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Book The Dynamics of Arthopod Predator Prey Systems   MPB 13   Volume 13

Download or read book The Dynamics of Arthopod Predator Prey Systems MPB 13 Volume 13 written by Michael Patrick Hassell and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-03-31 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this study of arthropod predador-prey systems Michael Hassell shows how many of the components of predation may be simply modeled in order to reveal their effects on the overall dynamics of the interacting populations. Arthropods, particularly insects, make ideal subjects for such a study because their generation times are characteristically short and many have relatively discrete generations, inviting the use of difference equation models to describe population changes. Using analytical models framed in difference equations, Dr. Hassell is able to show how the detailed biological processes of insect predator-prey (including host-parasitoid) interactions may be understood. Emphasizing the development and subsequent stability analysis of general models, the author considers in detail several crucial components of predator-prey models: the prey's rate of increase as a function of density, non-random search, mutual interference, and the predator's rate of increase as a function of predator survival and fecundity. Drawing on the correspondence between the models and field and laboratory data, Dr. Hassell then discusses the practical implications for biological pest control and suggests how such models may help to formulate a theoretical basis for biological control practices.

Book Ecology of Predator Prey Interactions

Download or read book Ecology of Predator Prey Interactions written by Pedro Barbosa and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2005-08-11 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses the fundamental issues of predator-prey interactions, with an emphasis on predation among arthropods, which have been better studied, and for which the database is more extensive than for the large and rare vertebrate predators. The book should appeal to ecologists interested in the broad issue of predation effects on communities.

Book Metapopulation Dynamics  Empirical and Theoretical Investigations

Download or read book Metapopulation Dynamics Empirical and Theoretical Investigations written by Michael Gilpin and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2012-12-02 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Metapopulation Dynamics: Empirical and Theoretical Investigations covers the 1989 proceedings of a metapopulation dynamics workshop held at Lammi Biological Station, Helsinki, Finland. It is divided into 18 chapters that cover various approaches to spatially structured population and community dynamics. After briefly discussing the history of metapopulation ideas and the major conceptual links, the book covers types of studies that have been conducted on single-species and multispecies metapopulations. Then, it examines the relationships between metapopulation dynamics, the equilibrium theory of island biogeography, and the dynamics of populations living in patchy environments. It further tackles practical issues and the links between metapopulation dynamics and landscape ecology, and between metapopulation dynamics and conservation biology. Chapters 4 and 5 present structured models describing changes in the number of individuals within patches and an empirical evaluation of local extinction in metapopulation studies. The subsequent chapters discuss several aspects of metapopulation, including dispersal and connectivity, colonization, conspecific attraction, extinction and isolation, and forest fragmentation. The latter chapters describe the concept of habitat fragmentation, the diversity and competition in metapopulations, the community collapse, and the effects of metapopulation studies in predator-prey systems.

Book Handbook of Biological Control

Download or read book Handbook of Biological Control written by T. W. Fisher and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 1999-09-20 with total page 1073 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For many years the use of chemical agents such as pesticides and herbicides has been effective in controlling the many varieties of pests that infest both agricultural crops and backyard gardens. However, these pests are gradually becoming resistant to these agents, because the agents themselves are acting as selective factors making the pests better and better able to resist and persist. As a result, the use of biological controlling agents is increasing. This book is a comprehensive and authoritative handbook of biological control.

Book Ecological Modelling Applied to Entomology

Download or read book Ecological Modelling Applied to Entomology written by Cláudia P. Ferreira and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-10-20 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Insects, when studied from the ecological perspective, provide a great opportunity for scientific studies emphasizing population theory. The simple fact of being successful organisms for their ability to colonize different habitats or even for their high reproductive potential, increases the interest of ecologists in conducting studies focused on population and community level. Mathematical models are powerful tools that can capture the essence of many biological systems and investigate ecological patterns associated to ecological stability dependent on endogenous and exogenous factors. This proposal comes from the idea of adding experiences of researchers interested in working at the interface between mathematical and computation theory and problems centered on entomology, showing how mathematical modelling can be an important tool for understanding population dynamics, behavior, pest management, spatial structure and conservation.

