26 Best Books on Ecology

“Concepts of Applied Ecology (Heidelberg Science Library)” Book Review: This book offers a straightforward and uncomplicated method for understanding the intricate field of ecology. It is a useful resource for readers seeking an overview of applied ecology. Each chapter includes a bibliography that serves two purposes. The first function is to outline the primary sources or reviews of information used in the corresponding chapter. The second function is to provide references for various examples used throughout the chapter, along with illustrations that help summarize and clarify the text.

“Applied Ecology and Human Dimensions in Biological Conservation” Book Review: This book offers the fundamental conceptual framework and technological resources needed to address issues pertaining to biodiversity governance. It explores fascinating evolutionary inquiries, delving into the sometimes unexpected adaptive abilities of certain organisms. Additionally, the book covers genetic aspects of the environment, encompassing individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems.

“Applied Ecology and Natural Resource Management” Book Review: This book serves as a link between ecology and natural resource management, with a focus on plant ecology as the basis for vegetation and wildlife management. It demonstrates how the concepts and methodologies employed by ecologists to analyze communities and ecosystems can be utilized in their management. The book emphasizes the significance of scientific research in advancing ecological understanding, while also discussing the implementation of techniques for managing plant and animal populations. It is a valuable resource for natural resource managers, as well as graduate and advanced undergraduate students.

“Introduction to Systems Ecology (Applied Ecology and Environmental Management)” Book Review: This book presents a highly practical theory of ecosystems, enabling readers to comprehend their functioning and responses to disruptions. It provides guidance on how to apply the theory to explain observations, perform quantitative calculations, and make predictions. The book integrates a range of topics, including thermodynamics, biochemistry, hierarchical organization, and network theory, into a comprehensive systems ecology theory. It commences with an overview of the laws of thermodynamics and the fundamental biochemistry of living organisms. The second part explores the seven fundamental properties that facilitate ecosystem growth, development, and sustainability.

“Applied Ecology and Environmental Management” Book Review: This book explores the ways in which ecological science can be applied to address the most pressing global issues of our time. Its central theme is the effective and sustainable management and utilization of resources. The book commences with an examination of the planet’s fundamental natural resources – energy, water, and soil – before delving into the management of biological resources such as fish, grazing lands, forests, pest control, and pollution. The final section highlights the conservation and management of wild species and the restoration of ecological communities. The book is tailored towards undergraduate students pursuing courses in applied ecology and environmental science, as well as those studying environmental and natural resources management.

“Aquatic Ecosystems: Interactivity of Dissolved Organic Matter (Aquatic Ecology)” Book Review: This book examines the interactions between various movements of matter and energy across ecosystems, facilitated by Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM). It furnishes readers with knowledge on the quantity and origins of DOM in specific aquatic ecosystems, and highlights variations in DOM composition over time and location. It also elucidates how DOM is assimilated into microbial food webs. The book presents a lucid and easily comprehensible explanation of the significance of DOM, offering readers a better understanding of its role in ecosystem processes.

“Ecology of Aquatic Management” Book Review: This book showcases the latest practices in resource exploitation, while emphasizing the ecological foundation and ramifications of such practices. It provides an overview of the ecological impacts of non-living resource extraction, including energy and water. The book delves into the biology and ecology of aquatic organisms and their role in supporting the harvesting of aquatic resources. It also presents effective management approaches for mitigating natural hazards, providing ecological goods and services, and restoring aquatic systems. The book underscores the significance of ecological science in resource exploitation management and highlights the effects of human intervention in aquatic systems, emphasizing the role of ecology.

“Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems: Science, Technology, and Public Policy” Book Review: The latest edition of the book focuses on the potential for rehabilitating the harm inflicted on the country’s aquatic resources by society. It outlines a national plan for aquatic restoration, offering practical recommendations. The book includes case studies of restoration efforts undertaken across the country, highlighting the fundamental principles and methods employed in restoration. The book addresses crucial issues such as the perils facing the nation’s aquatic ecosystems, the key factors in successful restoration endeavors, and various evaluation techniques before, during, and after a restoration initiative.

“Essentials of Ecology” Book Review: This textbook focuses on the fundamental aspects of atmospheric sciences, climatology, meteorology, epidemiology, technology, and control, with a particular emphasis on water use, drinking water standards, and alternative wastewater treatment. It presents the subject matter as both a science and an art, providing up-to-date information to students. The book includes a plethora of solved examples and additional figures to enhance clarity and understanding. It also includes pedagogically arranged multiple-choice questions and other assessment tools to help students evaluate their subject knowledge. This textbook serves as a valuable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students and is particularly useful for undergraduate students studying water quality engineering.

