Introduction to Population Biology

How do plant and animal populations change genetically to evolve and adapt to their local environments? How do populations grow and interact with one another through competition and predation? How does behaviour influence ecology and evolution? Introduction to Population Biology covers all these areas and more. Taking a quantitative and Darwinian perspective, the basic theory of population processes is developed using mathematical models. To allow students of biology, ecology and evolution to gain a real understanding of the subject, key features include: * step-by-step instructions for spreadsheet simulations of many basic equations to explore the outcomes or predictions of models * worked examples showing how the equations are applied to biological questions * problem sets together with detailed solutions to help the reader test their understanding * real-life examples to help the reader relate the theory to the natural world* Gives a quantitative and Darwinian perspective on the subject, expressly linking evolutionary processes with those of ecology * Packed full of worked examples, step-by-step instructions for model simulations and problem sets with solutions to help the student gain a full understanding of the topic * Gives a broad treatment of the basic theory of natural selection, population genetics, population ecology and behavioural ecology