Community Ecology (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781405124119)

All life on earth occurs in natural assemblages called communities. Community ecology is the study of patterns and processes involving these collections of two or more species. Communities are typically studied using a diversity of techniques, including observations of natural history, statistical descriptions of natural patterns, laboratory and field experiments, and mathematical modelling. Community patterns arise from a complex assortment of processes including competition, predation, mutualism, indirect effects, habitat selection, which result in the most complex biological entities on earth - including iconic systems such as rain forests and coral reefs.

This book introduces the reader to a balanced coverage of concepts and theories central to community ecology, using examples drawn from terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems, and focusing on animal, plant, and microbial species. The historical development of key concepts is described using descriptions of classic studies, while examples of exciting new developments in recent studies are used to point toward future advances in our understanding of community organization. Throughout, there is an emphasis on the crucial interplay between observations, experiments, and mathematical models.

This second updated edition is a valuable resource for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and established scientists who seek a broad overview of community ecology. The book has developed from a course in community ecology that has been taught by the author since 1983.

Figures and tables can be downloaded for free from www.wiley.com/go/morin/communityecology

Author: Peter J. Morin
ISBN-10: 1405124113
ISBN-13: 9781405124119
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Language: English
Published: 09/06/2011
Pages: 418
Format: Paperback
Weight: 2.25lbs
Size: 9.60h x 7.40w x 0.90d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 03/01/2012