
Insect Ecology
An Ecosystem Approach
- 6th Edition - February 1, 2028
- Latest edition
- Author: Timothy D. Schowalter
- Language: English
- Hardback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 4 4 3 6 5 - 7
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 4 4 3 6 6 - 4
Insects play essential roles in ecosystems and, next to humans, have the greatest capacity to engineer ecosystem structure and function. Insect Ecology: An Ecosystem Approach, 6th… Read more
Purchase options

Insects play essential roles in ecosystems and, next to humans, have the greatest capacity to engineer ecosystem structure and function. Insect Ecology: An Ecosystem Approach, 6th Edition provides the most advanced synthesis of insect ecology, including both the traditional foci of insect ecology on adaptations to environmental conditions, population dynamics and community interactions and the roles of insects in regulating ecosystem structure, function and the delivery of ecosystem services. The work integrates two major approaches in insect ecology: the traditional emphasis on insect adaptations, population dynamics and community interactions and a modern emphasis on insect contributions to, and potential regulation of, ecosystem structure and function. This approach emphasizes the ecosystem as the environment that shapes insect adaptations and, in turn, is influenced by insect adaptations. Insect Ecology: An Ecosystem Approach, 6th Edition serves as an invaluable resource graduate students in insect ecology. Professional entomologists and ecologists and practitioners in forestry, agriculture, pest management and conservation ecology will also benefit from the updated information on this dominant group of organisms.
• Emphasizes the importance of landscape variation the role of disturbances in shaping insect populations
• Covers the role of disturbances in shaping insect populations and the ecosystem as a whole
• Describes the importance as insurance for maintenance of ecosystem functions
• Covers the role of disturbances in shaping insect populations and the ecosystem as a whole
• Describes the importance as insurance for maintenance of ecosystem functions
Advanced undergraduate and graduate entomology students
1. Overview
a. Scope of Insect Ecology
b. Ecosystem Ecology
i. Ecosystem Complexity
ii. The Hierarchy of Subsystems
iii. Regulation
c. Environmental Change and Disturbance
d. Ecosystem Approach to Insect Ecology
e. Scope of This Book
Section I: Ecology of Individual Insects
2. Responses to Abiotic Conditions
a. The Physical Template
i. Biomes
ii. Environmental Variation
iii. Disturbances
b. Surviving Variable Abiotic Conditions
i. Diapause
ii. Thermoregulation
iii. Water Balance
iv. Air and Water Chemistry
v. Other Abiotic Factors
c. Dispersal Behavior
d. Responses to Anthropogenic Changes
i. Land Use
ii. Pollutants and Other Novel Introductions
iii. Climate Change
iv. Interactions Among Factors
v. Trends in Arthropod Abundance
e. Summary
3. Resource Acquisition
a. Resource Quality
i. Resource Requirements
ii. Variation in Food Quality
iii. Plant Chemical Defenses
iv. Arthropod Defenses
v. Variation in Resource Quality
vi. Mechanisms for Exploiting Variable Resource Quality
b. Resource Acceptability
c. Resource Availability
i. Discovering Suitable Resources
ii. Orientation
iii. Learning
d. Summary
4. Resource Allocation
a. Resource Budget
b. Allocation of Assimilated Resources
i. Foraging and Dispersal Behavior
ii. Mating Behavior
iii. Reproductive and Social Behavior
iv. Competitive, Defensive and Mutualistic Behavior
c. Efficiency of Resource Use
i. Factors Affecting Efficiency
ii. Trade-offs
d. Summary
Section II: Population Ecology
5. Population Systems
a. Population Structure
i. Density
ii. Dispersion
iii. Geographic Range and Metapopulation Structure
iv. Age Structure
v. Sex Ratio
vi. Genetic Composition
vii. Social Insects
b. Population Processes
i. Natality
ii. Mortality
iii. Dispersal
c. Life History Characteristics
d. Parameter Estimation
e. Summary
6. Population Dynamics
a. Population Fluctuation
b. Factors Affecting Population Size
i. Density Independent Factors
ii. Density Dependent Factors
iii. Regulatory Mechanisms
iv. Causes of Outbreaks and Extinctions
