Ecology : concepts and applications / Manuel C. Molles, Jr., University of New Mexico.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction to ecology : historical foundations and developing frontiers -- Section I: Natural history and evolution. Life on land ; Life in water ; Population genetics and natural selection -- Section II: Adaptations to the environment. Temperature relations ; Water relations ; Energy and nutrient relations ; Social relations -- Section III: Population ecology. Population distribution and abundance ; Population dynamics ; Population growth ; Life histories -- Section IV: Interactions. Competition ; Exploitative interactions : predation, herbivory, parasitism, and disease ; Mutualism -- Section V: Communities and ecosystems. Species abundance and diversity ; Species interactions and community structure ; Primary and secondary production ; Nutrient cycling and retention ; Succession and stability ; Large-scale ecology ; Landscape ecology ; Geographic ecology ; Global ecology -- Appendix: Statistical tables.

Ecology: Concepts and Applications by Molles places great emphasis on helping students grasp the main concepts of ecology while keeping the presentation more applied than theoretical. An evolutionary perspective forms the foundation of the entire discussion. The book begins with the natural history of the planet, considers portions of the whole in the middle chapters, and ends with another perspective of the entire planet in the concluding chapter. Its unique organization of focusing only on several key concepts in each chapter sets it apart from other ecology texts.