Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems [Paperback]

Michael Begon (Author), Colin R. Townsend (Author), John L. Harper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 14, 2006 | ISBN-10: 1405111178 | ISBN-13: 978-1405111171 | Edition: 4

Begon, Townsend, and Harper's Ecology has long been regarded as the definitive textbook on all aspects of ecology. This new edition provides a comprehensive treatment of the subject, from the first principles of ecology to the current state of the field, and aims to improve students' preparedness to address the environmental problems of the new millennium.

Thoroughly revised and updated, this fourth edition includes:

• three new chapters on applied ecology, reflecting a rigorous, scientific approach to the ecological problems now facing mankind
• discussion of over 800 new studies, updating the text throughout
• an updated, user-friendly design with margin notes and chapter summaries that serve as study aids
• dedicated website at www.blackwellpublishing.com/begon

The resulting textbook is easy to use, lucid and up-to-date, and is the essential reference for all students whose degree program includes ecology and for practicing ecologists.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Begon, Townsend and Harper has been the standard advanced textbook in ecology for nearly 20 years. I greatly welcome this fourth edition, which maintains the book’s position at the forefront of the discipline.”
Professor Sir John Lawton, Chairman, Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, and formerly Chief Executive of the UK Natural Environment Research Council

"Now in its fourth edition, this text will continue to be recognized as a forerunner in the science of ecology; it is very comprehensive, exploring ecological concepts with relevant field and laboratory studies, enriched by clear examples and illustrations."
Journal of Biological Education

“With remarkable clarity and insight, these gifted authors lay the evolutionary foundation of the discipline and then build the superstructure of Ecology, layer by layer. This is a complete reworking of the earlier version, a lucid synthesis sprinkled with clear examples. My colleagues and I have used this text to teach ecology for more than 20 years, and not surprisingly it has been recognized as the leading text in the field; this new version guarantees it will remain in pole position for many years to come.”
Peter Hudson, Pennsylvania State University

“Begon, Townsend and Harper’s Ecology has been the cornerstone text for teaching ecology for almost two decades. Its comprehensive breadth and depth provides details on ecological concepts supplemented with relevant field and laboratory studies. Ecology will remain an essential text for students and practioners alike for many years to come.”
Michael Bonsall, Oxford University

“Ecology: From Individual, to Ecosystems is unparalleled among ecology texts for its breadth of coverage of contemporary ecology and for its clear presentation of even the more complex topics. The coverage of population ecology is superb, and the presentation of all topics is enriched both by extremely clear illustrations and a rich use of examples of human relationships with the environment. It should be read by all aspiring ecologists and the professors who teach them.”
Marcel Holyoak, University of California, Davis

"...Overall, this text has continued to earn its dominance in the market...For those for whom Essentials is too basic this is the text to read at the next level. It's comprehensive coverage and wide range of examples make it an essential purchase for basic/advanced ecology education."
TENews, September 2005

Review of the previous edition

“arguably the best general textbook in ecology currently on the market”
Animal Ecology 1999

“This monumental book is obligatory reading for all ecologists. It has an engaging style, is user-friendly and is a fount of information and scientific rigour. It will take population biology, broadly defined, comfortably into the next century.”
Journal of Ecology 1997

“The language and structure of this textbook is quite comprehensive, making it the ideal book for undergraduates making their first steps in ecology.”
Journal of Animal Ecology 1997

From the Back Cover

Begon, Townsend, and Harper's Ecology has long been regarded as the definitive textbook on all aspects of ecology. This new edition provides a comprehensive treatment of the subject, from the first principles of ecology to the current state of the field, and aims to improve students' preparedness to address the environmental problems of the new millennium.

Thoroughly revised and updated, this fourth edition includes:

• three new chapters on applied ecology, reflecting a rigorous, scientific approach to the ecological problems now facing mankind
  
• discussion of over 800 new studies, updating the text throughout
  
• an updated, user-friendly design with margin notes and chapter summaries that serve as study aids
  
• dedicated website at www.blackwellpublishing.com/begon

The resulting textbook is easy to use, lucid and up-to-date, and is the essential reference for all students whose degree program includes ecology and for practicing ecologists.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 752 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 4 edition (January 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1405111178
• ISBN-13: 978-1405111171
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 1 x 10.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #255,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good, solid review of Ecology, January 18, 2007

By 

Leah Penn Boris "lapenn" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems (Paperback)

I'm a grad student in ecology, and this book is a wonderful review of the subject. The writing is straightforward and includes lots of examples from the scientific literature.

It's well written and has many levels, so it would be just as valuable for an undergrad with an interest in ecology as it is for the grad student boning up for qualifying exams (me!). Much better than comparable ecology books that I used as an undergraduate.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars GOOD FOR SCIENCE OLYMPIAD!, April 15, 2007

By 

Patrick Mustard - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems (Paperback)

I may be the only person reviewing this book who's not in college. Anyway, I ordered this book because I needed to study for an event in science olympiad dealing with ecology. Ever since I received it, I have gotten first place at every tournament! The plethora of real-world examples in this book were very helpful. My only problem with it were the "illustrations". Come on, diagrams? Maybe... but illustrations? NO WAY! Except a few here and there. I also didn't like how all the diagrams were the exact same color.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Essential Book in Ecology, November 11, 2009

By 

Rodrigo Aluizio (Curitiba, PR BR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems (Paperback)

This book is simply necessary for those who pretend to learn and understand ecology. It's very well written and treats all the mandatory topics in ecology. As an extremely complex science, ecology needs a direct and clear approach and few authors can do that the same way Begon and his colleagues do. The book has a pleasant reading and is full with context examples; it brings the most recent issues in ecology as the functional ecology view of the communities and its relationship with the environment.