This new textbook fills an important niche by offering a lively overview of the principles of ecology for a broad range of college level science and biology courses. Written for those who need to understand key ecological concepts, but may specialize in other fields, the book, filled with many vivid examples of topical issues and current events, develops a basic understanding of how the natural world works and of how humans interact with the planet's natural ecosystems.The Ecological World Viewbriefly and lucidly covers the history of ecology and describes the general approaches of the scientific method, then takes a wide-ranging look at basic principles of population dynamics and applies them to everyday practical problems. Each chapter focuses around an important environmental story that has been covered in the media in order to illustrate how the science works in real situations. Stimulating, appealing, written in non-technical language, this is an essential resource for understanding how the ecological world works. The Ecological World Viewfeatures: o Discussion of such topics as human population growth, pest control in agriculture, the world's fisheries, and conservation biology o Extensive full-color illustrations, photographs, clear graphics, and other visual aids o An excellent introductory discussion of scientific methodology o "In the News" sections at the beginning of each chapter o Key concepts and learning objectives for a clear path to mastering the material o Thought-provoking open-ended questions in each chapter to facilitate discussion o Detailed case studies of both field and laboratory studies from around the globe o Profiles of famous ecologists