Preface

A textbook on ecology that covers all aspects of ecological sciences has been missing in the literature. It will be befitting to bring out such a text that prepares for an introductory class of undergraduate students. For this, the knowledge of matrix theory and differential equations (both ordinary and partial) is the prerequisite. The present book lacks a chapter on ‘microbial ecology’. The author has no expertise in the subject. Details of microbes and their interactions with plants can be found in other texts. A concise book with essential details and lucid descriptions of the latest knowledge on key topics is bought out.

Ecological Imbalance is the principal cause of most of the problems on Earth. Ecosystem services are impeded in several known and unknown ways when such an imbalance occurs. In order to understand how this causative agent operates, key elements of ‘ecological complexity’ are required to be understood. The present book provides a framework to understand the ‘balance of nature’ with minimal use of mathematics in order to reach a broader readership.

Ecological systems are an example of ‘complex systems’. The content of the chapter presents ecosystems as the ‘network of networks’. The chapter on network ecology provides a brief description of how interaction types and the number of interactions among species determine its ‘existential capacity’ and ‘functional efficiency’. The key elements of an ecosystem are food webs; a network of interconnected food chains. The present text classifies food chains into two types: linear and nonlinear.

Climate change drives catastrophic changes in biodiversity. This is the reason why the book presents a brief chapter on biodiversity and its relationship with climate change in Chapter 2. The third chapter on human ecology provides a framework to integrate ecological sciences with neurosciences. Modern civilization cannot exist without industry. Industries cause pollution which deteriorates the ‘quality of life’ on Earth. The author emphasizes that it must be taught at the undergraduate level so that the basic philosophy of the subject is injected into the DNA of individuals of homo - sapiens. This is the fourth chapter.

The last chapter on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) provides a historical perspective on the topic of ‘sustainable development’. Under SDG 1 (No poverty), both the definitions of poverty; workable and broader, are provided. Ecological viewpoints of all SDGs are discussed. In sum, after reading all the chapters in the book, a student will have sufficient knowledge to analyze the phenomenal world around him/her.