Odum E.P. Ecology, the Link Between the Natural and the Social Sciences

Monograph. — Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1975. — 255 p.As mankind everywhere has become increasingly aware of environmental abuses and limitations, the scope of people’s thinking and the subject matter of ecology have broadened accordingly. In academic circles, ecology was once considered to be a branch of biology—of rather secondary importance—that dealt with the relationships of organisms and environment; now it is widely viewed in terms of the study of the totality of man and environment. Granted that the word “ecology” is often misused as a synonym for “environment,” popularization of the subject has had the beneficial effect of focusing attention on man as a part of, rather than apart from, his natural surroundings. In a very real sense ecology has become a major integrative discipline that links together the physical, biological, and social sciences; hence, the subtitle of this edition: The Link Between the Natural and the Social Sciences.The Scope of Ecology
The Ecosystem
Energy Flow Within the Ecosystem
Biogeochemical Cycles and Limiting Factor Concepts
Population Ecology
Ecosystem Development and Evolution
Major Ecosystems of the World
Resources, Pollution, Bionomics, and Ecosystem Management
Appendiсes