“Growth and Defence in Plants: Resource Allocation at Multiple Scales (Ecological Studies)” Book Review: The focus of this book is on the significance of resource allocation and its regulation in plants. It presents theoretical concepts and methods for modeling the allocation of resources in plants with a particular emphasis on differentiation balance hypotheses. The book covers various ecological scenarios such as pathogens, herbivores, soil microorganisms, and carbon dioxide regimes. It is a valuable resource for management students specializing in plant breeding and forestry.

“Environmental Biology (Principles of Ecology)” Book Review: This book provides comprehensive coverage of ecological concepts and their applications, making it a valuable resource for undergraduate and graduate students in botany, zoology, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fishery, limnology, and oceanography across all Indian universities. The latest edition of this book presents the subject matter in a simple, clear, and exhaustive manner, making it easily understandable for all readers. The book covers a range of topics including an introduction to ecology, its definition, branches, and scope, as well as its historical background, growth in India, ecological tools and techniques, statistical applications in ecology, and the concept of levels of organization.

“Essentials of Ecology and Environmental Science” Book Review: The fifth edition of this book has been revised to provide a clear and detailed understanding of the foundational concepts and principles of ecology and environmental science. The book extensively covers major areas such as atmospheric and soil science, hydrobiology, biodiversity, and pollution ecology with examples from India. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of ecological issues, policies, and laws that are crucial in solving environmental problems. This edition includes new sections on important topics such as acid rain and deposition, metapopulations, environmental disasters, and the Bali Summit on Climate Change in 2007. The book covers extreme environments such as Antarctica, the Arctic region, open oceans, and deserts, along with up-to-date information on major ecosystems. It also includes dedicated chapters on biodiversity as well as natural and genetic resources of India. This book is primarily designed for undergraduate (B.Sc.) students of environmental science and other related biological sciences. It will also be valuable for postgraduate (M.Sc.) students, field professionals, and researchers.

“Urban Expansion, Land Cover and Soil Ecosystem Services (Routledge Studies in Urban Ecology)” Book Review: This book presents an up-to-date overview of the expansion of urban areas globally, and the resulting effects on soil resources and the ecosystem services they provide. It focuses on the process of ‘land take’ and its impact on soil resources, and explores various approaches and techniques for detecting and measuring urban areas, primarily using remote sensing. The book examines the drivers and consequences of soil sealing and land take on ecosystem services, with case studies from cities in Europe, China, and Latin America. It also discusses solutions for limiting, mitigating, and compensating for the negative impacts of this process.

“Ecological Systems of the Geobiosphere: 3 Temperate and Polar Zonobiomes of Northern Eurasia” Book Review: This book presents a unique and comprehensive review of the vegetation of Eastern Europe, the only region in Europe where large fields of natural vegetation remained intact by the end of the 20th century. Despite the natural approach to plant research starting in Eastern Europe, data on the vegetation of this region has been largely inaccessible to western researchers. Written by Heinrich Walter, who was born in Russia and studied Natural Sciences in Odessa with an emphasis on herbal science, this volume provides an extensive overview of all significant studies on the vegetation of Eastern Europe, including previously obscure Russian literature.

“Plant Ecology” Book Review: This textbook provides comprehensive coverage of Plant Ecology, ranging from the molecular to the global level. It delves into various areas, including molecular ecophysiology, autecology, ecosystem nature, synecology, and global aspects of the plant environment. Topics such as stress physiology, whole plant ecology, biodiversity, and global change are explored in detail, with over 500 colorful illustrations to enhance understanding. The book is written in a clear and concise manner, making complex topics easily understandable. It is primarily intended for graduate students of science but will also benefit postgraduate students and professionals in botany, geosciences, and landscape ecology. Moreover, it is a valuable resource for those working in agriculture, forestry, land use, and land management.

“Ecology and Conservation of Butterflies” Book Review: The purpose of this book is to examine the ecology and conservation of butterflies. It highlights the significant research that has been conducted in recent years and indicates that the field has reached a crucial turning point. Despite these advancements, the book emphasizes that the decline of butterflies persists and the threat to their survival has intensified due to habitat destruction and land use. This book is an essential resource for scientists, nature conservationists, amateur entomologists, and environmentalists. It provides up-to-date information on conservation efforts and their progress.

