Preface; Acknowledgements; Part I. Introduction and the Physical Environment: 1. What is ecology in action?; 2. The physical environment; Part II. Evolutionary and Organismal Ecology: 3. Evolution and adaptation; 4. Physiological and evolutionary ecology of acquiring nutrients and energy; 5. Physiological and evolutionary ecology of temperature and water relations; 6. Behavioral ecology; 7. Bernd Heinrich - studying adaptation in the field and the laboratory; Part III. Population Ecology: 8. Life history evolution; 9. Distribution and dispersal; 10. Population abundance and growth; 11. Conservation ecology; 12. The chimpanzees of Gombe; Part IV. Community Ecology: 13. Interspecific competition; 14. Predation and other exploitative interactions; 15. Facilitation; 16. Complex interactions and food webs; 17. Biological diversity and community stability; 18. Dan Janzen and Winnie Hallwachs - community interactions and tropical restoration through biodiversity conservation; Part V. Ecosystem and Global Ecology: 19. Ecosystem structure and energy flow; 20. Nutrient cycles: global, regional and local; 21. Disturbance and succession; 22. Geographic and landscape ecology; 23. The carbon cycle and climate change ecology; 24. Jane Lubchenco - from the marine intertidal to global service; 25. Epilogue; Glossary; References; Figure and quotation credits; Index.

This fresh approach to integrating the core concepts of ecology and research processes has a strong narrative, driven by case studies that reveal how ecologists raise and answer real-world questions. It enables students to develop a strong grasp of key topics with a deep understanding of ecology as a dynamic science.