Practical Methods in Ecology - Softcover

Henderson, Peter A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1405102446 ISBN 13: 9781405102445

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell, 2003

Synopsis

There are few books available that provide a good introduction to the methods and techniques for ecological research. This book will be invaluable to lecturers teaching field courses and students undertaking project work in ecology.

Each chapter will focus on an ecological technique. It will have an introductory section that describes the ecological principles and theory. This will then be followed by example applications. These will focus on three most common habitats where teachers take students for fieldwork; the seashore, ponds and lakes, fields and woodland.

• Gives specific worked examples from the main ecosystems used for undergraduate study - seashore, lakes/ponds, field and woodland.
• Only introductory text specifically focused on field techniques.
• Great 'how-to' guide that will show student exactly how to carry out each method.
• Only text to emphasise the principles behind the techniques - taking a methods based approach rather than a taxonomic approach (eg chapters split into population measures, biodiversity measures, species richness measures rather than methods for invertebrates, methods for mammals, methods for birds etc).
• Greater emphasis on the equipment involved - how to make it, where to buy it.
• Good references to further reading and advanced techniques.

About this title

About the Author

Peter Henderson is an ecologist with more than 25 years’ experience working on population dynamics of fish and invertebrates in Europe, North America, and Amazonia. His wide-ranging interests include community dynamics, evolutionary theory, and the taxonomy of ostracods. He is a director of the ecological consultancy Pisces Conservation Ltd and lectures at the University of Oxford.

From the Back Cover

Practical Methods in Ecology isan introductory manual of methods used by ecologists to collect and analyze data. Aimed at students with little practical or computational experience, it is an ideal text for university and senior high school students on field trips or taking courses in field ecology.

Based on the classic textbook by Southwood, Ecological Methods, it begins with a discussion on planning of field work, followed by a brief overview of the statistical tests that can be used to analyze the data. The book then divides into two main sections, the first covering techniques used to sample communities and estimate population size from pitfall trapping to mark–recapture methods, the second looking at techniques for population and community analysis including diversity indices, life-tables, and multivariate techniques.

Each chapter provides a summary of the theoretical principles, followed by specific examples and ideas for project work. Examples are selected for use in ponds and streams, the sea shore, fields, and woodland, and carefully chosen so at least one of these widely available habitats should be accessible to students almost anywhere in the world.

From the Inside Flap

Practical Methods in Ecology isan introductory manual of methods used by ecologists to collect and analyze data. Aimed at students with little practical or computational experience, it is an ideal text for university and senior high school students on field trips or taking courses in field ecology.

Based on the classic textbook by Southwood, Ecological Methods, it begins with a discussion on planning of field work, followed by a brief overview of the statistical tests that can be used to analyze the data. The book then divides into two main sections, the first covering techniques used to sample communities and estimate population size from pitfall trapping to mark–recapture methods, the second looking at techniques for population and community analysis including diversity indices, life-tables, and multivariate techniques.

Each chapter provides a summary of the theoretical principles, followed by specific examples and ideas for project work. Examples are selected for use in ponds and streams, the sea shore, fields, and woodland, and carefully chosen so at least one of these widely available habitats should be accessible to students almost anywhere in the world.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1405102446
• ISBN 13: 9781405102445
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 176