“Ecology, behaviour and conservation of the charrs, genus Salvelinus (Developments in Environmental Biology of Fishes)” Book Review: This textbook provides a comprehensive overview of Salvelinus species, which are one of the most studied groups of fishes. It explores the reasons behind the intense interest in charr biology and includes papers presented at the fourth International Charr Symposium. The book covers a wide range of topics including ecological interactions, behaviour, trophic polymorphism, movement, migration, ecophysiology, evolutionary genetics, ecological parasitology, environmental stress, and conservation. It incorporates the latest developments in the ecology, behaviour, and conservation of Salvelinus species, which are of great relevance to biodiversity and conservation efforts. The book also examines the cultural, commercial, and recreational significance of charr to many communities and discusses their current distribution. Furthermore, it highlights the demographic characteristics of charr species such as slow growth, late maturity, and life in extreme environments, which may increase their susceptibility to extinction from habitat changes and overexploitation, particularly in depauperate aquatic habitats. This textbook is a valuable resource for researchers, conservationists, and anyone interested in the biology and conservation of Salvelinus species.

“Ecology of Aquatic Systems” Book Review: The focus of this book is on the efficient management and basic principles of aquatic systems, encompassing both freshwater and marine environments and their properties. The book provides various examples of geographic ranges and types of aquatic habitats, while also covering a range of ecological themes.

“Aquatic Microbial Ecology and Biogeochemistry: A Dual Perspective” Book Review: The focus of this book is on the interrelated fields of aquatic microbial ecology and biogeochemistry. The book emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of these areas of study and their mutualistic interactions. It delves into topics such as microbial diversity, nitrogen cycling, photosynthesis, metabolism, and the effects of changing ecosystems. The book provides a valuable resource for individuals in dual career partnerships, and covers a range of aquatic environments from the Arabian sea to lakes in Australia and small freshwater bodies.

“The Ecology of Aquatic Hyphomycetes” Book Review: The biology and ecology of aquatic Hyphomycetes are discussed in this book. It covers various ecological aspects of fungal groups, stream ecology, and population ecology. The book explores the life of fungi in running water and the importance of wood as a potential substrate. It also delves into the interaction of these fungi with invertebrates and their spore germination through sexual reproduction. The book further highlights the importance of water chemistry, the impact of human degradation, and provides a summary of research in this area. This book serves as a valuable guide for mycologists and stream ecologists.

“Aquatic Biofilms: Ecology, Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment” Book Review: This book provides an in-depth exploration of the ecology and features of aquatic biofilms and their potential applications in managing water pollution. The first part of the book covers the mode of life of biofilms, including their three-dimensional structure and cell-to-cell communication. It also discusses the diversity of prokaryotes and biogeochemical cycles in biofilms. The book further delves into water quality issues related to biofilms. It also includes a section on environmental risk assessment, monitoring, and ecotoxicological approaches. The text explores other microbial interactions as well. The book primarily focuses on the use of biofilms for water treatment, the biodegradation of pollutants, and their ability to remove nitrogen. It is a valuable resource for those studying microbial ecology, water pollution, and environmental science.

“Transport Processes in Nature PB with CD-ROM: Propagation of Ecological Influences Through Environmental Space (Cambridge Studies in Landscape Ecology)” Book Review: This book presents a fresh outlook on the interplay between environmental events or conditions and their impact in different regions of the environment. The fundamental issue of how ecological influences spread through environmental space (land, water, and air) is introduced in this book. It covers the techniques for representing environmental heterogeneity and modelling transport processes in relation to such propagation. The latter half of the book delves into the characteristics of eight major transport vectors, along with examples of transport models in real-life ecological scenarios.

“Managed Ecosystems and CO2: Case Studies, Processes, and Perspectives (Ecological Studies)” Book Review: This book provides a comprehensive review of the impact of elevated CO2 on managed ecosystems. The book covers topics such as the response of crops to elevated CO2, the effects of CO2 on nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and soil organic matter dynamics. It also includes case studies on managed ecosystems such as grasslands, forests, and agroecosystems. This book is a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners working in the field of ecological studies.

“Advances in Urban Ecology: Integrating Humans and Ecological Processes in Urban Ecosystems” Book Review: This book is a comprehensive review of the latest research on urban ecology. The book covers a wide range of topics including the impacts of urbanization on biodiversity, the role of urban green spaces in promoting ecosystem services, and the importance of citizen science in monitoring urban ecosystems. It also includes case studies from around the world that illustrate how urban ecology principles can be applied in practice. The book provides a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners interested in understanding and managing urban ecosystems.

“Integrative Observations and Assessments (Ecological Research Monographs)” Book Review: This book is a valuable resource for researchers interested in biodiversity. It provides students with an opportunity to analyze the current status of biodiversity and explore effective conservation and sustainable utilization methods. The focus of this volume is on monitoring biodiversity in the Asia-Pacific region, and it is essential for studying the spatial variability of biodiversity across different ecosystems. The book introduces newly developed concepts and methods for observing biodiversity, and it covers a wide range of conservation topics, including ubiquitous genotyping, systematic conservation, ecosystem function and service monitoring, and biodiversity informatics. The book also facilitates the study of integrative observations and assessments of biodiversity.