This multi-author book deals with 'resource ecology', which is the ecology of trophic interactions between consumers and their resources. Resource ecology is perhaps the most central part of ecology. In its linkage between foraging theory and spatial ecology, it shows how old and fundamental questions can be tackled afresh. It addresses crucial aspects of the interactions between consumers and resources. Foraging is the central process in resource ecology because it leads to growth, survival and reproduction of the animal. Resource ecology forms the basis for comprehending the functioning of multi-species assemblages, and is thus key to grasp the organisation of biodiversity.
All chapters in the book were prepared for a small symposium and were circulated in advance to the participants. They were subjected to intense group discussions; comments and critiques were subsequently used for writing new versions, which were peer-reviewed. For the purposes of stimulating future research, each chapter ends with two or three testable hypotheses. Each chapter is followed by a comment. This makes the book ideal for teaching and course work, because it highlights the fact that ecology is a living and active research field. TOC:Preface.- 1. Introduction on resource ecology.- 2A. Mechanisms determining large-herbivore distribution.- 3A. Spatial statistics to quantify patterns of herd dispersion in a savanna herbivore community.- 4A. Resource distribution and dynamics: mapping herbivore resources.- 5A. Foraging in a heterogeneous environment: intake and diet choice.- 6A. Predictive modelling of patch use by terrestrial herbivores.- 7A. Assembling a diet from different places.- 8A. Effects of temporal variability in resources on foraging behaviour.- 9A. Large-scale movements of large herbivores: livestock following changes in seasonal forage supply.- 10A. Relevance of key resource areas for large-scale movements of livestock.- 11A. Structuring herbivore communities: the role of habitat and diet.- 12. Prospects for further development of resource ecology.- List of references.- List of contributors.