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<p>Notes on contributors vii</p> <p>Preface xiv</p> <p>Introduction: Metabolism as the basis for a theoretical unification of ecology 1<br /><i>James H. Brown, Richard M. Sibly, and Astrid Kodric-Brown</i></p> <p><b>Part I Foundations 7</b></p> <p>1 Methodological tools 9<br /><i>Ethan P. White, Xiao Xiao, Nick J. B. Isaac, and Richard M. Sibly</i></p> <p>2 The metabolic theory of ecology and its central equation 21<br /><i>James H. Brown and Richard M. Sibly</i></p> <p>3 Stoichiometry 34<br /><i>Michael Kaspari</i></p> <p>4 Modeling metazoan growth and ontogeny 48<br /><i>Andrew J. Kerkhoff</i></p> <p>5 Life history 57<br /><i>Richard M. Sibly</i></p> <p>6 Behavior 67<br /><i>April Hayward, James F. Gillooly, and Astrid Kodric-Brown</i></p> <p>7 Population and community ecology 77<br /><i>Nick J.B. Isaac, Chris Carbone, and Brian Mcgill</i></p> <p>8 Predator–prey relations and food webs 86<br /><i>Owen L. Petchey and Jennifer A. Dunne</i></p> <p>9 Ecosystems 99<br /><i>Kristina J. Anderson-Teixeira and Peter M. Vitousek</i></p> <p>10 Rates of metabolism and evolution 112<br /><i>John L. Gittleman and Patrick R. Stephens</i></p> <p>11 Biodiversity and its energetic and thermal controls 120<br /><i>David Storch</i></p> <p><b>Part II Selected Organisms and Topics 133</b></p> <p>12 Microorganisms 135<br /><i>Jordan G. Okie</i></p> <p>13 Phytoplankton 154<br /><i>Elena Litchman</i></p> <p>14 Land plants: new theoretical directions and empirical prospects 164<br /><i>Brian J. Enquist and Lisa Patrick Bentley</i></p> <p>15 Marine invertebrates 188<br /><i>Mary I. O’connor and John F. Bruno</i></p> <p>16 Insect metabolic rates 198<br /><i>James S. Waters and Jon F. Harrison</i></p> <p>17 Terrestrial vertebrates 212<br /><i>William Karasov</i></p> <p>18 Seabirds and marine mammals 225<br /><i>Daniel P. Costa and Scott A. Shaffer</i></p> <p>19 Parasites 234<br /><i>Ryan F. Hechinger, Kevin D. Lafferty, and Armand M. Kuris</i></p> <p>20 Human ecology 248<br /><i>Marcus J. Hamilton, Oskar Burger, and Robert S. Walker</i></p> <p><b>Part III Practical Applications 259</b></p> <p>21 Marine ecology and fisheries 261<br /><i>Simon Jennings, Ken H. Andersen, and Julia L. Blanchard</i></p> <p>22 Conservation biology 271<br /><i>Alison G. Boyer and Walter Jetz</i></p> <p>23 Climate change 280<br /><i>Kristina J. Anderson-Teixeira, Felisa A. Smith, and S. K. Morgan Ernest</i></p> <p>24 Beyond biology 293<br /><i>Melanie E. Moses and Stephanie Forrest</i></p> <p>25 Synthesis and prospect 302<br /><i>James H. Brown, Richard M. Sibly, and Astrid Kodric-Brown</i></p> <p>Glossary 306</p> <p>References 309</p> <p>Index 361</p>

<p>“If you want a thorough, up-to-date coverage of research based upon the MTE and its many applications, this book is a must-read.”  (<i>Ecology</i>, 1 January 2013)</p> “Intended to be accessible to upper-level undergraduates, the book should be widely-read by anyone who seeks a more powerful science of ecology.”  (<i>British Ecological Society Bulletin</i>, 1 December 2012) <p>“The book is copiously illustrated, and the complex mathematics limited and treated discreetly so the nonmathematician can follow the logic.  A necessary read for ecologists.  Summing Up: Highly recommended.  Upper-division undergraduates and above.”  (<i>Choice</i>, 1 November 2012)</p> <p> </p>

<p>ABOUT THE EDITORS</p> <p><b>Richard M. Sibly</b> is Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Reading where he teaches Behavioural Ecology and Population Biology. He researches metabolic ecology questions with members of Jim Brown’s Lab at the University of New Mexico and also works to promote the use of Agent Based Models (ABMs) more widely in ecology.<br><b>http://www.reading.ac.uk/biologicalsciences/about/staff/r-m-sibly.aspx </b> <p><b>James H. Brown</b> is Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. He led the development of the Metabolic Theory of Ecology on which this book is largely based. He has a long history of research in biogeography and macroecology, taking a large-scale statistical approach to questions about abundance, distribution, and diversity.<br><b>http://biology.unm.edu/jhbrown/index.shtml </b> <p><b>Astrid Kodric-Brown</b> is Professor of Biology at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. Her research interests include the behavioral ecology of freshwater fishes, especially the evolution of mate recognition systems and their role in speciation in pupfishes (<i>Cyprinodon</i>); the allometry of sexually-selected traits; and community structure and conservation of desert fishes.<br><b>http://biology.unm.edu/biology/kodric/</b>

<p>Most of ecology is about metabolism, the ways that organisms use energy and materials. The energy requirements of individuals (their metabolic rates) vary predictably with their body size and temperature. Ecological interactions are exchanges of energy and materials between organisms and their environments. Therefore, metabolic rate affects ecological processes at all levels: individuals, populations, communities and ecosystems. Each chapter focuses on a different process, level of organization, or kind of organism. It lays a conceptual foundation and presents empirical examples. Together, the chapters provide an integrated framework that holds the promise for a unified theory of ecology.</p> <p>The book is intended to be accessible to upper-level undergraduates and graduate students, but also of interest to senior scientists. Its easy-to-read chapters and clear illustrations can be used in lecture and seminar courses. This is an authoritative treatment that will inspire future generations to study metabolic ecology.

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