Description
Book SynopsisEcology is a cross-disciplinary field involving many different aspects of science. Written with this in mind, this book introduces ecological processes, ranging from physical processes, to chemical processes and biological processes. It contains all the necessary information on an ecological process: a clear, detailed but not too lengthy definition; some practical examples, the main mathematical models which have been used to describe the process, and the key interconnections with other ecological processes that must be known in order to apply what has been learned from the book.
Trade Review"... presents an overview of the multi-faceted reality of ecosystems. However, far from being a simple collection of particular aspects of the environment, the book presents a comprehensive vision of ecosystems based on thermodynamics, viewed as a unifying principle which every evolutionary system must obey."––Stefano Marsili Libelli, Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, Italy
"… the authors take the reader on a comprehensive journey through the key processes that help one understand ecology—particularly for the application of environmental management. … The authors bring many years of expertise and experience to this topic, which is evident in the broad, synthetic treatment of the material. This Handbook would be a valuable resource …" —Brian D. Fath, Towson University
Table of ContentsPART I – INTRODUCTION. The ecosystem as an object for research. Conservation principles. Energy dissipation. A perspective from information and systems theory. Ecological Processes: An Overview. PART II – PHYSICAL PROCESSES. Space and time. Mass transport. Energetic factors. PART III – CHEMICAL PROCESSES. Chemical reactions. Chemical lysis. Phase partition. PART IV – BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES. Biogeochemical cycles. Photosynthesis. Growth. Primary production. Production of upper trophic levels. Microbial processes. Ecotoxicological Processes. Biological Interactions. PART V – LANDSCAPE PROCESSES. Aquatic ecosystems. Terrestrial Ecosystems. Landscapes and Urban Ecosystems. The Atmosphere. REFERENCES. THE AUTHORS.
