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Population biology has been investigated quantitatively for many decades, resulting in a rich body of scientific literature. Ecologists often avoid this literature, put off by its apparently formidable mathematics. This textbook provides an introduction to the biology and ecology of populations by emphasizing the roles of simple mathematical models in explaining the growth and behavior of populations. The author only assumes acquaintance with elementary calculus, and provides tutorial explanations where needed to develop mathematical concepts. Examples, problems, extensive marginal notes and numerous graphs enhance the book's value to students in classes ranging from population biology and population ecology to mathematical biology and mathematical ecology. The book will also be useful as a supplement to introductory courses in ecology

Pattern, Scale, and Variability: An Ecological Perspective -- Planktonic Micro—Communities in the Sea: biofluid mechanical view -- When Should You Include Age Structure -- Spatial Aspects of Species Interactions: the Wedding of Models and Experiments -- Interactions Between Environment and Competition: How Fluctuations Mediate Coexistence and Competitive Exclusion -- Untangling 'An Entangled Bank': Recent Facts and Theories About Community Food Webs -- The Geometry of Niches -- The Dynamics of Highly Aggregated Models of Whole Communities.

Provides a coherent overview of the theory of single population dynamics, discussing concepts such as population variability, population stability, population viability/persistence, and harvest yield while later chapters address specific applications to conservation and management.