c. Models of Population Change
i. Exponential and Geometric Models
ii. Logistic Model
iii. Complex Models
iv. Computerized Models
v. Model Evaluation
d. Summary
7: Biogeography
a. Geographic Distribution
i. Global Patterns
ii. Regional Patterns
iii. Island Biogeography
iv. Landscape and Stream Continuum Patterns
b. Spatial Dynamics of Populations
i. Expanding Populations
ii. Metapopulation Dynamics
c. Habitat Connectivity
d. Anthropogenic Effects on Spatial Dynamics
i. Fragmentation
ii. Disturbances to Aquatic Ecosystems
iii. Species Introductions
iv. Models of Spatial Dynamics
e. Summary
Section III: Community Ecology
8. Species Interactions
a. Direct Interactions
i. Competition
ii. Predation
iii. Symbiosis
b. Indirect Interactions
i. Indirect Competition Among Herbivores
ii. Indirect Effects of Plants on Herbivory
iii. Indirect Effects of Predators and Parasites
iv. Indirect Effects of Microorganisms
v. Indirect Effects of Herbivores on Vegetation Structure
c. Factors Affecting Interactions
i. Abiotic Conditions
ii. Resource Availability and Distribution
d. Consequences of Interactions
i. Population Regulation
ii. Community Regulation
e. Summary
9. Community Structure
a. Approaches to Describing Communities
i. Species Diversity
ii. Species Interactions
iii. Functional Organization
b. Patterns of Community Structure
i. Global Patterns
ii. Biome and Landscape Patterns
c. Determinants of Community Structure
i. Landscape Structure
ii. Habitat Stability
iii. Habitat or Resource Conditions
iv. Species Interactions
d. Summary
10. Community Dynamics
a. Short-term Change in Community Structure
b. Successional Change in Community Structure
i. Patterns of Succession
ii. Factors Affecting Succession
iii. Models of Succession
iv. Evidence for Current Declines in Insect Abundance
c. Paleoecology
d. Diversity vs. Stability
i. Components of Stability
ii. Stability of Community Variables
e. Summary
Section IV: Ecosystem Level
11. Ecosystem Structure and Function
a. Ecosystem Structure
i. Physical Structure
ii. Trophic Structure
iii. Spatial Variability
b. Energy Flow
i. Primary Productivity
ii. Secondary Productivity
iii. Energy Budgets
c. Biogeochemical Cycling
i. Abiotic and Biotic Pools
ii. Major Cycles
iii. Factors Influencing Cycling Processes
d. Ecosystem Engineering
e. Urban Ecosystems
f. Ecosystem Modeling
g. Summary
12. Herbivory
a. Types and Patterns of Herbivory
i. Herbivore Functional Groups
ii. Measurement of Herbivory
iii. Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Herbivory
b. Effects of Herbivory
i. Plant Productivity, Survival and Growth Form
ii. Community Dynamics
iii. Water and Nutrient Fluxes
iv. Effects on Climate and Disturbance Regime
c. Summary
13. Pollination, Seed Predation and Seed Dispersal
a. Types and Patterns of Pollination
i. Pollinator Functional Groups
ii. Measurement of Pollination
iii. Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Pollination
iv. Factors Affecting Pollination Efficiency
b. Effects of Pollination
c. Types and Patterns of Seed Predation and Dispersal
i. Seed Predator and Disperser Functional Groups
ii. Measurement of Seed Production and Dispersal
iii. Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Seed Predation and Dispersal
iv. Factors Affecting Seed Predation and Dispersal
d. Effects of Seed Predation and Dispersal
e. Summary
14. Decomposition and Pedogenesis
a. Types and Patterns of Detritivory and Burrowing
i. Detritivore and Burrower Functional Groups
ii. Measurement of Detritivory, Burrowing and Decomposition Rates
iii. Factors Affecting Decomposition
iv. Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Processing of Detritus and Soil
b. Effects of Detritivory and Burrowing
i. Decomposition and Mineralization
ii. Soil Structure, Fertility and Infiltration
iii. Primary Production and Vegetation Dynamics
c. Summary
15. Insects as Regulators of Ecosystem Processes
a. Development of the Concept
b. Ecosystems as Cybernetic Systems
i. Properties of Cybernetic Systems
ii. Ecosystem Homeostasis
iii. Definition of Stability
iv. Regulation of NPP by Biodiversity
v. Regulation of NPP by Insects
c. Summary
Section V. Applications and Synthesis
16. Insects and Ecosystem Services
a. Insect Effects on Ecosystem Services
