Ecology: The Economy of Nature

Robert E Ricklefs - Curators' Professor of Biology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he has been a member of the faculty since 1995. His teaching at Missouri, and previously at the University of Pennsylvania, has included courses in introductory and advanced ecology, biogeography, evolution, and biological statistics. Bob's research has addressed a broad range of topics in ecology and evolutionary biology, from the adaptive significance of life-history traits of birds, to island biogeography and the community relationships of birds, herbivorous insects, and forest trees. Rick Relyea - the Director of the Darrin Fresh Water Institute at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also serves as Director of the Jefferson Project at Lake George, a groundbreaking partnership between Rensselaer, IBM, and the FUND for Lake George. For the project, Relyea leads a team of Rensselaer scientists, engineers, computer scientists, and artists who are using the latest in science and technology to understand, predict, and enable a resilient ecosystem for nearby Lake George.

PART I LIFE AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT.- Part II ORGANISMS.- PART III POPULATIONS.- PART IV SPECIES INTERACTIONS.- PART V COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS.- PART VI GLOBAL ECOLOGY