Book Introduction to Population Ecology

Download or read book Introduction to Population Ecology written by Larry L. Rockwood and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2015-04-07 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduction to Population Ecology, 2ndEdition is a comprehensive textbook covering all aspectsof population ecology. It uses a wide variety of field andlaboratory examples, botanical to zoological, from the tropics tothe tundra, to illustrate the fundamental laws of populationecology. Controversies in population ecology are brought fully upto date in this edition, with many brand new and revised examplesand data. Each chapter provides an overview of how population theory hasdeveloped, followed by descriptions of laboratory and field studiesthat have been inspired by the theory. Topics explored includesingle-species population growth and self-limitation, lifehistories, metapopulations and a wide range of interspecificinteractions including competition, mutualism, parasite-host,predator-prey and plant-herbivore. An additional final chapter, newfor the second edition, considers multi-trophic and other complexinteractions among species. Throughout the book, the mathematics involved is explained with astep-by-step approach, and graphs and other visual aids are used to present a clear illustration of how themodels work. Such features make this an accessible introduction topopulation ecology; essential reading for undergraduate andgraduate students taking courses in population ecology, appliedecology, conservation ecology, and conservation biology, includingthose with little mathematical experience.

Book Food Webs

    Book Details:
  • Author : S. Pimm
  • Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
  • Release : 2012-12-06
  • ISBN : 9400959257
  • Pages : 231 pages

Download or read book Food Webs written by S. Pimm and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Often the meanings of words are changed subtly for interesting reasons. The implication of the word 'community' has changed from including all the organisms in an area to only those species at a particular trophic level (and often a taxonomically restricted group), for example, 'bird-community'. If this observation is correct, its probable cause is the dramatic growth in our knowledge of the ecological patterns along trophic levels (I call these horizontal patterns) and the processes that generate them. This book deals with vertical patterns - those across trophic levels -and tries to compensate for their relative neglect. In cataloging a dozen vertical patterns I hope to convince the reader that species interactions across trophic levels are as patterned as those along trophic levels and demand explanations equally forcefully. But this is not the only objective. A limited number of processes shape the patterns of species interaction; to demonstrate their existence is an essential step in understanding why ecosystems are the way they are. To achieve these aims I must resort to both mathematical techniques to develop theories and statistical techniques to decide between rival hypotheses. The level of mathematics is likely to offend nearly everyone. Some will find any mathematics too much, while others will consider the material to be old, familiar ground and probably explained with a poor regard for rigour and generality.

Book Plant Resistance to Herbivores and Pathogens

Download or read book Plant Resistance to Herbivores and Pathogens written by Robert S. Fritz and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2012-07-15 with total page 601 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Far from being passive elements in the landscape, plants have developed many sophisticated chemical and mechanical means of deterring organisms that seek to prey on them. This volume draws together research from ecology, evolution, agronomy, and plant pathology to produce an ecological genetics perspective on plant resistance in both natural and agricultural systems. By emphasizing the ecological and evolutionary basis of resistance, the book makes an important contribution to the study of how phytophages and plants coevolve. Plant Resistance to Herbivores and Pathogens not only reviews the literature pertaining to plant resistance from a number of traditionally separate fields but also examines significant questions that will drive future research. Among the topics explored are selection for resistance in plants and for virulence in phytophages; methods for studying natural variation in plant resistance; the factors that maintain intraspecific variation in resistance; and the ecological consequences of within-population genetic variation for herbivorous insects and fungal pathogens. "A comprehensive review of the theory and information on a large, rapidly growing, and important subject."—Douglas J. Futuyma, State University of New York, Stony Brook

Book Estimation and Analysis of Insect Populations

Download or read book Estimation and Analysis of Insect Populations written by Lyman L. McDonald and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The papers in this volume were presented at a symposium/workshop on "The Estimation and Analysis of Insect Populations" that was held at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, in January, 1988. The meeting was organized with financial support from the United States - New Zealand Cooperative Science Program and the University of Wyoming. The purpose was to bring together approximately equal numbers of quantitative biologists and biometricians in order to (1) provide a synthesis and evaluation of currently available methods for modeling and estimating parameters of insect population, and to (2) stimulate research into new methods where this is appropriate. The symposium/workshop attracted 46 participants. There were 35 papers presented in four subject areas: analysis of stage-frequency data, modeling of population dynamiCS, analysis of spatial data, and general sampling and estimation methods. New results were presented in all these areas. All except one of the papers is included in the present volume.

Book Research Techniques in Animal Ecology

Download or read book Research Techniques in Animal Ecology written by Luigi Boitani and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2000-06-01 with total page 668 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The present biodiversity crisis is rife with opportunities to make important conservation decisions; however, the misuse or misapplication of the methods and techniques of animal ecology can have serious consequences for the survival of species. Still, there have been relatively few critical reviews of methodology in the field. This book provides an analysis of some of the most frequently used research techniques in animal ecology, identifying their limitations and misuses, as well as possible solutions to avoid such pitfalls. In the process, contributors to this volume present new perspectives on the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data. Research Techniques in Animal Ecology is an overarching account of central theoretical and methodological controversies in the field, rather than a handbook on the minutiae of techniques. The editors have forged comprehensive presentations of key topics in animal ecology, such as territory and home range estimates, habitation evaluation, population viability analysis, GIS mapping, and measuring the dynamics of societies. Striking a careful balance, each chapter begins by assessing the shortcomings and misapplications of the techniques in question, followed by a thorough review of the current literature, and concluding with possible solutions and suggested guidelines for more robust investigations.

