There are few books available that provide a good introduction to the methods and techniques for ecological research. Practical Methods in Ecology will be invaluable to lecturers teaching field courses and students undertaking project work in ecology.
Each chapter will focus on an ecological technique. It will have an introductory section that describes the ecological principles and theory. This will then be followed by example applications. These will focus on three most common habitats where teachers take students for fieldwork; the seashore, ponds and lakes, fields and woodland.
1. Estimating absolute population number by sampling a unit of habitat
2. Estimating absolute population size - Mark-recapture estimates
3. Distance sampling methods for absolute population estimation
4. Removal sampling to estimate absolute population size
5. Comparing the magnitude of populations - relative methods
6. Population indices
7. Alpha diversity and spcies richness
Peter Henderson is an ecologist with more than 25 years' experience working on population dynamics of fish and invertebrates in Europe, North America, and Amazonia. His wide-ranging interests include community dynamics, evolutionary theory, and the taxonomy of ostracods. He is a director of the ecological consultancy Pisces Conservation Ltd and lectures at the University of Oxford.
"A valuable manual for field workers in ecology. It is well thought out, identifying common pitfalls facing novice researchers."
– J Burger, Rutgers, Choice, October 2003
"This is an excellent book [...] There can be few teachers and practically no students who would not benefit from consulting Henderson's book."
– Journal of Biological Education, Winter 2005