Ecology of Insects

They may be small, but insect life is bountiful í¢â‚¬” representing nearly half of all biological diversity on the planet.

The creatures get their due í¢â‚¬” and then some í¢â‚¬” in the second edition of Ecology of Insects: Concepts and Applications. The book, released in August, was co-written by Mark D. Hunter, a professor at the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and Environment and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, within the College of Literature, Science, & the Arts.

"This textbook strikes a balance between theory and practice and between pure and applied ecology," said Hunter, who co-authored the new edition with Martin R. Speight of the University of Oxford and Allan D. Watt of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, both based in the United Kingdom.

The 640-page Ecology of Insects presents the basic themes of insect ecology as well as background in evolutionary ecology, population dynamics and environmental interactions. The authors subsequently apply these concepts to a number of issues such as climate change, the conservation of biodiversity, epidemiology and pest management.

"Their ecology is of crucial economic importance to our planet and therefore ourselves - as pests of our crops, vectors of diseases and as beneficial species in food webs, pollination and biological control," Hunter said.

Based upon a wealth of international teaching expertise, Ecology of Insects is aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students taking courses in insect ecology and applied entomology, as well as wider degree programs in biology, general ecology, zoology, forestry and agriculture.

The first edition was published in 1999. Changes between editions include new topical areas of insect ecology and greater coverage of physiological, genetic, molecular and ecosystem aspects of insect ecology.
Hunter joined SNRE in 2006, where he primarily teaches master's-level courses and students. But he also teaches an introductory biology course for U-M undergraduates. His appointment is split between SNRE and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

He divides his current research among several related interests: the role of plant chemistry in the population dynamics of herbivores; the links between the population dynamics of herbivores and ecosystem processes in the habitats in which they live; and the application of ecological theory to environmental issues.

The book is published by Wiley-Blackwell and is available at www.wiley.com.

More information about Hunter can be found at http://www.snre.umich.edu/profile/mdhunter.

About the School of Natural Resources and Environment
The School of Natural Resources and Environment's overarching objective is to contribute to the protection of the Earth's resources and the achievement of a sustainable society. Through research, teaching, and outreach, faculty, staff, and students are devoted to generating knowledge and developing policies, techniques and skills to help practitioners manage and conserve natural and environmental resources to meet the full range of human needs on a sustainable basis.
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