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Description: Population biology has been investigated quantitatively for many decades, resulting in a rich body of scientific literature. Ecologists often avoid this literature, put off by its apparently formidable mathematics. This textbook provides an introduction to the biology and ecology of populations by emphasizing the roles of simple mathematical models in explaining the growth and behavior of populations. This new edition has three significant extras compared to the successful first edition: first, it includes more problems and many of these now include answers. Second, it includes a series of spreadsheets written in Microsoft Excel to illustrate most of the models in the book. Third, the number of biological examples has been increased. The author assumes acquaintance with only elementary calculus, and provides tutorial explanations where needed to enhance the book's value to students in classes ranging from population biology and population ecology to mathematical biology and mathematical ecology.
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Review Summary: Good Book That Should Be Enlarged |
Date: 2003-09-20 |
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Details: ... This one is for sure a very good book on poppulation biology. However, we see at once that the part devoted to population genetics is very short indeed, if it is compared to the other part that treats about population ecology. In this way, it is my firm idea that the part on population genetics should be well enlarged. Only in this way, could we talk on a book about population biology. The way it is in fact written we could say that it is a book on population ecology, rather than on population biology. I recommend that on a future edition, Professor Hastings should dedicate about the same number of pages to both parts. The way this author writes, it will ensure a very large public acceptance. |
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Review Summary: great book! |
Date: 1999-04-02 |
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Details: I read this book as a senior in high school and was able to understand all of it. It is a great introduction to population biology with minimal math! The concepts are very interesting and relevent to our modern world. |
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Review Summary: As clear and concise a population biology text can be! |
Date: 1999-01-16 |
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Details: At last a population biologist who can communicate ideas to the everyday student biologist. The biology and mathematics are completely integrated and well written. Minimal calculus is necessary to understand and use the mathematics behind population biology. Thanks Al. |
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Review Summary: a gentle but thorough introduction to a fascinating field |
Date: 1998-07-03 |
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Details: The field of mathematical biology has a long and storied history of examining relationships between species and scales since before Fisher's 1930 monograph "The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection." Although the excellent text by Edelstein-Keshet is still widely used, on the recommendation of a colleague I recently picked up a copy of the new (1997) text authored by Alan Hastings, out of UC Davis. A 220 page book published by Springer, its title is Population Biology: Concepts and Models. Available in paperback, the volume is divided into Single Species (with sections on density-independent and density-dependent population growth, population genetics, evolution of life histories) and Interacting Species (with sections on interactions, competition, predator-prey, host-parasitoid relationships and diseases). While detailing these concepts, the author includes bite-size reviews of matrix algebra, differential equations, stability computations, phase plane analysis and other topical quantitative techniques. I found the book eminently readable, which says a lot coming from someone who staggered through 18 semester hours of calculus and "Diff EQ" over 20 years ago. This book will be of great help to "ecologists ... [who] often avoid [population biology] literature, put off by its apparently formidable mathematics" (to quote from the back cover). |
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out of 4 Reviews
