Predator Ecology: Evolutionary Ecology of the Functional Response

Predator-prey interactions are essential to ecological systems, regulating energy flow and influencing abundance, diversity, and dynamics. The functional response, quantified by the relationship between a predator's foraging rate and food availability, is central to how all communities function and drives their evolution. This novel textbook provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of functional responses, their importance in linking individuals, evolution, and community properties, and their potential for future research. It is suitable for graduate students, researchers, and anyone interested in predator-prey interactions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Predator-prey interactions are a pervasive phenomenon that govern the flow of energy up trophic levels and have a significant impact on the structure of ecological systems. These interactions are typically quantified using the functional response, which measures the relationship between a predator's foraging rate and the availability of food. The functional response is central to the functioning of all ecological communities, as all communities contain foragers, and it is a principal driver of the abundance, diversity, and dynamics of ecological communities.

The functional response also captures all the behaviors, traits, and strategies used by predators to hunt prey and by prey to evade predation. It thus serves as a clear reflection of past evolution, including predator-prey arms races, and a major force driving the future evolution of both predator and prey. Despite the importance of functional responses, there have been remarkably few attempts to synthesize or review them in a comprehensive manner.

This novel and accessible book fills this gap by providing a comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of functional responses in predator-prey interactions. It demonstrates their crucial role as the link between individuals, evolution, and community properties, representing a highly integrated and measurable aspect of ecological function. The book offers a clear entry point for students, a refresher for more advanced researchers, and a motivator for future research in the field.

Predator Ecology is an advanced textbook suitable for graduate students and researchers in ecology, evolutionary biology, and related fields. It provides a broad and authoritative coverage of the field, covering topics such as functional response models, predator-prey dynamics, population regulation, community, and ecosystem ecology. The book is written in a clear and accessible style, making it accessible to a wide range of readers. It includes numerous examples, figures, and tables to illustrate key concepts and facilitate understanding.

In conclusion, Predator Ecology is a valuable resource for anyone interested in predator-prey interactions and their role in shaping ecological systems. It provides a comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of the field, making it an essential read for graduate students, researchers, and practitioners in the field.

Weight: 308g
Dimension: 168 x 233 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192895516