Unsolved Problems in Ecology

Andrew Dobson, David Tilman, Robert D. Holt

Princeton University Press, Jun 2, 2020 - Science - 408 pages

Leading ecologists discuss some of the most compelling open questions in the field today
Unsolved Problems in Ecology brings together many of the world's leading ecologists to discuss the most fundamental research questions confronting the field today. This diverse and thought-provoking collection of essays spans virtually all of the key subfields of the discipline, from behavioral and evolutionary ecology to population biology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, disease ecology, and conservation biology. These essays are intended to stoke curiosity, challenge prevailing wisdom, and provoke new ways of thinking about ecology in light of new technologies and unprecedented environmental challenges brought on by climate and land-use change. Authoritative and accessible, Unsolved Problems in Ecology is ideal for graduate students in the early stages of their scientific careers and an essential resource for seasoned ecologists looking for exciting new directions to take their research.

• Sheds light on modern ecology's most important and compelling open questions
• Features thought-provoking contributions from more than two dozen world-class ecologists
• Covers behavior, evolution, communities, ecosystems, resource management, and more
• Discusses ways to raise the financial and intellectual profile of the discipline
• An invaluable resource for graduate students as well as seasoned ecologists

Contents

• How Will Organisms Respond to Complex: 16
• A Call for Holistic Study: 25
• Why Does IntraGenotypic Variance Persist?: 43
• Population Dynamics of Species with Complex Life Cycles: 55
• What Determines Population Density?: 67
• Interdependence: 79
• What Might Be: 92
• Ecology and Evolution Is Hindered by the Lack: 107
• Do Temperate and Tropical Birds Have Different: 115
• Leaf Structure and Function: 124
• COEXISTENCE: 145
• Evolution Speciation and the Persistence Paradox: 160
• What Is the Species Richness Distribution?: 177
• High NonNeutral Diversity: 189
• What Regulates Growth across Levels of Organization?: 203
• Superorganism or Collection of Individuals?: 218
• Untangling Food Webs: 225
• What Determines the Abundance of Lianas and Vines?: 239
• Making Soil Biodiversity: 265
• Ecology and Medicines: 279
• Six Wedges to Curing Disease: 288
• From Ecological Communities: 311
• The Case for VeryLarge Terrestrial: 318
• How Does Biodiversity Relate to Ecosystem Functioning: 338
• A Science Business Model for Answering Important Questions: 357
• Going Big: 374
• Index: 381

About the author

Andrew Dobson is professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University. His books include Conservation and Biodiversity. Robert D. Holt is Eminent Scholar and Arthur R. Marshall, Jr., Chair in Ecological Studies at the University of Florida. His books include Metacommunities. David Tilman is Regents Professor and McKnight Presidential Chair in Ecology at the University of Minnesota. His books include The Functional Consequences of Biodiversity (Princeton).

Bibliographic information

• Title: Unsolved Problems in Ecology
• Editors: Andrew Dobson, David Tilman, Robert D. Holt
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2020
• ISBN: 0691195323, 9780691195322
• Length: 408 pages
• Subjects: Science / Life Sciences / Ecology; Science / Life Sciences / Evolution