Section A-Introduction to ecology 1
A1 What is ecology? 1
A2 Ten rules in ecology 3
Abbreviations 9
Preface 10
Section B-Adaptation to the environment 11
B1 Adaptation 11
B2 Coping with environmental variation 14
B3 The niche 18
C1 Solar radiation and climate 21
Section C-Climate 21
C2 Microclimate 27
Section D-Water 31
D1 The properties of water 31
D2 Plants and water 34
D3 Animals and water 39
Section E-Temperature 43
E1 Temperature and metabolism 43
E2 Responses to temperature 47
E3 Temperature and species distribution 50
F1 Solar radiation and plants 53
Section F-Radiation 53
Section G-Nutrients 59
G1 Sources and cycles 59
G2 Plants and consumers 65
G3 Soil formation,properties and classification 67
Section H-Population ecology 71
H1 Populations and population structure 71
H2 Natality,mortality and population growth 75
H3 Density and density dependence 84
H4 Population dynamics-fluctuations,cycles and chaos 89
I1 The nature of competition 93
Section I-Competition 93
I2 Intraspecific competition 99
I3 Resource partitioning 102
Section J-Predation 107
J1 The nature of predation 107
J2 Predator behavior and prey response 111
Section K-Parasitism 117
K1 The nature of parasitism 117
K2 The dynamics of parasitism 122
Section L-Mutualism 129
L1 Mutualism 129
M1 Life history 135
Section M-Life history patterns 135
Section N-Behavioral ecology 145
N1 Social groups,cooperation and altruism 145
N2 Sex in ecology 149
Section O-Population genetics 157
O1 Genetic variation 157
O2 Speciation 163
Section P-Ecosystem processes 169
P1 Components and processes 169
P2 Primary and secondary production 174
P3 Food chains 179
Section Q-Communities 183
Q1 The community,structure and stability 183
Q2 Island communities and colonization 189
Q3 Community patterns,competition and predation 194
Section R-Community dynamics 201
R1 Succession 201
R2 Community responses to disturbance 208
Section S-Biomes 213
S1 Ecosystem patterns 213
S2 Grasslands 218
S3 Tundra 222
S4 Forests 224
S5 Deserts,semi-deserts and shrubland 228
S6 Saltwater biomes 231
S7 Freshwater biomes 236
Section T-Harvesting 241
T1 Harvesting theory 241
T2 Fishing and whaling 246
Section U-Pest control 251
U1 The pest problem and control strategies 251
U2 Pesticides and problems 255
U3 Biological control and integrated pest management 261
V1 Rare species,habitat loss and extinction 265
Section V-Conservation 265
V2 Conservation strategies 271
V3 Biological resources and gene banks 276
Section W-Pollution and global warming 283
W1 Air,water and soil pollutants 283
W2 Greenhouse gases and global warming 288
W3 Ozone 291
Section X-The ecology of agriculture 295
X1 Soil erosion and agriculture 295
X2 Nutrient,water and energy use 298
Further reading 305
Indes 315