Methods in Comparative Plant Population Ecology (2^nd Ed.)

The field of plant population ecology has advanced considerably in the last decade since the first edition was published. In particular there have been substantial and ongoing advances in statistics and modelling applications in population ecology, as well as an explosion of new techniques reflecting the availability of new technologies (e.g. affordable and accurate Global Positioning Systems) and advances in molecular biology. This new edition has been updated and revised with more recent examples replacing older ones where appropriate. The book's trademark question-driven approach has been maintained and some important topics such as the metapopulation concept which are missing entirely from the current edition are now included throughout the text.

Part 1. What is plant population ecology?

1: Scope of plant population ecology

Part 2. Planning the study

2: The question and approach

3: Basic considerations in experimental design

Part 3. Doing the study

4: Experimental treatments

5: Measuring individual and population parameters

6: Abiotic and biotic measurements of a plant's environment

7: Planning, choosing, and using statistics

8: Advanced statistical techniques: Spatial patterns, life tables, modelling and population viability analysis

David Gibson, PhD, is a Fellow of the Society of Biology, and Professor of Plant Biology and University Distinguished Scholar at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.