Handbook of Quantitative Ecology

"Students and other researchers entering the fields of ecology and conservation biology often come with little computational or mathematics training, leaving them feeling unprepared to participate in the quantitative aspects of research in these fields. In this "low threshold, high ceiling" introduction to the subject, Justin Kitzes, an ecologist who has taught students at both undergraduate and graduate levels, aims to remedy this situation. He argues that anyone with the ability and interest to study ecology can learn the basics of the most widely used methods in quantitative ecology. Specifically, Kitzes shows readers how to translate common biological questions into mathematical models, doing so using only basic algebra and the use of spreadsheets, without requiring any background in advanced mathematics or programming skills. Students and practicing conservation biologists who are mathematically out-of-practice or uncomfortable will find this book a useful and necessary resource"--
An essential guide to quantitative research methods in ecology and conservation biology, accessible for even the most math-averse student or professional. Quantitative research techniques have become increasingly important in ecology and conservation biology, but the sheer breadth of methods that must be understood—from population modeling and probabilistic thinking to modern statistics, simulation, and data science—and a lack of computational or mathematics training have hindered quantitative literacy in these fields. In this book, ecologist Justin Kitzes addresses those challenges for students and practicing scientists alike. Requiring only basic algebra and the ability to use a spreadsheet, Handbook of Quantitative Ecology is designed to provide a practical, intuitive, and integrated introduction to widely used quantitative methods. Kitzes builds each chapter around a specific ecological problem and arrives, step by step, at a general principle through the process of solving that problem. Grouped into five broad categories—difference equations, probability, matrix models, likelihood statistics, and other numerical methods—the book introduces basic concepts, starting with exponential and logistic growth, and helps readers to understand the field’s more advanced subjects, such as bootstrapping, stochastic optimization, and cellular automata. Complete with online solutions to all numerical problems, Kitzes’s Handbook of Quantitative Ecology is an ideal coursebook for both undergraduate and graduate students of ecology, as well as a useful and necessary resource for mathematically out-of-practice scientists.