Resource Ecology: Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Foraging

This book focuses on ‘resource ecology’, which we defined as ‘the ecology of trophic interactions between consumers and their resources’. In our endeavour to shape the discipline of ‘resource ecology’ further, we invited some world-class scientists to think with us. We thus organised a symposium where we made sure that we paid attention to the original Greek meaning of the word: we discussed, ate and drank together and, for health reasons, made sure that we hade enough time for strolling and bicycling along the banks of the River Rhine. We even climbed a beautiful mediaeval church tower dedicated to Saint Cunera dating back to the year that Columbus sailed for America. In ecology, spatial ecology is an up-and-coming domain of science. It addresses the effects of space and scale on the dynamics of individual species and on the structure and dynamics of multi-species assemblages. More than a few recent studies demonstrate the significance of taking into account the spatial structure of resources on the population dynamics and assemblage structure of consumers. We believe that bringing together scientists specialised in foraging theory with those who know much about spatial ecology can create a new context from which new theory will emerge. Every chapter was written on invitation. We as editors had outlined what we had in mind and sent that outline to the selected authors.

This multi-author book deals with ‘resource ecology’, which is the ecology of trophic interactions between consumers and their resources. Resource ecology is perhaps the most central part of ecology. In its linkage between foraging theory and spatial ecology, it shows how old and fundamental questions can be tackled afresh. It addresses crucial aspects of the interactions between consumers and resources. Foraging is the central process in resource ecology because it leads to growth, survival and reproduction of the animal. Resource ecology forms the basis for comprehending the functioning of multi-species assemblages, and is thus key to grasp the organisation of biodiversity.

All chapters in the book were prepared for a small symposium and were circulated in advance to the participants. They were subjected to intense group discussions; comments and critiques were subsequently used for writing new versions, which were peer-reviewed. For the purposes of stimulating future research, each chapter ends with two or three testable hypotheses. Each chapter is followed by a comment. This makes the book ideal for teaching and course work, because it highlights the fact that ecology is a living and active research field.