The language of ecology has grown rapidly and changed extensively over the last decade. From Arrhenotoky to Psammosere; from the One-tailed test to Zoocoenosis, the "Blackwell Concise Encyclopedia of Ecology" provides concise, non-technical definitions of over 2000 ecological terms, covering the complete spectrum of pure and applied ecological research. The definitions are drawn from the "Encyclopedia of Ecology and Environmental Management", and are fully cross referenced.This is the most comprehensive and up-to-date dictionary of ecological terms available. It should be invaluable to students and researchers alike. From the same international team responsible for the highly acclaimed "Encyclopedia of Ecology of Environmental Management". It is a complete one-volume guide to ecology. Definitions cover the entire spectrum of pure and applied ecological research. 1500 headwords are defined. It features over 150 contributors from 15 countries. It is essential for those studying or practising ecology and related fields.

Courses on the invertebrates have two principal aims: (1) to introduce students to the diversity of animal life and (2) to make them aware that organisms are marvellously integrated systems with evolutionary pasts and ecological presents. This text is concerned exclusively with the second aim and assumes that the reader will already know something about the diversity and classification of invertebrates. Concepts of whole-organism function, metabolism and adaptation form the core of the subject-matter and this is also considered in an ecological setting. Hence, the approach is multi-disciplinary, drawing from principles normally restricted to comparative morphology and physiology ,ecology and evolutionary biology. Invertebrate courses, as with all others in a science curriculum, also have another aim - to make students aware of the general methods of science. And these I take to be associated with the so-called hypothetico deductive programme. Here, therefore, I make a conscious effort to formulate simple, some might say naive, hypotheses and to confront them with quantitative data from the real world. There are, for example, as many graphs in the book as illustrations of animals. My aim, though, has not been to test out the principles of Darwinism, but rather to sharpen our focus on physiological adaptations, given the assumption that Darwinism is approximately correct. Whether or not I succeed remains for the reader to decide.

Courses on the invertebrates have two principal aims: (1) to introduce students to the diversity of animal life and (2) to make them aware that organisms are marvellously integrated systems with evolutionary pasts and ecological presents. This text is concerned exclusively with the second aim and assumes that the reader will already know something about the diversity and classification of invertebrates. Concepts of whole-organism function, metabolism and adaptation form the core of the subject-matter and this is also considered in an ecological setting. Hence, the approach is multi-disciplinary, drawing from principles normally restricted to comparative morphology and physiology, ecology and evolutionary biology. Invertebrate courses, as with all others in a science curriculum, also have another aim - to make students aware of the general methods of science. And these I take to be associated with the so-calledhypothetico deductive programme. Here, therefore, I make a conscious effort to formulate simple, some might say naive, hypotheses and to confront them with quantitative data from the real world. There are, for example, as many graphs in the book as illustrations of animals. My aim, though, has not been to test out the principles of Darwinism, but rather to sharpen our focus on physiological adaptations, given the assumption that Darwinism is approximately correct. Whether or not I succeed remains for the reader to decide."

As time progresses, biology becomes more and more fragmented and specialized and it becomes increasingly difficult to see how all the dis- ! parate facts fit together. It is completely proper that biologists should have sought to reduce complex biological wholes into their parts, and it is natural that studies on the products of this reduction should have diverged from more holistic studies on evolution and ecology. Yet the biological parts, what they do and how they are organized are products of an evolutionary process which fits organisms for life in particular ecological circumstances. Physiology, developmental biology, ecology and evolutionary biology must not be allowed to grow too far apart, therefore, because all these disciplines and the way their subject matters interact are crucial to understanding organisms - and it is this, it seems to me, which is the fundamental goal of the biological sciences. This book has been written in the spirit of unification and synthesis. It is, in a sense, a general biology of the organism - not, however, of organisms as static unchanging systems, but of organisms as dynamic entities which progress through a definite cycle of events from birth to maturity. The central theme, therefore, will be the life cycle, and the book is organized around the three main phases which are characteristic of all life cycles; growth (Part II), reproduction (Part III) and ageing (Part IV).

Commercial chemicals contribute to our social welfare, yet can pose serious problems for the environment. How do we recognise these problems? How do we manage them? How do we objectively balance environmental risks with social benefits? This book describes the principles and practices of ecological risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis, asking key but challenging questions such as what are we trying to protect? and how do we undertake a cost-benefit analysis?. It also shows how these principles are written into legislation. The emphasis is on the EU Directives and Regulations, with a chapter on the instruments and institutions involved; but this is balanced by a review of US and International policies and legislation. In conclusion, the discussion returns to the question of attempting to balance risks with benefits, particularly in the context of the development of sustainable and globally practicable chemical control policies. The text is supplemented by a glossary that defines the inevitably large number of abbreviations and acronyms used by environmental policy-makers and regulators. The book is intended for all those who have an interest in industrial chemicals, but who need an overview of pollution and pollution control issues. It will provide an excellent reference tool for undergraduates in Environmental Science, and Policy-Makers and Environmental Consultants in the areas of ecology, ecotoxicology and risk assessment.

Drawing on entries from "The Encyclopedia of Ecology and Environmental Management," this concise reference will provide an essential quick guide for those working in the field of environmental management: consultants, planners, environmental advisors in industry, and students.

Approximately 1500 key terms are defined in language that can easily be understood by the non-expert. Key acronyms, socio/economic terms, and scientific terms are all discussed.Over 1500 key termsAvoids technical jargonIncludes key acronyms

Physiological ecology is concerned with the way that physiological traits fit organisms for the ecological circumstances in which they live, so there is always an implicit evolutionary component to it. This book is concerned with physiological studies that make the evolutionary considerations explicit. The first part explores physiological models that predict how, under different ecological pressures, resources should be invested in such metabolic processes as costs of maintenance, growth patterns and allometries, ageing and physiological adaptability. In the context of the integrated metabolism of whole organisms, the second part of the volume considers aspects of the physiological ecology of specific organisms. The underlying theme of these chapters is the link between genotype and physiological phenotype.