Review
On the first edition
‘The freshness of approach and the breadth and depth of coverage make most of the opposition seem a rather stale and restricted diet by comparison….All ecology teachers and students would do well to sample this nouvelle cuisine.’ [Nature]
On the second edition
‘It is better than the first edition in dealing with communities and ecosystems, and its treatment of population biology, broadly defined, is superb. Presentation – both prose and graphics – is efficient and clear without being prosaic or simplistic. Remarkably free of dogma, Begon et al. offer the incompleteness of ecology in an explicit and inviting way.
When asked which text they judged best or a sophomore level general ecology course for biology students, Begon et al. was chosen by 8 out of 10.’ [Ecology]
From the Back Cover
Since publication of the first edition in 1986, Begon, Harper and Townsend’s
Ecology has become the leading textbook on its field. Its reputation throughout the world is unparalleled.
Maintaining the structure of previous editions, this edition is radically revised to reflect the fundamental changes that have occurred in the teaching of ecology. In many universities increased emphasis is being given to applied issues and a whole new vocabulary has entered the syllabus to accommodate such areas as biodiversity, global warming and sustainability. In revising Ecology to meet these new requirements, the authors have once more produced a forward-looking textbook that will lead the field to the end of the decade.
