Molles/Ecology - About this Book

Text Organization

Each chapter of Ecology, Concepts and Applications is organized around two to four major concepts to present the student with a manageable and memorable synthesis of the subject. Each concept is supported by case histories that provide evidence for the concept and introduce students to the research approaches used in the various areas of ecology. Wherever possible, the original research and the scientists who did the research are presented. Allowing the scientists who created this field to emerge from the background and lead students through the discipline breathes life into the subject and helps students retain information.

Ecology, Concepts and Applications is written for students taking their first undergraduate course in ecology. An evolutionary perspective forms the foundation of the entire textbook. Evolution is brought to center stage throughout the content, as it is needed to support understanding of major concepts. The author's choice about coverage and depth of study are based on 20 years of teaching ecology to undergraduate students. The book is organized as follows:

The discussion begins with a brief introduction to the nature and history of the discipline of ecology, followed by Section I, which includes two chapters on natural history-life on land and life in water. The introduction and natural history chapters establish a common foundation of natural history upon which to base the later discussions of ecological concepts. These beginning chapters can stand on their own and should be readily accessible to most students. They may be assigned as background reading, leaving 17 chapters to cover in a one-semester course.

Sections II through VI build a hierarchical perspective. Section II concerns the ecology of individuals. Section III focuses on population ecology, and Section IV presents the ecology of interactions. Section V summarizes community and ecosystem ecology. Finally, Section VI treats large-scale ecology and includes chapters on landscape, geographical, and global ecology. These topics were first introduced in Section I within a natural history context.

In summary, the book begins with the natural history of the planet, considers portions of the whole in the middle chapters, and ends with another perspective of the entire planet in the concluding chapter.

Chapter Organization

All chapters beyond Chapter 1 have a parallel structure. The introduction to each chapter presents the student with the flavor of the subject at hand and introduces important background information. Some introductions include historical events related to the subject; others present an example of an ecological process. All attempt to engage students and draw them into the discussion that follows.

The goal of Ecology, Concepts and Applications is to build a foundation of ecological knowledge around key concepts. These concepts are listed after the chapter introduction and alert the student to the coverage of major topics to follow. They also provide a place where the student can go to find a list of the major points of each chapter.

Following the concepts is the main content of the chapter placed within the context of case histories. Illustrating concepts with case histories provides a narrative that reinforces the concepts, supports them with evidence, and introduces students to the methods and people that have created the discipline of ecology. The presentation approximates the case-studies approach used in many law and medical schools.

A great deal of effort has been put into the development of illustrations to create effective pedagogical tools through skillful design and use of color, and to rearrange the traditional presentation of information in figures and captions. Much explanatory material has been moved from captions to small boxes within the illustrations to provide students with key information where they need it most. The result is a unique art program that becomes an active teaching aid.

Many undergraduate students want to know how abstract ideas and general relationships can be applied to the ecological problems facing us all. These students are concerned with the practical side of ecology and want to know more about the tools of science. It is for these students that a chapter section called Applications and Tools was added. Including applications in the textbook helps motivate students to learn more of the underlying theoretical principles.

The chapter summary reviews the main points of the discussion. The concepts around which each chapter is organized are boldfaced to reemphasize the main points of the chapter.

The review questions are designed to help students think more deeply about each concept and to reflect on alternative views.

Each chapter ends with a list of suggested readings. Though all of the readings take the student beyond the coverage in the chapter, they have been chosen to serve a variety of purposes. Some are books that provide a broad overview; others are papers that trace the development of particular concepts or controversies in ecology. A brief description and rationale is provided for each reading.

The World Wide Web provides one of the most powerful tools to help keep abreast of changes in ecology. A broad range of Internet sites provide supplementary information on the subject of each chapter.

References cited are listed at the end of the book.

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