Fundamentals of Ecosystem Science

by Kathleen C. Weathers (Editor), David L. Strayer (Editor), Gene E. Likens (Editor)

Overview

Fundamentals of Ecosystem Science, Second Edition provides a comprehensive introduction to modern ecosystem science covering land, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Featuring full color images to support learning and written by a group of experts, this updated edition covers major concepts of ecosystem science, biogeochemistry, and energetics. Case studies of important environmental problems offer personal insights into how adopting an ecosystem approach has helped solve important intellectual and practical problems.

For those choosing to use the book in a classroom environment, or who want to enrich further their reading experience, teaching and learning assets are available at Elsevier.com.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780128127629
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	07/26/2021
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	358
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dr Weathers is a Biogeochemist with an expertise in air-land-water interactions, heterogeneous landscapes, ecological importance of fog, air pollution. Dr. Weathers' research focuses on quantifying how biology affects geochemistry and biogeochemical cycling across heterogeneous landscapes, and within and among multiple systems (air-land-water). Specific topics have included quantifying cross-boundary nutrient fluxes (e.g., nutrient and pollutant delivery and biogeochemistry from ocean to forest); how landscape and plant structure affect fog inputs-and how fog affects the biotic and abiotic maintenance of ecosystems; the importance of tree species, and their pests and pathogens, in controlling landscape biogeochemistry; and the effect of cyanobacteria on oligotrophic lake resilience. She has over 100 publications to date

Dr Strayer is a Freshwater Ecologist whose research is focused on the distribution and roles of freshwater invertebrates. He is currently working on the ecology of the Hudson River and on understanding the controls on distribution and abundance of pearly mussels. He has over 100 publications to date.

Dr Likens is an Ecologist with expertise in ecosystem ecology, biogeochemistry, acid rain, and human impacts on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. His research focuses on the ecology and biogeochemistry of both forest and aquatic ecosystems. He was the co-founder of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem study which discovered the links between ecosystem function and land-use practices. He and his colleagues were the first to discover acid rain in North America and to document the link between the combustion of fossil fuels and the increase of the acidity of precipitation. He was, in fact, subsequently rewarded with the National Medal of Science for his work in ecology. He has over 300 publications to date.

Table of Contents

Section 1: Introduction
1. Introduction

Section 2: Ecological Energetics
2. Primary Production
3. Secondary Production
4. Decomposition
5. Microbially Mediated Redox Reactions

Section 3: Biogeochemistry
6. Intro to Element Cycling
7. Carbon Cycle
8. Nitrogen Cycle
9. Phosphorus Cycle

Section 4: Synthesis
10. Revisiting the Ecosystem Concept: Important Features that Promote Generality and Understanding
11. Ecosystems in a heterogeneous world
12. Controls on ecosystem structure and function

Section 5: Case Studies
13. Streams and their valleys
14. Ecology of lyme disease
15. Understanding Ecosystem Effects of Dams
16. Acid Rain
17. Surprising ecosystem changes in the Naragannsett Bay
18. From global environmental change to sustainability science: Ecosystem studies in Yaqui Valley Mexico

Section 6: Frontiers
19. Ecosystem science: the continuing evolution of our discipline

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

This fully revised review of ecosystem science examines the role of marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems in addressing environmental problems

Editorial Reviews

"Highly recommended as a textbook, Fundamentals is certain to delight the reader with striking stories on the connection between habitat fragmentation and Lyme disease, and other intriguing examples that leave us marveling at the complexity of ecological interactions and remind us why we choose to work in this field." —The Journal of Wildlife Management, 2014

"Via multiple approaches (e.g., experimental, theoretical, cross-system comparisons), contributors discuss the energetics and biochemical branches of this rapidly evolving science, and present case studies illustrating how ecosystem science can identify and control problems in diverse ecosystems." —Reference and Research Book News,  2013

"I have been searching for a book like this for my ecosystem ecology class. The tone is right-on-target, the examples are apropos, and it is clear that these chapters are written for students as opposed to researchers, which is a significant plus." —Dr. Robert Hall, University of Wyoming

"I found the chapters in Fundamentals of Ecosystem Science to be well-organized and well-written. Students and teachers alike respond well to them. The level of detail is about right (not too dense), and the subject matter is presented in an interesting and engaging way." —Dr. Clifford Ochs, University of Mississippi

"The book is very readable and engaging, and it communicates both a general understanding of the topics and current state of the knowledge.  The incorporation of both terrestrial and aquatic systems is a great contribution since most ecosystem science textbooks are focused on terrestrial or aquatic systems." —Dr. Mary Arthur, University of Kentucky

"A refreshing approach that includes specific methods, examples and perspectives from both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. It provides timely and motivating syntheses of concepts and approaches for addressing current challenges to earth's ecosystem functions." —Dr. Amy Rosemond, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia

From the Publisher