Laws, Theories, and Patterns in Ecology

by WALTER DODDS
Laws, Theories, and Patterns in Ecology
Author: WALTER DODDS
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2009-08-05
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0520944542
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Physics and chemistry are distinguished from biology by the way generalizations are codified into theories tested by observation and experimentation. Some theories have been sufficiently tested to qualify as laws. In ecology, generalizations worthy of being called theories are less common because observations and experimentation are difficult and exceptions are more common. In this book, Walter K. Dodds enumerates generalizations in ecology. Introductory material describes how the practice of science in general, and ecology specifically, yields theories and laws. Dodds also discusses why such ideas are only useful if they have predictive ability, and delineates the scope of these generalizations and the constraints that limit their application. The result is a short book that delves deeply into important ecological ideas and how they predict and provide understanding.

The Theory of Ecology

by Samuel M. Scheiner
The Theory of Ecology
Author: Samuel M. Scheiner
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 416
Release: 2011-07-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0226736865
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Despite claims to the contrary, the science of ecology has a long history of building theories. Many ecological theories are mathematical, computational, or statistical, though, and rarely have attempts been made to organize or extrapolate these models into broader theories. The Theory of Ecology brings together some of the most respected and creative theoretical ecologists of this era to advance a comprehensive, conceptual articulation of ecological theories. The contributors cover a wide range of topics, from ecological niche theory to population dynamic theory to island biogeography theory. Collectively, the chapters ably demonstrate how theory in ecology accounts for observations about the natural world and how models provide predictive understandings. It organizes these models into constitutive domains that highlight the strengths and weaknesses of ecological understanding. This book is a milestone in ecological theory and is certain to motivate future empirical and theoretical work in one of the most exciting and active domains of the life sciences.

Foundations of Ecology

by Leslie A. Real
Foundations of Ecology
Author: Leslie A. Real
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 920
Release: 2012-12-20
Genre: Science
ISBN: 022618210X
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Assembled here for the first time in one volume are forty classic papers that have laid the foundations of modern ecology. Whether by posing new problems, demonstrating important effects, or stimulating new research, these papers have made substantial contributions to an understanding of ecological processes, and they continue to influence the field today. The papers span nearly nine decades of ecological research, from 1887 on, and are organized in six sections: foundational papers, theoretical advances, synthetic statements, methodological developments, field studies, and ecological experiments. Selections range from Connell's elegant account of experiments with barnacles to Watt's encyclopedic natural history, from a visionary exposition by Grinnell of the concept of niche to a seminal essay by Hutchinson on diversity. Six original essays by contemporary ecologists and a historian of ecology place the selections in context and discuss their continued relevance to current research. This combination of classic papers and fresh commentaries makes Foundations of Ecology both a convenient reference to papers often cited today and an essential guide to the intellectual and conceptual roots of the field. Published with the Ecological Society of America.

Perspectives in Ecological Theory

by Jonathan Roughgarden
Perspectives in Ecological Theory
Author: Jonathan Roughgarden
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 403
Release: 2014-07-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1400860180
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This volume presents an overview of current accomplishments and future directions in ecological theory. The twenty-three chapters cover a broad range of important topics, from the physiology and behavior of individuals or groups of organisms, through population dynamics and community structure, to the ecology of ecosystems and the geochemical cycles of the entire biosphere. The authors focus on ways in which theory, whether expressed mathematically or verbally, can contribute to defining and solving fundamental problems in ecology. A second aim is to highlight areas where dialogue between theorists and empiricists is likely to be especially rewarding. The authors are R. M. Anderson, C. W. Clark, M. L. Cody, J. E. Cohen, P. R. Ehrlich, M. W. Feldman, M. E. Gilpin, L. J. Gross, M. P. Hassell, H. S. Horn, P. Kareiva, M.A.R. Koehl, S. A. Levin, R. M. May, L. D. Mueller, R. V. O'Neill, S. W. Pacala, S. L. Pimm, T. M. Powell, H. R. Pulliam, J. Roughgarden, W. H. Schlesinger, H. H. Shugart, S. M. Stanley, J. H. Steele, D. Tilman, J. Travis, and D. L. Urban. Originally published in 1989. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Laws, Theories, and Patterns in Ecology

by Walter Kennedy Dodds
Laws, Theories, and Patterns in Ecology
Author: Walter Kennedy Dodds
Publisher:
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2009
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:
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"Physics and chemistry are distinguished from biology by the way generalizations are codified into theories tested by observation and experimentation. This work enumerates generalizations in ecology. It describes how the practice of science, in general, and ecology specifically, yields theories and laws." -- BOOK PUBLISHER WEBSITE.

Environmental Education

by Matthew Etherington
Environmental Education
Author: Matthew Etherington
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 197
Release: 2023-08-03
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1666724955
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This book has a single motif and a dual purpose. Its motif is the portrayal of influential authors within an environmental framework and worldview. The design is presented in different ways in which environmental understandings might be understood. The purposes are to engender in the reader a broad knowledge of some of the ideas and problems inherent in a discussion of nature and the environment and to stimulate the reader to go further into the sources of their tradition and worldview in search of meaning and insights that are uniquely relevant to their philosophy.

Understanding Nature

by Louise M. Weber
Understanding Nature
Author: Louise M. Weber
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 551
Release: 2023-05-16
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1000859967
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Understanding Nature is a new kind of ecology textbook: a straightforward resource that teaches natural history and ecological content, and a way to instruct students that will nurture both Earth and self. While meeting the textbook guidelines set forth by the Ecological Society of America, Understanding Nature has a unique ecotherapy theme, using a historical framework to teach ecological theory to undergraduates. This textbook presents all the core information without being unnecessarily wordy or lengthy, using simple, relatable language and discussing ecology in ways that any student can apply in real life. Uniquely, it is also a manual on how to improve one’s relationship with the Earth. This is accomplished through coverage of natural history, ecology, and applications, together with suggested field activities that start each chapter and thinking questions that end each chapter. The book includes traditional ecological knowledge as well as the history of scientific ecological knowledge. Understanding Nature teaches theory and applications that will heal the Earth. It also teaches long-term sustainability practices for one’s psyche. Professor Louise Weber is both an ecologist and a certified ecopsychologist, challenging ecology instructors to rethink what and how they teach about nature. Her book bridges the gap between students taking ecology to become ecologists and those taking ecology as a requirement, who will use the knowledge to become informed citizens.

Patterns of Interaction

by Pia Fricker
Patterns of Interaction
Author: Pia Fricker
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 96
Release: 2023-02-06
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9811990832
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This book is a reflection on contemporary computational design thinking at the intersection of architecture, urban design, and landscape architecture, in a time marked by complex challenges like climate change, urbanization and population growth. Based on a critical rethinking of the notion of ground and the relation between the manmade and the natural environment, an understanding of architecture as regenerative practice is proposed. It aims at a built environment as landscape, at an architecture of prosthetic nature. The design approach is illustrated by a number of design experiments conducted within a studio setting and complemented by a series of conversations with leading experts on sustainable design and landscape architecture.