Highlighting both the achievements of the past and the challenges of the future, this volume presents a review of the key ecological issues. Major topics are addressed in evolution and population biology; functional and community ecology; the ecology of changing environments; and the ecology of ecosystems, management and human impacts. It gives a state-of-the-art account of key aspects of contemporary ecology and of its interfaces with related disciplines, such as genetics and economics. The international team of authors includes some of the most thoughtful ecologists of our time. This book will prove invaluable to both advanced students and researchers in ecology.