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Insect Ecology: An Ecosystem Approach, fifth edition provides the most updated and comprehensive knowledge of the diversity of insect responses to environmental changes and their effects on ecosystem properties and services. Written by an expert in the field, this book addresses ways in which insect morphology, physiology and behaviour tailor their adaptation to particular environmental conditions, how those adaptations affect their responses to environmental changes, and how their responses affect ecosystem properties and the ecosystem services on which humans depend for survival. This edition also addresses recent reports of global declines in insect abundance and how these declines could affect human interests. Insect Ecology: An Ecosystem Approach is an important resource for researchers, entomologists, ecologists, pest managers and conservationists who want to understand insect ecology and to manage insects in ways that sustain the delivery of ecosystem services. Graduate and advanced undergraduate students may also find this as a useful resource for entomology and specifically insect ecology courses.
1. Overview
SECTION I: Ecology of Individual Insects
2. Responses to Abiotic Conditions
3. Resource Acquisition
4. Resource Allocation
SECTION II: Population Ecology
5. Population Systems
6. Population Dynamics
7. Biogeography
SECTION III: Community Ecology
8. Species Interactions
9. Community Structure
10. Community Dynamics
SECTION IV: Ecosystem Level
11. Ecosystem Structure and Function
12. Herbivory
13. Pollination, Seed Predation and Seed Dispersal
14. Decomposition and Pedogenesis
15. Insects as Regulators of Ecosystem Processes
Section V. Applications and Synthesis
16. Insects and Ecosystem Services
17. Applications to Pest Management and Conservation
18. Synthesis
Timothy D. Schowalter received his PhD degree in Entomology from the University of Georgia in 1979. He is currently a Professor of Entomology at Louisiana State University, where he also served as the department head until 2015. Previously, he was a professor of entomology at Oregon State University, Corvallis. Dr Schowalter served as Program Director for Integrative and Theoretical Ecology at the National Science Foundation, where he was involved in developing global change and terrestrial ecosystem research initiatives at the federal level. He also served as a U.S. delegate to international conventions to develop collaboration between U.S. Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and long-term sites in Hungary and East Asia and the Pacific.
Reviews of previous edition:
"Schowalter's 2nd edition of Insect Ecology: An Ecosystem Approach is a gem – a complete course in modern ecology from the vantage point of insects in ecological systems. Accessible and engaging, yet it treats the most complex ecological phenomena from individual behavior and population processes through landscape and regional-scale issues."
– Dan Simberloff, University of Tennessee
"Schowalter provides a well-illustrated, comprehensive integration of population, community, and ecosystem ecology that demonstrates the global importance of insects in terrestrial and aquatic domains. Examples from temperate and tropical studies are related to a wide range of fundamental ecological concepts. The synthesis of current literature is thoroughly developed and will be widely appreciated by beginning students and established professionals."
– Alan Covich, Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia
"This very stimulating book will interest entomologists and ecologists alike. Schowalter broadens the traditional scope of insect ecology to communities and ecosystems. He gives an excellent overview how insects shape ecosystem functioning, including their critical role in major trophic interactions such as decomposition, pollination, herbivory and biological control."
– Teja Tscharntke, University of Gottingen, Germany