Book A Functional Biology of Parasitism

Download or read book A Functional Biology of Parasitism written by G.W. Esch and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-03-07 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Series Editor: Peter Calow, Department of Zoology, University of Sheffield, England The main aim of this series will be to illustrate and to explain the way organisms 'make a living' in nature. At the heart of this - their functional biology - is the way organisms acquire and then make use of resources in metabolism, movement, growth, reproduction, and so on. These processes will form the fundamental framework of all the books in the series. Each book will concentrate on a particular taxon (species, family, class or even phylum) and will bring together information on the form, physiology, ecology and evolutionary biology of the group. The aim will be not only to describe how organisms work, but also to consider why they have come to work in that way. By concentration on taxa which are well known, it is hoped that the series will not only illustrate the success of selection, but also show the constraints imposed upon it by the physiological, morphological and developmental limitations of the groups. Another important feature of the series will be its organismic orientation. Each book will emphasize the importance of functional integration in the day to-day lives and the evolution of organisms. This is crucial since, though it may be true that organisms can be considered as collections of gene determined traits, they nevertheless interact with their environment as integrated wholes and it is in this context that individual traits have been subjected to natural selection and have evolved.

Book Dynamics of Nutrient Cycling and Food Webs

Download or read book Dynamics of Nutrient Cycling and Food Webs written by Donald L. DeAngelis and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In all fields of science today, data are collected and theories are developed and published faster than scientists can keep up with, let alone thoroughly digest. In ecology the fact that practitioners tend to be divided between such subdisciplines as aquatic and terrestrial ecology, as well as between popula tion, community, and ecosystem ecology, makes it even harder for them to keep up with all relevant research. Ecologists specializing in one sub discipline are not always aware of progress in another subdiscipline that relates to their own. Syntheses are frequently needed that pull together large bodies of information and organize them in ways that makes them more coherent, and thus more understandable. I have tried to perform this task of integration for the subject area that encompasses the interrelationships between the dynamics of ecological food webs and the cycling of nutrients. I believe this area cuts across many of the subdisciplines of ecology and is pivotal to our progress in understanding ecosystems and in dealing with human impacts on the environment. Many current ecological problems involve human disturbances of both food webs and the nutrients that cycle through them. Little progress can be made towards elucidating the complex feedback relations inherent in the study of nutrient cycles in ecological systems without the tools of mathematics and computer modelling. These tools are therefore liberally used throughout the book.

Book Theoretical Approaches to Biological Control

Download or read book Theoretical Approaches to Biological Control written by Bradford A. Hawkins and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2008-10-14 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biological control is the suppression of pest populations using predators, parasitoids and pathogens. Historically, biological control has largely been on a trial-and-error basis, and has failed more often than it has succeeded. However by developing theories based upon fundamental population principles and the biological characteristics of the pest and agent, we can gain a much better understanding of when and how to use biological control. This book gathers together recent theoretical developments and provides a balanced guide to the important issues that need to be considered in applying ecological theory to biological control. It will be a source of productive and stimulating thought for all those interested in pest management, theoretical ecology and population biology.

Book Enhancing Biological Control

    Book Details:
  • Author : Charles Hammond Pickett
  • Publisher : Univ of California Press
  • Release : 1998
  • ISBN : 9780520213623
  • Pages : 450 pages

Download or read book Enhancing Biological Control written by Charles Hammond Pickett and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past ten years an increasing number of field entomologists and farmers have recognized that conservation of natural enemies is important to effective biological control in many agricultural systems. This collection addresses an important gap in the biological control literature by providing the first comprehensive summary of recent findings on habitat manipulation to control pests. Enhancing Biological Control includes contributions from experts around the world: the United States, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, People's Republic of China, and Switzerland. Chapters cover habitat modification in such areas as fields, orchards, or vineyards, and along or near the perimeters of fields, including hedges or other uncultivated areas. Generalist and specialist natural enemies are described in full, as are theoretical and practical issues. Experimental designs for studying enhancement come into play, and the editors include a modeling study that explores how the dispersal of natural enemies interacts with the positioning of refuges. This volume is an invaluable source of information to researchers, progressive farmers, and agricultural consultants.