The Economy of NatureThis classic introductory text is best known for its vivid examples fromnatural history, comprehensive coverage of evolution, and quantitative approach. The Sixth Edition builds on the book’s hallmark features: its strong evolutionary focus, its breadth and diverse set of examples, its extensive coverage of behavioral ecology, and a thorough presentation of population ecology. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Plants animals and microorganisms play different | 7 |
Ecological systems are governed by basic physical | 13 |
Human impacts on the natural world have increasingly | 19 |
Water and Nutrients | 23 |
Light Energy and Heat | 38 |
Each organism functions best under a restricted range | 50 |
17 | 59 |
Acacias house and feed the ants that protect them from | 298 |
Dynamics of ConsumerResource Interactions | 302 |
Many predator and prey populations increase | 307 |
Pathogenhost dynamics can be described by the SIR | 315 |
A number of factors can reduce oscillations | 321 |
Competition | 328 |
ECOLOGISTS IN THE FIELD | 329 |
ECOLOGISTS IN THE FIELD | 342 |
Climate Water and Soil | 61 |
ECOLOGISTS IN THE FIELD | 83 |
The Biome Concept in Ecology | 87 |
Walter climate diagrams distinguish the major terrestrial | 93 |
PART II | 95 |
Boreal and polar climate zones have average | 100 |
Marine aquatic systems are classified principally | 108 |
Evolution and Adaptation | 113 |
The phenotype is the outward expression of | 115 |
Evolutionary changes in allele | 121 |
262 | 130 |
Life Histories and Evolutionary Fitness | 132 |
Data Analysis Modules available on the Companion Web Site | 136 |
Spatially Partitioned Foraging by Oceanic Seabirds | 156 |
Sex and Evolution | 159 |
Sexual reproduction is costly | 162 |
Temporal and Spatial Dynamics | 170 |
Mating systems describe the pattern of pairing of males | 172 |
Family Society and Evolution | 177 |
Semelparous organisms breed once and then | 180 |
Parents and offspring may come into conflict over | 181 |
ECOLOGISTS IN THE FIELD | 188 |
Cooperation among individuals in extended families | 189 |
Energy in the Ecosystem | 192 |
The Distribution and Spatial Structure of Populations | 198 |
Ecological niche modeling predicts the distributions | 204 |
Three types of models describe the spatial structure | 212 |
Population Growth | 222 |
Population size is regulated by densitydependent | 239 |
ANALYSIS | 246 |
Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Populations | 248 |
Temporal variation affects the | 252 |
Chance events may cause small populations to | 260 |
Population Genetics | 267 |
Inbreeding reduces the frequency of heterozygotes in | 273 |
Population growth and decline leave different genetic | 279 |
Species Interactions | 287 |
ECOLOGISTS IN THE FIELD | 291 |
Evolution of Species Interactions | 346 |
Antagonists evolve in response to each other | 351 |
Coevolution involves mutual evolutionary responses | 360 |
COMMUNITIES | 369 |
Measures of community structure include numbers | 376 |
Communities can switch between alternative stable | 383 |
A trophic cascade from fish to flowers | 386 |
Ecological Succession | 392 |
ECOLOGISTS IN THE FIELD | 397 |
Succession ensues as colonists alter environmental | 400 |
ECOLOGISTS IN THE FIELD | 406 |
Ecological Succession and Community Development | 411 |
The number of species increases with the area | 414 |
Diversity can be understood in terms of niche | 423 |
Explanations for high tree species richness in the tropics | 429 |
MDATA ANALYSIS MODULE 5 | 435 |
History Biogeography and Biodiversity | 440 |
Life has unfolded over millions of years of geologic | 442 |
Energy in the Ecosystem | 463 |
Ecosystem energetics summarizes the movement | 478 |
Pathways of Elements in Ecosystems | 482 |
Water provides a physical model of element cycling | 486 |
GLOBAL CHANGE | 492 |
Nutrient Regeneration in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems | 505 |
Nutrient regeneration can follow many paths | 511 |
Stratification hinders nutrient cycling in aquatic | 518 |
Does iron limit marine productivity? | 524 |
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS | 528 |
Biodiversity Extinction and Conservation | 545 |
Extinction is natural but its present rate is | 553 |
Reserve designs for individual species must guarantee | 562 |
ECOLOGISTS IN THE FIELD | 569 |
Economic Development and Global Ecology | 570 |
Toxins impose local and global environmental | 579 |
Human ecology is the ultimate challenge | 585 |
605 | |
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Common terms and phrases
abundant acid adaptations algae alleles animals aquatic areas atmosphere average bacteria behavior biological biome birds carbon dioxide cells changes Chapter climate zone CO₂ competition concentrations consumers cycles decreases density desert distribution diversity earth ecological ecological systems ecologists ecosystems effects energy environment environmental evolution evolutionary example extinction factors fecundity females Figure fish foraging function gene genetic variation genotype global growth rate habitat heat herbivores human increase influence insects interactions islands lakes latitudes males mating metapopulation natural natural selection nitrogen North number of individuals number of species nutrients ocean offspring organisms oxygen parasitoid patches patterns phenotypic phenotypic plasticity photosynthesis phytoplankton plants population density precipitation predators production R. E. Ricklefs rain forest reaction norm reduce regions relationship reproduction response result season sediments seeds selection semelparous soil species richness structure surface survival temperate temperature terrestrial tion traits trees trophic levels tropical vegetation warm wetland