The wealth of the natural sciences no longer consists in the abundance of facts, but in the way they are linked together. ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT There is no dearth of books on ecology. Why write yet another? Each person is different, and each views the problems in a different way. Each emphasizes different aspects and describes them in a different style. When I was a student I often found certain books more helpful than others, and I still think it is useful to have a variety of presentations from which to choose. This variety also allows the student to appreciate the diversity within the field of ecology. I have devoted considerable effort to making this book readable. Throughout I have refrained from using specialized terminology - thus also avoiding the problem that many terms are used differently in the various areas of ecology. Straightforward English is quite sufficient to describe complicated situations. Furthermore, precisely defined terms are usually associated with detailed quantitative descriptions, whereas we are concerned with a general understanding of the dynamics of ecology. For similar reasons I have tried to rely as little as possible on mathematical discussions. All too often, in recent years, people have overlooked the fact that mathematics - like language - can give only a description, albeit an especially precise one.

A. Ecology: the Basic Concept

B. Autecology
I. Theory of Autecology
II. The Range of Ecological Factors
III. Life-Form Types
IV. Ecological Factors
V. Case Studies in Autecology
C. Population Ecology
I. Theory of Population Ecology
II. Population Genetics
III. Demography
IV. The Distribution of Organisms in Space
V. Maintenance of an Average Population Density
VI. Case Studies in Population Ecology
D. Ecosystems
I. Theory of Ecosystems
II. "Natural" Ecosystems
III. The Climax Concept: Microcosmic and Seral Successions
IV. Statics of Ecosystems
V. Ecosystem Dynamics
VI. The Significance of Animals in an Ecosystem
VII. Changeable and Constant Ecosystems
VIII. Constancy and Stability
IX. Case Studies of Ecosystems
E. Outlook
References
General Books on Subjects Related to Ecology.