Content

The content is strong. Broad ecological concepts are emphasized and clearly presented using diverse and important examples. Classic and contemporary research is cited, giving students a picture of where the science of ecology has come from and where it is headed right now. Three types of specially designed text boxes are used to highlight features in each chapter:

Quantitative aspects boxes – showing a particular mathematical or statistical concept or test, allowing students to quickly identify important techniques and formulae that need to be memorised for examinations and field work.

Historical landmark boxes – highlighting a major breakthrough in the science of ecology, or a particular individual (e.g. Darwin) and how their work changed the way we think.

Topical “Econcerns” boxes – illustrating a contemporary issue, either political, or social that concerns ecology, e.g. biodiversity loss, climate change, human impacts on the natural environment etc..

Approach

Ecology is presented as a hard science. Great care has been taken to introduce students to the idea that ecological principles are measurable, and theories and hypotheses are testable. The explanations of how statistical techniques are used to analyse data from observations from the field are amongst the clearest you will find in any textbook. Many of the competing introductory ecology texts do not even mention statistics, or data analysis.

Ecology is presented as a discipline firmly grounded in evolutionary theory. This is also something only one or two of the competing texts emphasize. The book has always integrated evolutionary theory into each of its chapters and in the new edition this is stressed even further with the addition of a chapter devoted to Evolutionary Ecology.

Layout

Great care has been taken to make the layout of the internal design of the book, and the imagery used as clear and appealing as possible. A single artist has been commissioned to produce the new artwork, in full colour, giving a consistent style and visual approach. Each of the types of textboxes described above have their own distinctive design, each chapter begins with a list of key concepts, and ends with a summary and review questions.

Essentials of Ecology presents introductory ecology in an accessible, state-of-the-art format designed to cultivate the novice student's understanding of, and fascination with, the natural world. In a concise, engaging style, this text outlines the essential principles of ecology from the theoretical fundamentals to their practical applications. Full color artwork, simple pedagogical features, and a wide range of carefully-chosen examples make this book an ideal introduction to ecology for students at all levels.

The third edition of this successful text is much more than a simple update, reflecting the vibrancy of the field. With hundreds of new examples, it contains for the first time a separate chapter on evolutionary ecology, with all other chapters, especially those on applied aspects, having been extensively revised and re-written. The new edition also features new full color artwork and an enhanced design, making Essentials of Ecology as attractive as it is up-to-date and relevant.