Résumé :
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Ecology Community ecology - the study of the patterns and processes involving two or more species - has developed rapidly in the last two decades, driven on by new and more sophisticated research techniques, advances in mathematical theory and modeling, and the increasing pressure on the environment wrought by humans. Once a purely descriptive science, it is now one of the most forward-looking areas of scientific inquiry. Morin skillfully guides us through the main tenets and central concepts of community ecology - competition, predation, food webs, indirect effects, habitat selection, diversity, and succession. In an attempt to introduce the reader to the most balanced coverage possible, Morin includes examples drawn from both the aquatic and terrestrial realm and from both plant and animal species. Balancing theory with experimentation and drawing on exciting new studies to complement the historical foundations of the discipline, he also stresses that both the empirical and theoretical approaches are necessary to drive ecology forward into the new millennium. The final chapter on applied community ecology ably demonstrates how community ecological processes have a wide environmental relevance. Although in its infancy, the application of community ecology to emerging problems in human-dominated ecosystems could mitigate problems as diverse as management strategies for diseases transmitted by animals and the restoration and reconstruction of viable communities.
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