A Primer of Ecology [Paperback]

Nicholas J. Gotelli (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0878932739 | ISBN-13: 978-0878932733 | Publication Date: January 2001 | Edition: 3

This volume presents a concise but detailed exposition of the most common mathematical models in population and community ecology. It is intended to demystify ecological models and the mathematics behind them by deriving the models from first principles. The book may be used as a self-teaching tutorial by students, as a primary textbook, or as a supplemental text to a general ecology textbook. The Primer explains in detail basic concepts of exponential and logistic population growth, age structured demography, metapopulation dynamics, competition, predation, island biogeography, and, in a chapter new to this edition, succession. Each chapter is graded from simple material that is appropriate for beginning undergraduates to advanced material, which is suited for upper division undergraduates and beginning graduate students. Advanced topics include environmental andemographic stochasticity, discrete population growth and chaos, stage structured demography, intraguild predation, nonlinear predator prey isoclines, and passive sampling.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

NICHOLAS J. GOTELLI is Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Vermont.

Product Details

• Paperback: 265 pages
• Publisher: Sinauer Associates; 3 edition (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878932739
• ISBN-13: 978-0878932733
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #337,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easily one of the best on the topic, June 23, 2003

By 

Robert L. Gorena "schizaphis" (Houston, Tx United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Primer of Ecology (Paperback)

Four and one half stars.

Dr. Gotelli's book is the most successful which I am familiar at "demystifying" the mathematical concepts in ecology. "A primer of ecology" is very well organized and written so as not to frighten off the uninitiated, but covers the mathematics well enough to be an adequate refresher for those that have slipped in some areas. The inclusion of ecological succession in the 3rd edition is an important addition and not merely a reason to put out a new version. I highly recommend this text to anyone who is interested in learning about ecological study, and I think it would make an excellent senior undergraduate or supplemental graduate text.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gotelli's work is one of the best Ecology books out there!!!, April 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Primer of Ecology (Paperback)

I had to read Gotelli's A Primer of Ecology for my Ecology class at Brown University. I thought that it was by far the most comprehensive and easily read book used in that class. The mathematical models were always backed up with empirical evidence to several models in the field. A definate must read for all ecologists!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great First Approach on Ecology, March 20, 2009

By 

Mariela G (Buenos Aires, Argentina.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Primer of Ecology, Fourth Edition (Paperback)

This book is a must for people starting to study ecology.
It's short, very well written and clear, concise, not oversimplifying, and it's very nice to read. It has real life examples too. It's true it doesn't go very deep, but it gives you the perfect fundation to go deeper after it, reading Begon for example, which is a good book but gives for granted a lot of concepts.
Anyone can read this book, because it starts fron absolut zero, which is the very best of it.