30 Second Ecology

Whether you're looking to save the planet or learn more about your local environment, 30-Second Ecology introduces you to the diversity, behaviours and challenges within our ecosystem. Part of the 30-Second series, this introductory guide to ecology is split into 7 chapters that cover: Evolution & Ecology Behavioural Ecology Population Ecology Communities & Landscapes Biomes & Biodiversity Applied Ecology Ecology in a Changing World Plus profiles of notable ecologists, such as Robert H. Macarthur, Rachel Carson and Wangari Maathai. Each topic is summarised in 300 words with one image, helping you understand the subject at great speed. Written by professors and experts from around the world, this book shows us that humans are truly part of this global ecology, not a separate entity from it and our collective actions have far-reaching ramifications on the environment around us. If you like this, you might also be interested in 30-Second Zoology . . .

Endowed with abundant water, extraordinary ecoystems, varied climates and biomes, our planet is teeming with creatures, great and small. What produced this rich diversity? How have so many species formed, evolved and adapted? What effects are humans having on the rest of the animal kingdom and on the natural environment we share? 30-Second Zoology explains the diversification process of evolution, then introduces the main groups of invertebrates and vertebrates. Breathing, seeing, communicating and other key features of animal physiology and behaviour are explored, as are the ecological relationships between Earth’s myriad species – the predators, the prey, the parasites and the positively poisonous – before assessing the anthropogenic effects of pollution, over-harvesting and a changing climate. Covering everything from the origins of life and the most basic of organisms, all the way through to the more complex creatures that we recognise today, 30-Second Zoology aims to showcase the most fantastic examples of life on our earth, all in 300 words and one stunning illustration per topic.

Offering a balance of subject matter emphasis, clearly presented concepts and engaging examples, this book aims to help students gain a better understanding of ecology. Emphasis is placed on connections in nature, the importance of ecology to environmental health and services, and links to evolution.

This is an up-to-date study of patterns and processes involving two or more species. The book strikes a balance between plant and animal species and among studies of marine, freshwater and terrestrial communities.

The 50 most thought-provoking theories of life, each explained in half a minute. 30-Second Biology tackles the vital science of life, dissecting the 50 most thought-provoking theories of our ecosystem and ourselves. At a time when discoveries in DNA allow us to feel more connected than ever to the natural world, this is the fastest route to an understanding of the tree of life. Whether you're dipping into the gene pool, unlocking cells, or conversing on biodiversity, this is all the knowledge you need to bring life to the dinner-party debate. An internationally bestselling series presents essential concepts in a mere 30 seconds, 300 words, and one image; The 50 most important ideas and innovations in biology dissected and explained clearly without the clutter; The fastest way to learn about cells, reproduction, animals, plants, evolution and ecosystems.

Ecology is capturing the popular imagination like never before, with issues such as climate change, species extinctions, and habitat destruction becoming ever more prominent. At the same time, the science of ecology has advanced dramatically, growing in mathematical and theoretical sophistication. Here, two leading experts present the fundamental quantitative principles of ecology in an accessible yet rigorous way, introducing students to the most basic of all ecological subjects, the structure and dynamics of populations. John Vandermeer and Deborah Goldberg show that populations are more than simply collections of individuals. Complex variables such as distribution and territory for expanding groups come into play when mathematical models are applied. Vandermeer and Goldberg build these models from the ground up, from first principles, using a broad range of empirical examples, from animals and viruses to plants and humans. They address a host of exciting topics along the way, including age-structured populations, spatially distributed populations, and metapopulations. This second edition of Population Ecology is fully updated and expanded, with additional exercises in virtually every chapter, making it the most up-to-date and comprehensive textbook of its kind. Provides an accessible mathematical foundation for the latest advances in ecology Features numerous exercises and examples throughout Introduces students to the key literature in the field The essential textbook for advanced undergraduates and graduate students An online illustration package is available to professors

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, including the 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 continue to need a strong foundation in the study of species interactions and how these interactions are assembled into food webs and other ecological networks. This new edition fulfils the book's original aims, both as a much-needed up-to-date and accessible introduction to modern community ecology, and in identifying the important questions that are yet to be answered. This research-driven textbook introduces state-of-the-art community ecology to a new generation of students, adopting reasoned and balanced perspectives on as-yet-unresolved issues. Community Ecology is suitable for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers seeking a broad, up-to-date coverage of ecological concepts at the community level.