Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. Preface vii
4. Introduction ix
5. Cluster 1. Foundation Concepts
6. Introduction 1
7. 1. The Environment 3
8. 2. The System 10
9. 3. Hierarchical Organization 18
10. Cluster 2. Land and Water Systems
11. Introduction 27
12. 4. The Ecosphere, with Comments on the Gaia Hypothesis and the Biosphere 29
13. 5. Energy Dynamics 37
14. 6. The Composition of the Earth 45
15. 7. The Biome 59
16. 8. The Landscape 69
17. 9. The Watershed 78
18. 10. The Ecotope 90
19. 11. Species Diversity 101
20. 12. Primary Production and Decomposition 109
21. 13. Ecological Succession 118
22. Cluster 3. The Population and the Individual
23. Introduction 125
24. 14. The Population as a Demographic Unit 127
25. 15. Life-History Adaptations 138
26. 16. The Individual Organism 146
27. 17. Body Size and Climate Space 154
28. 18. Speciation and Natural Selection 163
29. Cluster 4. Interaction Between Individuals and Species
30. Introduction 171
31. 19. Interactions Between Individuals 173
32. 20. Mutualism 181
33. 21. Competition 188
34. 22. Predation 198
35. 23. Coevolution and Niche 205
36. 24. The Bio tic Community 211
37. 25. Island Biogeography 217
38. 26. Human Ecology 224
39. Conclusion: Ecology, Environment, and Ethics 229
40. Literature Cited 239
41. Index 249