This book is written with the primary intent of providing scientists, particularly physicists but also biologists, with some background of the mathematics and physics of diffusion, and how they can be applied to ecological problems. The secondary intent is to provide a specialized text book for graduate students, who are interested in mathematical ecology. This new edition has been substantially updated and contains much new material covering developments in the field in the last 20 years.

Klappentext

Surveying a wide variety of mathematical models of diffusion in the ecological context, this book is written with the primary intent of providing scientists, particularly physicists but also biologists, with some background of the mathematics and physics of diffusion and how they can be applied to ecological problems. Equally, this is a specialized text book for graduates interested in mathematical ecology -- assuming no more than a basic knowledge of probability and differential equations. Each chapter in this new edition has been substantially updated by appopriate leading researchers in the field and contains much new material covering recent developments.

Inhalt

1 Introduction: The Mathematics of Ecological Diffusion 2 The Basics of Diffusion 3 Passive Diffusion in Ecosystems 4 Diffusion of 'Smell' and 'Taste': Chemical Communication 5 Mathematical Treatment of Biological Diffusion 6 Some Examples of Animal Diffusion 7 The Dynamics of Animal Grouping 8 Animal Movements in Home Range 9 Patchy Distribution and Diffusion 10 Population Dynamics in Temporal and Spatial Domains References Author Index Subject Index