"The fourth edition of The Economy of Nature has been thoroughly revised to improve clarity and update coverage of many new developments in the field. As in previous editions, Robert Ricklefs balances theory with experimental studies and empirical examples of ecological patterns in a style that has made his text a favorite among students and instructors." "Treatment of the biome concept of ecology - new to this edition; new coverage of phenotypic plasticity, patch dynamics, and landscape ecology among other topics; new two-color art program enhances the graphical presentation of data and concepts; expanded comparison of terrestrial and aquatic biomes; lively narrative accounts of the natural history of organisms; math-friendly presentation of models of ecological processes; and study aids include chapter-opening outlines, numbered summaries, boldfaced key terms, and a new secondary heading structure."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved