An introduction to quantitative ecology (McGraw-Hill series in population biology)

Stressing the actual use of quantitative methods on real field data, this book provides a balanced treatment of both plant and animal ecology. Beginning with the simple single population, Dr. Poole proceeds to the analysis of field populations, and concludes with the study of interactions in communities of species, energy flow , and nutrient cycling. Among the topics discussed are epidemiology, community classification, ordination, species diversity, the estimation of energy and nutrient flow rates, the analysis of spatial patterns, dispersal and sampling methods. The general applicability of the model or method to real field problems is discussed, and the material in each chapter is illustrated by real examples of its use. The organization of the book is generally based on the presentation of a problem, a method of solving the problem, the analysis of an example, and a discussion of the ecological generalities and implications suggested by the analysis. Although this survey of ecology has a strong math basis, it is primarily written for the non-mathematically inclined biologist. The only prerequisite is high school algebra. The required math is presented in a simple manner as it becomes necessary and the sections on statistics focus on applying the method to the topic at hand. In most cases, the author has avoided deriving models or statistical methods and has concentrated on explaining the uses of the models, their implications, and most importantly, their assumptions.