Ecology and Ecosystems Analysis

The goal of this book is to convey the rich perspectives,  principles, and enchantment of ecology to a broad audience of students  and lifelong learners. The book is based on the belief that the science  of ecology is best understood by examining familiar ecosystems from the  natural world and weaving fresh insights and ecological concepts into an  ecosystems framework to reveal the patterns, processes, and  interactions that are the foundation of sustainable living systems in  our biosphere. In the spirit of that teaching philosophy, the core of  this book focuses on specific ecosystems that are familiar to most of us  (e.g., forests, wetlands, streams, lakes, and the like).

Taken  as a whole, the chapters of this text are intended to provide a  conceptual framework and an intellectual pathway for understanding and  interpreting the ecology of the biosphere using elements of population,  community, ecosystem, and landscape ecology. Equipped with this toolkit  of ecological literacy, readers and students will hopefully be better  prepared to make personal, business, and civic or governmental decisions  that are consistent with a healthy and sustainable Earth.