Download or read book Introduction to Systems Ecology written by Sven Jorgensen and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2016-04-19 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Possibly the first textbook to present a practically applicable ecosystems theory, Introduction to Systems Ecology helps readers understand how ecosystems work and how they react to disturbances. It demonstrates-with many examples and illustrations-how to apply the theory to explain observations and to make quantitative calculations and predictions
Download or read book Systems Ecology written by Howard T. Odum and published by . This book was released on 1983-03-08 with total page 684 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An integrated theoretical and applied introduction to systems ecology that uses energy diagrammatic language to explain basic concepts of systems, modelling, and simulation. Teaches energetics while at the same time dealing with the issues of organization, entropy, information, complexity, diversity, frequency, and power and the ways these determine the nature of real systems. Includes analog and digital computer modelling, enabling readers without prior programming experience to create computer models of ecological processes.
Download or read book Ecological Systems written by Rik Leemans and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-12 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Earth is home to an estimated 8 million animal species, 600,000 fungi, 300,000 plants, and an undetermined number of microbial species. Of these animal, fungal, and plant species, an estimated 75% have yet to be identified. Moreover, the interactions between these species and their physical environment are known to an even lesser degree. At the same time, the earth’s biota faces the prospect of climate change, which may manifest slowly or extremely rapidly, as well as a human population set to grow by two billion by 2045 from the current seven billion. Given these major ecological changes, we cannot wait for a complete biota data set before assessing, planning, and acting to preserve the ecological balance of the earth. This book provides comprehensive coverage of the scientific and engineering basis of the systems ecology of the earth in 15 detailed, peer-reviewed entries written for a broad audience of undergraduate and graduate students as well as practicing professionals in government, academia, and industry. The methodology presented aims at identifying key interactions and environmental effects, and enabling a systems-level understanding even with our present state of factual knowledge.
Download or read book Ecological and General Systems written by Howard Thomas Odum and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 676 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book introduces ecological systems, while summarizing general principles of all systems, and uses ecosystem examples most frequently to illustrate generalizations about system designs and functions
Download or read book Introductory Ecology written by Peter Cotgreave and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-04-01 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this age of increasing human domination of the Earth's biological and physical resources, a basic understanding of ecology is more important than ever. Students need a textbook that introduces them to the basic principles of ecological science, one that is relevant to today's world, and one that does not overwhelm them with detail and jargon. Peter Cotgreave and Irwin Forseth have designed this book to meet the needs of these students, by providing a basic synthesis of how individual organisms interact with their physical environment, and with each other, to generate the complex ecosystems we see around us. The unifying theme of the book is biodiversity-its patterns, causes, and the growing worldwide threats to it. Basic ecological principles are illustrated using clearly described examples from the current ecological literature. This approach makes the book valuable to all students studying ecology. Examples have been chosen carefully to represent as wide a range of ecosystems (terrestrial and aquatic, northern and southern hemisphere) and life forms (animal, plant and microbe) as possible. Particular attention is paid to consequences of global change on organisms, populations, ecological communities and ecosystems. The end result is a text that presents a readable and persuasive picture of how the Earth's natural systems function, and how that functioning may change over the coming century. Features include: · strong coverage of applied and evolutionary ecology · applications of ecology to the real world · a question-orientated approach · the only comprehensive treatment of ecology written for the introductory student · an emphasis on definitions of key words and phrases · an integration of experimental, observational and theoretical material · examples drawn from all over the world and a wide variety of organisms · a logical structure, building from the response of individual organisms to physical factors, through population growth and population interactions, to community structure and ecosystem function · suggested further reading lists for each chapter · boxes to explain key concepts in more depth · dedicated textsite featuring additional information and teaching aids www.blackwellpublishing.com/cotgreave Peter Cotgreave is an animal ecologist who has worked for the University of Oxford and the Zoological Society of London. His research interests centre on abundance and rarity within animal communities. Irwin Forseth is a plant physiological ecologist who has taught introductory ecology and plant ecology at the University of Maryland since 1982. His research focuses on plant responses to the environment. The authors have studied organisms as diverse as green plants, insects and mammals in habitats from deserts to tropical rainforests. They have worked in ecological research and education in Africa, Asia, North and South America, Europe and the Caribbean.
Download or read book Ecology written by Jaboury Ghazoul and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecology is the science of how organisms interact with each other and with their environment to form communities and ecosystems. This book explains the principles of ecological thinking, how ecology affects our everyday lives, and how it guides environmental policy, especially in the light of current and future environmental challenges.
