Examining Ecology: Exercises in Environmental Biology and Conservation

Paul A. Rees

Nov 2017 · Academic Press

About this ebook

Examining Ecology: Exercises in Environmental Biology and Conservation explains foundational ecological principles using a hands-on approach that features analyzing data, drawing graphs, and undertaking practical exercises that simulate field work. The book provides students and lecturers with real life examples to demonstrate basic principles. The book helps students, instructors, and those new to the field learn about the principles of ecology and conservation by completing a series of problems. Prior knowledge of the subject is not assumed; the work requires users to be able to perform simple calculations and draw graphs. Most of the exercises in the book have been used widely by the author’s own students over a number of years, and many are based on real data from published research. Exercises are succinct with a broad number of options, which is a unique feature among similar books on this topic.

The book is primarily intended as a resource for students, academics, and instructors studying, teaching, and working in zoology, ecology, biology, wildlife conservation and management, ecophysiology, behavioural ecology, population biology and ecology, environmental biology, or environmental science. Students will be able to progress through the book attempting each exercise in a logical sequence, beginning with basic principles and working up to more complex exercises. Alternatively they may wish to focus on specific chapters on specialist areas, e.g., population dynamics. Many of the exercises introduce students to mathematical methods (calculations, use of formulae, drawing of graphs, calculating simple statistics). Other exercises simulate fieldwork projects, allowing users to ‘collect’ and analyze data which would take considerable time and effort to collect in the field.

• Facilitates learning about the principles of ecology and conservation biology through succinct, yet comprehensive real-life examples, problems, and exercises
• Features authoritatively and consistently written foundational content in biodiversity, ecophysiology, behavioral ecology, and more, as well as abundant and diverse cases for applied use
• Functions as a means of learning ecological and conservation-related principles by ‘doing’, e.g., by analyzing data, drawing graphs, and undertaking practical exercises that simulate field work, and more
• Features approximately 150 photos and figures created and produced by the author

About the author

Paul A. Rees is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Science, Engineering and Environment at the University of Salford, in the United Kingdom, and has taught at various levels for nearly four decades. In 2002, he introduced Wildlife Programmes at Salford and in 2005 established the first undergraduate programme in the UK focusing on zoo biology. His research interests include the behaviour and welfare of animals in zoos, especially elephants, the ecology and behaviour of mammals, biological education and wildlife law. In addition to authoring a number of books, including An Introduction to Zoo Biology and Management (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011), Dictionary of Zoo Biology and Animal Management (Wiley-Blackwell, 2013), Studying Captive Animals (Wiley-Blackwell, 2015) and Examining Ecology (Elsevier, 2018), he also once worked as an elephant keeper.