Complexity in landscape ecology /

Green and his coauthors offer a fascinating work to stimulate thinking and practices in modern landscape ecology. Divided into 10 chapters, it is filled with easy-to-understand ecological stories, and further expanded with sophisticated system concepts and modeling. One cannot stop reading until finished, an indication, in this reviewer's opinion, that this unique book is the best published so far in landscape ecology. Following an introduction to complexity in ecosystems, the authors challenge readers with many questions: Are landscape connected? Do ecological communities exist? Why is a starfish like an atomic bomb? The text ends with a discussion of the role of technology (e.g., e-ecology) and global perspectives in modern ecology. In addition to its strong philosophical review of the ecology in landscape studies, the use of Web resources to support the text is exciting. This text can serve as a great reference for anyone interested in ecological research. The easy-to-read materials are suitable for almost every group, ranging from the general public to advanced ecologists. ^BSumming Up: Essential. All levels. J. Chen University of Toledo