Download or read book Towards a Thermodynamic Theory for Ecological Systems written by S.E. Jorgensen and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2004-07-06 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book presents a consistent and complete ecosystem theory based on thermodynamic concepts. The first chapters are devoted to an interpretation of the first and second law of thermodynamics in ecosystem context. Then Prigogine's use of far from equilibrium thermodynamic is used on ecosystems to explain their reactions to perturbations. The introduction of the concept exergy makes it possible to give a more profound and comprehensive explanation of the ecosystem's reactions and growth-patterns. A tentative fourth law of thermodynamic is formulated and applied to facilitate these explanations. The trophic chain, the global energy and radiation balance and pattern and the reactions of ecological networks are all explained by the use of exergy. Finally, it is discussed how the presented theory can be applied more widely to explain ecological observations and rules, to assess ecosystem health and to develop ecological models.
Download or read book Architecture and Systems Ecology written by William W. Braham and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-08-11 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Modern buildings are both wasteful machines that can be made more efficient and instruments of the massive, metropolitan system engendered by the power of high-quality fuels. A comprehensive method of environmental design must reconcile the techniques of efficient building design with the radical urban and economic reorganization that we face. Over the coming century, we will be challenged to return to the renewable resource base of the eighteenth-century city with the knowledge, technologies, and expectations of the twenty-first-century metropolis. This book explores the architectural implications of systems ecology, which extends the principles of thermodynamics from the nineteenth-century focus on more efficient machinery to the contemporary concern with the resilient self-organization of ecosystems. Written with enough technical material to explain the methods, it does not include in-text equations or calculations, relying instead on the energy system diagrams to convey the argument. Architecture and Systems Ecology has minimal technical jargon and an emphasis on intelligible design conclusions, making it suitable for architecture students and professionals who are engaged with the fundamental issues faced by sustainable design. The energy systems language provides a holistic context for the many kinds of performance already evaluated in architecture—from energy use to material selection and even the choice of building style. It establishes the foundation for environmental principles of design that embrace the full complexity of our current situation. Architecture succeeds best when it helps shape, accommodate, and represent new ways of living together.
Download or read book A New Ecology written by Sven Erik Jørgensen and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2011-08-30 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New Ecology presents an ecosystem theory based on the following ecosystem properties: physical openness, ontic openness, directionality, connectivity, a complex dynamic for growth and development, and a complex dynamic response to disturbances. Each of these properties is developed in detail to show that these basic and characteristic properties can be applied to explain a wide spectrum of ecological obsevations and convections. It is also shown that the properties have application for environmental management and for assessment of ecosystem health.* Demonstrates an ecosystem theory that can be applied to explain ecological observations and rules* Presents an ecosystem theory based upon a systems approach* Discusses an ecosystem theory that is based on a few basic properties that are characteristic for ecosystmes
Download or read book Introduction to Restoration Ecology written by Evelyn A. Howell and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written for upper-division undergraduates and first-year graduate students, this new textbook offers a real-life introduction to the field of restoration ecology and an interdisciplinary overview of the theory behind it. The text is organized around a restoration process that has been tested and revised by the authors in their restoration ecology courses taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison over the past thirty years. Success in ecological restoration requires not only technical proficiency but also skill in the social, cultural, and political arenas. Introduction to Restoration Ecology can help students develop the skills they need to succeed in all of these areas and is a much-needed new resource.
Download or read book An Introduction to Behavioural Ecology written by Nicholas B. Davies and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-07-17 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The third edition of this successful textbook looks again at the influence of natural selection on behavior - an animal's struggle to survive by exploiting resources, avoiding predators, and maximizing reproductive success. In this edition, new examples are introduced throughout, many illustrated with full color photographs. In addition, important new topics are added including the latest techniques of comparative analysis, the theory and application of DNA fingerprinting techniques, extensive new discussion on brood parasite/host coevolution, the latest ideas on sexual selection in relation to disease resistance, and a new section on the intentionality of communication. Written in the lucid style for which these two authors are renowned, the text is enhanced by boxed sections illustrating important concepts and new marginal notes that guide the reader through the text. This book will be essential reading for students taking courses in behavioral ecology. The leading introductory text from the two most prominent workers in the field. Second colour in the text. New section of four colour plates. Boxed sections to ilustrate difficult and important points. New larger format with marginal notes to guide the reader through the text. Selected further reading at the end of each chapter.
Download or read book The Philosophy of Ecology written by James Justus and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-06-10 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduces the philosophical issues which ecology poses about the biological world and the environmental sciences attempting to protect it.
