Ecology: The Biology of Interactions. 0. Title Page and Preface
With this page, the authors begin work on creating the second edition of their ecology textbook. The work is organized as follows: the text corresponding to the first edition, which was titled “Materials for Studying the Course of General Ecology with the Foundations of Environmental Studies and Human Ecology,” has been posted online on the Batrachos.com site, and then this text is gradually corrected and supplemented....
Ukrainian language (latest version) / Russian language (updates stopped)
D. Shabanov, M. Kravchenko. Ecology: Biology of Interaction Chapter 1. Ecology and the Biosystems it Studies
1.01. What is "ecology"?
Ecology: The Biology of Interactions A textbook for university students specializing in biology D. A. Shabanov, M. A. Kravchenko Kharkiv, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 2011-2016 With this page, the authors begin work on creating the second edition of their ecology textbook. The work is organized as follows: the text corresponding to the first edition, which was titled “Materials for Studying the Course of General Ecology with the Foundations of Environmental Studies and Human Ecology,” has been posted online on the Batrachos.com website, and then this text is gradually corrected and supplemented. In parallel with the Russian version of the text, publication of the Ukrainian version on the same site began in 2015. In the process of improving this textbook, constructive criticism from interested readers will be especially useful. The authors ask for such criticism and will be sincerely grateful for it. D. A. Shabanov, professor of the Department of Zoology and Ecology of Animals at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Doctor of Biological Sciences (specialty 03.00.16, ecology). M. A. Kravchenko, associate professor of the Department of Zoology and Ecology of Animals at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Candidate of Biological Sciences (specialty 03.00.16, ecology). Preface to the first edition This textbook is intended to help biology students in studying the course of general ecology. Considering it fundamentally important to distinguish among the concepts of “ecology,” “environmental studies,” and “nature conservation,” and also separating general ecology from human ecology, the authors nevertheless deemed it necessary to touch on topics from other branches within the framework of the general ecology course. Some attention in Chapter 5 is devoted to environmental studies, while the whole of Chapter 6 is devoted to human ecology and certain problems of nature conservation. The textbook reflects the tradition of teaching ecology at the Faculty of Biology of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. The study of lecture material proceeds here from higher-level systems to lower-level ones (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4) and ends with human ecology (Chapter 6). Study of the material in seminar classes is conducted in ascending order, beginning and ending with human ecology (Chapters 6, 5, 4, again 6). The course program is divided into four modules: I, general properties of biosystems and biospherology (Chapters 1 and 2); II, autecology with the foundations of environmental studies (Chapter 5); III, biogeocoenology, community ecology, and population ecology (Chapters 3 and 4); IV, human ecology (Chapter 6). The authors hope that this textbook may also be used by students of other higher educational institutions, by teachers, and by specialists in various branches of biology as a reference publication and a source of materials for examining topical issues of general ecology and human ecology. In addition to the main material, a substantial part of the textbook consists of supplements devoted to disputed topics. In the main text, when issues are discussed on which a diversity of opinions exists, the authors characterize in detail the approach recommended to students and indicate the existence of alternatives. The supplements reflect only the authors’ point of view, which may differ from other opinions. The authors hope that the supplements will not only interest some students, but will also be useful to them as a set of examples and topics for discussion. In ecology, where an exceptional diversity of approaches and opinions collide, the direct citation of various authors is justified in many cases. Direct quotations are typeset in a narrowed column. Quotation is also used in those cases where some idea is expressed in a source with utmost clarity and is better given in full than retold. We are sincerely grateful to colleagues whose criticism and help improved this book. We are especially grateful to Alexander Hryhorovych Kozlenko, who, together with us and by commission from the National Training Foundation of the Russian Federation, developed the innovative educational-methodological complex “Ecology. Constructing the Biosphere.”
The textbook is organized as a hypertext. Links at the top and bottom of the pages allow for sequential movement through the text, and the "Structure of Ecology" section allows you to navigate to the desired parts of the course.
The authors hope that this method of working will make the textbook more flexible, modern, and open to corrections. At the same time, this means that individual pages may contain outdated fragments for some time that have not yet been brought into line with the new concept.
While working on the new edition, we will strive to make the text not only more accurate but also better connected to the current state of ecological science.