Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems

Begon, Townsend, and Harper's Ecology has long been regarded as the definitive textbook on all aspects of ecology. This new edition provides a comprehensive treatment of the subject, from the first principles of ecology to the current state of the field, and aims to improve students' preparedness to address the environmental problems of the new millennium. Thoroughly revised and updated, this fourth edition includes: three new chapters on applied ecology, reflecting a rigorous, scientific approach to the ecological problems now facing mankind discussion of over 800 new studies, updating the text throughout an updated, user-friendly design with margin notes and chapter summaries that serve as study aids The resulting textbook is easy to use, lucid and up-to-date, and is the essential reference for all students whose degree program includes ecology and for practicing ecologists.

Table of Contents:
Preface. Introduction. Part 1. ORGANISMS . 1. Organisms in their environments: the evolutionary backdrop. 2. Conditions. 3. Resources. 4. Life, death and life histories. 5. Intraspecific competition. 6. Dispersal, dormancy and metapopulations. 7. Ecological applications at the level of organisms and single-species populations Part 2. SPECIES INTERACTIONS. 8. Interspecific competition. 9. The nature of predation. 10. The population dynamics of predation. 11. Decomposers and detritivores. 12. Parasitism and disease. 13. Symbiosis and mutualism. 14. Abundance. 15. Ecological applications at the level of population interactions Part 3. COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS . 16. The nature of the community. 17. The flux of energy through ecosystems. 18. The flux of matter through ecosystems. 19. The influence of population interactions on community structure. 20. Food webs. 21. Patterns in species richness. 22. Ecological applications at the level of communities and ecosystems. References. Organism Index. Subject Index

About the Author :
Born in London in 1951 and a student at the University of Leeds, Mike Begon has spent his whole scientific career at the University of Liverpool, where he is now Professor of Ecology, specializing in the population and community ecology of infectious diseases in wildlife. Colin Townsend obtained his DPhil at the University of Sussex before taking up teaching positions at Oxford University and the University of East Anglia. In 1989 he moved from the UK to New Zealand to the University of Otago where he was chair of the Zoology Department, and is now Director of the Ecology, Conservation and Biodiversity Research Group. He was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1997. John Harper is an award-winning biologist and a leading figure in plant population biology. He has served as a council member of the fellowship of the Royal Society and received the Darwin Award in 1990. He is also the author of Population Biology of Plants and co-author of Essentials of Ecology.

Review :
“Begon, Townsend and Harper has been the standard advanced textbook in ecology for nearly 20 years. I greatly welcome this fourth edition, which maintains the book’s position at the forefront of the discipline.” Professor Sir John Lawton, Chairman, Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, and formerly Chief Executive of the UK Natural Environment Research Council "Now in its fourth edition, this text will continue to be recognized as a forerunner in the science of ecology; it is very comprehensive, exploring ecological concepts with relevant field and laboratory studies, enriched by clear examples and illustrations." Journal of Biological Education “With remarkable clarity and insight, these gifted authors lay the evolutionary foundation of the discipline and then build the superstructure of Ecology, layer by layer. This is a complete reworking of the earlier version, a lucid synthesis sprinkled with clear examples. My colleagues and I have used this text to teach ecology for more than 20 years, and not surprisingly it has been recognized as the leading text in the field; this new version guarantees it will remain in pole position for many years to come.” Peter Hudson, Pennsylvania State University “Begon, Townsend and Harper’s Ecology has been the cornerstone text for teaching ecology for almost two decades. Its comprehensive breadth and depth provides details on ecological concepts supplemented with relevant field and laboratory studies. Ecology will remain an essential text for students and practioners alike for many years to come.” Michael Bonsall, Oxford University “Ecology: From Individual, to Ecosystems is unparalleled among ecology texts for its breadth of coverage of contemporary ecology and for its clear presentation of even the more complex topics. The coverage of population ecology is superb, and the presentation of all topics is enriched both by extremely clear illustrations and a rich use of examples of human relationships with the environment. It should be read by all aspiring ecologists and the professors who teach them.” Marcel Holyoak, University of California, Davis "...Overall, this text has continued to earn its dominance in the market...For those for whom Essentials is too basic this is the text to read at the next level. It's comprehensive coverage and wide range of examples make it an essential purchase for basic/advanced ecology education." TENews, September 2005 Review of the previous edition “arguably the best general textbook in ecology currently on the market” Animal Ecology 1999 “This monumental book is obligatory reading for all ecologists. It has an engaging style, is user-friendly and is a fount of information and scientific rigour. It will take population biology, broadly defined, comfortably into the next century.” Journal of Ecology 1997 “The language and structure of this textbook is quite comprehensive, making it the ideal book for undergraduates making their first steps in ecology.” Journal of Animal Ecology 1997