Download or read book Oxford Bibliographies written by and published by . This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Ecology of Aquatic Systems written by Michael Dobson and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the global importance of aquatic systems becoming more apparent--and the need for effective management of these systems becoming increasingly clear--there has never been a more important time for students to fully grasp the fundamentals of aquatic systems. Ecology of Aquatic Systems is the ideal course companion to achieve this goal. This new edition brings together coverage of freshwater and marine systems to illustrate the principles and properties that unify aquatic systems. Using examples drawn from a wide geographical range, the book presents a broad survey of the field that acts as the ideal foundation for further study. Opening with a review of the different types of aquatic systems, their interconnected nature, and the diversity of life within them, the book goes on to explore the key types of aquatic habitats, emphasizing the ecological themes that pervade each system. Written with students in mind, Ecology of Aquatic Systems retains the succinct, lucid style for which the first edition was praised. It includes cross-references throughout, a substantial glossary, and extensive index to help readers engage with, and fully understand, the material presented.
Download or read book The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods for Social Ecological Systems written by Reinette Biggs and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-07-29 with total page 700 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods for Social-Ecological Systems provides a synthetic guide to the range of methods that can be employed in social-ecological systems (SES) research. The book is primarily targeted at graduate students, lecturers and researchers working on SES, and has been written in a style that is accessible to readers entering the field from a variety of different disciplinary backgrounds. Each chapter discusses the types of SES questions to which the particular methods are suited and the potential resources and skills required for their implementation, and provides practical examples of the application of the methods. In addition, the book contains a conceptual and practical introduction to SES research, a discussion of key gaps and frontiers in SES research methods, and a glossary of key terms in SES research. Contributions from 97 different authors, situated at SES research hubs in 16 countries around the world, including South Africa, Sweden, Germany and Australia, bring a wealth of expertise and experience to this book. The first book to provide a guide and introduction specifically focused on methods for studying SES, this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of sustainability science, environmental management, global environmental change studies and environmental governance. The book will also be of interest to upper-level undergraduates and professionals working at the science–policy interface in the environmental arena.
Download or read book Spatial Resilience in Social Ecological Systems written by Graeme S. Cumming and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-02-09 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spatial Resilience is a new and exciting area of interdisciplinary research. It focuses on the influence of spatial variation – including such things as spatial location, context, connectivity, and dispersal – on the resilience of complex systems, and on the roles that resilience and self-organization play in generating spatial variation. Prof. Cumming provides a readable introduction and a first comprehensive synthesis covering the core concepts and applications of spatial resilience to the study of social-ecological systems. The book follows a trajectory from concepts through models, methods, and case study analysis before revisiting the central problems in the further conceptual development of the field. In the process, the author ranges from the movements of lions in northern Zimbabwe to the urban jungles of Europe, and from the collapse of past societies to the social impacts of modern conflict. The many case studies and examples discussed in the book show how the concept of spatial resilience can generate valuable insights into the spatial dynamics of social-ecological systems and contribute to solving some of the most pressing problems of our time. Although it has been written primarily for students, this book will provide fascinating reading for interdisciplinary scientists at all career stages as well as for the interested public. "Graeme Cumming, central in the development of resilience thinking and theory, has produced a wonderful book on spatial resilience, the first ever on this topic. The book will become a shining star, a classic in the explosion of new ideas and approaches to studying and understanding social-ecological systems." Carl Folke, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Sweden
Download or read book Ecological Restoration written by Andre F. Clewell and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2012-07-26 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The field of ecological restoration is a rapidly growing discipline that encompasses a wide range of activities and brings together practitioners and theoreticians from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, ranging from volunteer backyard restorationists to highly trained academic scientists and professional consultants. Ecological Restoration offers for the first time a unified vision of ecological restoration as a field of study, one that clearly states the discipline’s precepts and emphasizes issues of importance to those involved at all levels. In a lively, personal fashion, the authors discuss scientific and practical aspects of the field as well as the human needs and values that motivate practitioners. The book: -identifies fundamental concepts upon which restoration is based -considers the principles of restoration practice -explores the diverse values that are fulfilled with the restoration of ecosystems -reviews the structure of restoration practice, including the various contexts for restoration work, the professional development of its practitioners, and the relationships of restoration with allied fields and activities A unique feature of the book is the inclusion of eight “virtual field trips,” short photo essays of project sites around the world that illustrate various points made in the book and are “led” by those who were intimately involved with the project described. Throughout, ecological restoration is conceived as a holistic endeavor, one that addresses issues of ecological degradation, biodiversity loss, and sustainability science simultaneously, and draws upon cultural resources and local skills and knowledge in restoration work.
