Langbeschreibung
Ecology is an historical science in which theories can be as difficult to test as they are to devise. This volume, intended for ecologists and evolutionary biologists, reviews ecological theories, and how they are generated, evaluated, and categorized. Synthesizing a vast and sometimes labyrinthine literature, this book is a useful entry into the scientific philosophy of ecology and natural history. The need for integration of the contributions to theory made by different disciplines is a central theme of this book. The authors demonstrate that only through such integration will advances in ecological theory be possible. Ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and other serious students of natural history will want this book.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Ecological Understanding: Advancing the Discipline and Enhancing Application:Integration in Ecology.Understanding in Ecology.The Nature of Theory:The Anatomy of Theory.The Ontogeny of Theory.The Taxonomy of Theory.From Theory to Integration and Application:Fundamental Questions: Changes in Understanding.The Process of Integration.Theory and Its Environment:Constraint and Objectivity in Integration.Ecological Understanding and the Public.Subject Index.