Ecology
The Goal Of Ecology
The larger objective of ecology is to understand the nature of environmental influences on individual organisms, their populations, and communities, on ecoscapes and ultimately at the level of the biosphere. If ecologists can achieve an understanding of these relationships, they will be well placed to contribute to the development of systems by which humans could sustainably use ecological resources, such as forests, agricultural soil, and hunted animals such as deer and fish. This is an extremely important goal because humans are, after all, completely reliant on ecologically goods and services as their only source of sustenance.
Resources
Books
Begon, M., J.L. Harper, and C.R. Townsend. Ecology: Individuals, Populations and Communities. 3rd ed. London: Blackwell Sci. Pub., 1996.
Dodson, S.I., T.F.H. Allen, S.R. Carpenter, A.R. Ives, R.L. Jeanne, J.F. Kitchell, N.E. Langston, and M.G. Turner. Ecology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Freedman, B. Environmental Ecology. 2nd ed. San Diego: Academic Press, 1995.
Keller, E.A. Introduction to Environmental Geology. 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2002.
Ricklefs, R.E. Ecology. New York: W.H. Freeman, 1990.
Bill Freedman
Additional topics
Science EncyclopediaScience & Philosophy: Dysprosium to Electrophoresis - Electrophoretic TheoryEcology - The Subject Matter Of Ecology, Levels Of Integration Within Ecology, Energy And Productivity, Environmental Influences And Biological Interactions