Publisher’s description: This new edition of the single most influential book in theoretical ecology, edited by the father of this subject, provides a succinct, up-to-date overview of the field set in the context of applications, thereby bridging the division of theory and practice. The chapters are written by leading scientists in collaboration with some of the brightest members of the next generation. The strong editorial leadership ensures a consistent style throughout the book, which is an invaluable reference work as well as ideal material for theoretical ecology courses.
Robert May’s seminal book has played a central role in the development of ecological sciences. Originally published in 1976, this influential text has overseen the transition of ecology from an observational and descriptive subject to one with a solid conceptual core. Indeed, it is a testament to its influence that a great deal of the novel material presented in the earlier editions has now been incorporated into standard undergraduate textbooks. It is now a quarter of a century since the publication of the second edition, and a thorough revision is timely. This text provides a succinct, up-to-date overview of the field set in the context of applications, thereby bridging the traditional division of theory and practice. It describes the recent advances in our understanding of how interacting populations of plants and animals change over time and space, in response to natural or human-created disturbances. In an integrated way, the initial chapters give an account of the basic principles governing the structure, function, and temporal and spatial dynamics of populations and communities of plants and animals. Later chapters outline applications of these ideas to practical issues including fisheries, infectious diseases, tomorrow’s food supplies, climate change, and conservation biology. Throughout the book, emphasis is placed on questions which as yet remain unanswered.
The editors have invited top scientists in this field to collaborate with the next generation of theoretical ecologists. The result is an accessible, advanced textbook, suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate level students as well as researchers in the fields of ecology, mathematical biology, environment and resources management. It will also be of interest to the general reader seeking a better understanding of a range of global environmental problems.
Contents: 1. Introduction. (Angela R McLean and Robert M May); 2. How Populations Cohere: Five Rules for Cooperation. (Martin A Nowak and Karl Sigmund); 3. Single Populations: Dynamics. (Tim Coulson and H Charles J. Godfray); 4. Metapopulations and Their Spatial Dynamics. (Sean Nee); 5. Predator Prey Interactions. (Michael B Bonsall and Michael P Hassell); 6. Plant Populations and their Interactions with Herbivores. (Michael J Crawley); 7. Interspecific Competition and Multispecies Coexistence. (David Tilman;) 8. Community Dynamics. (Anthony R Ives); 9. Community Patterns. (George Sugihara, Michael J. Crawley, and Robert M. May); 10. Infectious Diseases. (Bryan Grenfell and Matthew Keeling); 11. Fisheries. (John R Beddington and Geoffrey P Kirkwood); 12. The Doubly Green Revolution. (Gordon Conway); 13. Conservation Biology. (Andy Dobson, Will Turner and David Wilcove); 14. Climate Change and Conservation. (Jeremy T Kerr and Heather Kharouba); 15. Unanswered Questions and why they Matter. (Robert M May).
The articles of this volume will not be indexed individually.