Insect Ecology

Chapter 1. Overview

I. Scope of Insect Ecology

II. Ecosystem Ecology

A. Ecosystem Complexity

B. The Hierarchy of Subsystems

C. Regulation

III. Environmental Change and Disturbance

IV. Ecosystem Approach to Insect Ecology

V. Scope of This Book

SECTION I: Ecology of Individual Insects

Chapter 2. Responses to Abiotic Conditions

New: new material on insect functional attributes that affect responses to and effects on ecosystem properties

I. The Physical Template

A. Biomes

B. Environmental Variation

C. Disturbances

II. Surviving Variable Abiotic Conditions

A. Thermoregulation

B. Water Balance

C. Air and Water Chemistry

D. Other Abiotic Factors

III. Factors Affecting Dispersal Behavior

A. Life History Strategy

B. Crowding

C. Nutritional Status

D. Habitat and Resource Conditions

E. Mechanism of Dispersal

IV. Responses to Anthropogenic Changes

New: evaluation of recent reports of insect declines and implications for ecosystems

V. Summary

Chapter 3. Resource Acquisition

I. Resource Quality

A. Resource Requirements

B. Variation in Food Quality

C. Plant Chemical Defenses

D. Arthropod Defenses

E. Variation in Resource Quality

F. Mechanisms for Exploiting Variable Resource Quality

II. Resource Acceptability

III. Resource Availability

A. Discovering Suitable Resources

B. Orientation

C. Learning

IV. Summary

Chapter 4. Resource Allocation

I. Resource Budget

II. Allocation of Assimilated Resources

A. Foraging and Dispersal Behavior

B. Mating Behavior

C. Reproductive and Social Behavior

D. Competitive, Defensive and Mutualistic Behavior

III. Efficiency of Resource Use

A. Factors Affecting Efficiency

B. Tradeoffs

IV. Summary

SECTION II: Population Ecology

Chapter 5. Population Systems

I. Population Structure

A. Density

B. Dispersion

C. Metapopulation Structure

D. Age Structure

E. Sex Ratio

F. Genetic Composition

G. Social Insects

II. Population Processes

A. Natality

B. Mortality

C. Dispersal

III. Life History Characteristics

IV. Parameter Estimation

V. Summary

Chapter 6. Population Dynamics

I. Population Fluctuation

II. Factors Affecting Population Size

A. Density Independent Factors

B. Density Dependent Factors

C. Regulatory Mechanisms

III. Models of Population Change

A. Exponential and Geometric Models

B. Logistic Model

C. Complex Models

D. Computerized Models

E. Model Evaluation

New: evaluation of reports of insect declines

IV. Summary

Chapter 7. Biogeography

I. Geographic Distribution

A. Global Patterns

B. Regional Patterns

C. Island Biogeography

D. Landscape and Stream Continuum Patterns

II. Spatial Dynamics of Populations

A. Expanding Populations

B. Metapopulation Dynamics

III. Habitat Connectivity

IV. Anthropogenic Effects on Spatial Dynamics

A. Fragmentation

B. Disturbances to Aquatic Ecosystems

C. Species Introductions

V. Models of Spatial Dynamics

VI. Summary

SECTION III: Community Ecology

Chapter 8. Species Interactions

New: material on fitness costs of interactions

I. Classes of Interactions

A. Competition

B. Predation

C. Symbiosis

II. Factors Affecting Interactions

A. Abiotic Conditions

B. Resource Availability and Distribution

C. Indirect Effects of Other Species

III. Consequences of Interactions

A. Population Regulation

B. Community Regulation

IV. Summary

Chapter 9. Community Structure

I. Approaches to Describing Communities

A. Species Diversity

B. Species Interactions

C. Functional Organization

II. Patterns of Community Structure

A. Global Patterns

B. Biome and Landscape Patterns

III. Determinants of Community Structure

A. Habitat Area and Complexity

B. Habitat Stability

C. Resource Availability

D. Species Interactions

IV. Summary

Chapter 10. Community Dynamics

I. Short-term Change in Community Structure

II. Successional Change in Community Structure

A. Patterns of Succession

B. Factors Affecting Succession

C. Models of Succession

III. Paleoecology

IV. Diversity vs. Stability

A. Components of Stability

B. Stability of Community Variables

V. Summary

SECTION IV: Ecosystem Level

Chapter 11. Ecosystem Structure and Function

New: potential effects of insect declines on ecosystem properties and delivery of services

I. Ecosystem Structure

A. Trophic Structure

B. Spatial Variability

II. Energy Flow

A. Primary Productivity

B. Secondary Productivity

C. Energy Budgets

III. Biogeochemical Cycling

A. Abiotic and Biotic Pools

B. Major Cycles

C. Factors Influencing Cycling Processes

IV. Climate Modification

V. Ecosystem Modeling

VI. Summary

Chapter 12. Herbivory

New: new material on herbivore effects on ecosystem processes, especially carbon flux and climate modification.

I. Types and Patterns of Herbivory

A. Herbivore Functional Groups

B. Measurement of Herbivory

C. Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Herbivory

II. Effects of Herbivory

A. Plant Productivity, Survival and Growth Form

B. Community Dynamics

C. Water and Nutrient Fluxes

D. Effects on Climate and Disturbance Regime

III. Summary

Chapter 13. Pollination, Seed Predation and Seed Dispersal

New: potential effects of global declines in pollinator abundance and pollination services

I. Types and Patterns of Pollination

A. Pollinator Functional Groups

B. Measurement of Pollination

C. Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Pollination

II. Effects of Pollination

III. Types and Patterns of Seed Predation and Dispersal

A. Seed Predator and Disperser Functional Groups

B. Measurement of Seed Production and Dispersal

C. Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Seed Predation and Dispersal

IV. Effects of Seed Predation and Dispersal

V. Summary

Chapter 14. Decomposition and Pedogenesis

I. Types and Patterns of Detritivory and Burrowing

A. Detritivore and Burrower Functional Groups

B. Measurement of Detritivory, Burrowing and Decomposition Rates

C. Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Processing of Detritus and Soil

II. Effects of Detritivory and Burrowing

A. Decomposition and Mineralization

B. Soil Structure, Fertility and Infiltration

C. Primary Production and Vegetation Dynamics

III. Summary

Chapter 15. Insects as Regulators of Ecosystem Processes

New: new material on potential roles of insects in stabilizing ecosystem conditions

I. Development of the Concept

II. Ecosystems as Cybernetic Systems

A. Properties of Cybernetic Systems

B. Ecosystem Homeostasis

C. Definition of Stability

D. Regulation of NPP by Biodiversity

E. Regulation of NPP by Insects

III. Summary

Section V. Applications and Synthesis

Chapter 16. Insects and Ecosystem Services

I. Insect Effects on Ecosystem Services

A. Provisioning Services

B. Cultural Services

C. Supporting Services

D. Regulating Services

II. Valuation of Insect Effects on Ecosystem Services

III. Managing for Sustainability of Ecosystem Services

New: increased emphasis on threats to ecosystem services from mismanagement of insect populations

IV. Summary

Chapter 17. Applications to Pest Management and Conservation

I. Pest Management

A. Crop and Forest “Pests”

B. Integrated Pest Management

C. Medical and Veterinary “Pests”

D. Urban “Pests”

II. Conservation/restoration Ecology

A. Protecting essential insect roles in restored ecosystems

B. Managing invasive species

C. Using Insects as Indicators of Environmental Conditions

IV. Summary

Chapter 18. Synthesis

I. Summary

II. Synthesis

III. Critical Issues

IV. Conclusions