Ecology of Insects: Concepts and Applications

Insects account for a very large proportion of all terrestrial and freshwater species, pervading almost all ecosystems; functioning as carnivores, herbivores and detritivores. Their ecology is of crucial importance to ecosystem function and they are economically important to humanity as pests of crops, vectors of disease, beneficial components of food webs, and vital components of pollination systems. The second edition of this successful text provides a balanced treatment of the theory and practice of pure and applied insect ecology.Fully revised and updated throughout, Ecology of Insects has expanded its coverage to include new and topical areas of insect ecology while presenting a thorough treatment of basic themes. Concepts include the foundations of evolutionary ecology and population dynamics in ecosystem science as they are applied to topics such as climate change, conservation and biodiversity, epidemiology, and pest management. Appropriate for general readers, professionals, and students of varying levels, this new edition also provides greater coverage of physiological, genetic, molecular, and ecosystem aspects of insect ecology, using exclusive reference to primary literature and real world examples.Speight, Martin is the author of 'Ecology of Insects: Concepts and Applications', published 2008 under ISBN 9781405131148 and ISBN 1405131144.