the mathematics Kot's new book represents an exemplary introduction to the mathematics behind population biology." Robert van Hulst, Ecoscience

"I cannot emphasize this enough, Kot's explanations are outstandingly clear. He presents, step by step, the calculations that are required to analyze the models that underlie population ecology. This is a valuable book. Ecology is becoming more quantitative and more dynamic, not less, and Kot's book fills the need for a rigorous, graduate-level textbook in mathematical population ecology, and does it very well." The Quarterly Review of Biology

"Elements of Mathematical Ecology is a thorough and imminently readable technical introduction to the discipline, and is highly recommended." Acta Biotheoretica

"Kot offers a solid introduction to applied mathematical ecology, especially as it relates to population ecology. Unusual for such a work, this one is written clearly and much of the writing is accessible even to those without a strong math background. [S]tudents and researchers in population, applied population, and mathematical ecology will find this book highly useful." Choice

Product Description
Elements of Mathematical Ecology provides an introduction to classical and modern mathematical models, methods, and issues in population ecology. The first part of the book is devoted to simple, unstructured population models that ignore much of the variability found in natural populations for the sake of tractability. Topics covered include density dependence, bifurcations, demographic stochasticity, time delays, population interactions (predation, competition, and mutualism), and the application of optimal control theory to the management of renewable resources. The second part of this book is devoted to structured population models, covering spatially-structured population models (with a focus on reaction-diffusion models), age-structured models, and two-sex models. Suitable for upper level students and beginning researchers in ecology, mathematical biology, and applied mathematics, the volume includes numerous clear line diagrams that clarify the mathematics, relevant problems throughout the text that aid understanding, and supplementary mathematical and historical material that enrich the main text.

Reader Reviews
Mark Kot's "Elements of Mathematical Ecology" divides the field into two main categories, unstructured and structured population models. The bulk of the material on unstructured models deals with dynamical systems, though other topics such as the use of optimal control theory in harvesting are also covered. The section on structured models has two main parts, spatial structure and age structure, followed by a small subsection on sex structure. Space is built up mainly around reaction-diffusion equations, whereas multiple modeling approaches are covered for age structure; Leslie matrices, delay equations, and partial differential equation formulations. Overall, the book is well written and covers a good range of models and topics.