i. Provisioning Services
ii. Cultural Services
iii. Supporting Services
iv. Regulating Services
b. Valuation of Insect Effects on Ecosystem Services
c. Managing for Sustainability of Ecosystem Services
d. Summary
17. Applications to Pest Management and Conservation
a. Pest Management
i. Crop and Forest “Pests”
ii. Integrated Pest Management
iii. Medical and Veterinary “Pests”
iv. Urban “Pests”
b. Conservation/restoration Ecology
i. Protecting essential insect roles in restored ecosystems
ii. Managing invasive species
c. Using Insects as Indicators of Environmental Conditions
d. Summary
18. Synthesis
a. Summary
b. Synthesis
c. Critical Issues
d. Conclusions
a. Scope of Insect Ecology
b. Ecosystem Ecology
i. Ecosystem Complexity
ii. The Hierarchy of Subsystems
iii. Regulation
c. Environmental Change and Disturbance
d. Ecosystem Approach to Insect Ecology
e. Scope of This Book
Section I: Ecology of Individual Insects
2. Responses to Abiotic Conditions
a. The Physical Template
i. Biomes
ii. Environmental Variation
iii. Disturbances
b. Surviving Variable Abiotic Conditions
i. Diapause
ii. Thermoregulation
iii. Water Balance
iv. Air and Water Chemistry
v. Other Abiotic Factors
c. Dispersal Behavior
d. Responses to Anthropogenic Changes
i. Land Use
ii. Pollutants and Other Novel Introductions
iii. Climate Change
iv. Interactions Among Factors
v. Trends in Arthropod Abundance
e. Summary
3. Resource Acquisition
a. Resource Quality
i. Resource Requirements
ii. Variation in Food Quality
iii. Plant Chemical Defenses
iv. Arthropod Defenses
v. Variation in Resource Quality
vi. Mechanisms for Exploiting Variable Resource Quality
b. Resource Acceptability
c. Resource Availability
i. Discovering Suitable Resources
ii. Orientation
iii. Learning
d. Summary
4. Resource Allocation
a. Resource Budget
b. Allocation of Assimilated Resources
i. Foraging and Dispersal Behavior
ii. Mating Behavior
iii. Reproductive and Social Behavior
iv. Competitive, Defensive and Mutualistic Behavior
c. Efficiency of Resource Use
i. Factors Affecting Efficiency
ii. Trade-offs
d. Summary
Section II: Population Ecology
5. Population Systems
a. Population Structure
i. Density
ii. Dispersion
iii. Geographic Range and Metapopulation Structure
iv. Age Structure
v. Sex Ratio
vi. Genetic Composition
vii. Social Insects
b. Population Processes
i. Natality
ii. Mortality
iii. Dispersal
c. Life History Characteristics
d. Parameter Estimation
e. Summary
6. Population Dynamics
a. Population Fluctuation
b. Factors Affecting Population Size
i. Density Independent Factors
ii. Density Dependent Factors
iii. Regulatory Mechanisms
iv. Causes of Outbreaks and Extinctions
c. Models of Population Change
i. Exponential and Geometric Models
ii. Logistic Model
iii. Complex Models
iv. Computerized Models
v. Model Evaluation
d. Summary
7: Biogeography
a. Geographic Distribution
i. Global Patterns
ii. Regional Patterns
iii. Island Biogeography
iv. Landscape and Stream Continuum Patterns
b. Spatial Dynamics of Populations
i. Expanding Populations
ii. Metapopulation Dynamics
c. Habitat Connectivity
d. Anthropogenic Effects on Spatial Dynamics
i. Fragmentation
ii. Disturbances to Aquatic Ecosystems
iii. Species Introductions
iv. Models of Spatial Dynamics
e. Summary
Section III: Community Ecology
8. Species Interactions
a. Direct Interactions
i. Competition
ii. Predation
iii. Symbiosis
b. Indirect Interactions
i. Indirect Competition Among Herbivores
ii. Indirect Effects of Plants on Herbivory
iii. Indirect Effects of Predators and Parasites
iv. Indirect Effects of Microorganisms
v. Indirect Effects of Herbivores on Vegetation Structure
c. Factors Affecting Interactions
i. Abiotic Conditions
ii. Resource Availability and Distribution
d. Consequences of Interactions
i. Population Regulation
ii. Community Regulation
e. Summary
9. Community Structure
a. Approaches to Describing Communities
i. Species Diversity
ii. Species Interactions
iii. Functional Organization
b. Patterns of Community Structure
i. Global Patterns
ii. Biome and Landscape Patterns
c. Determinants of Community Structure
i. Landscape Structure
ii. Habitat Stability
iii. Habitat or Resource Conditions
iv. Species Interactions
d. Summary
10. Community Dynamics
a. Short-term Change in Community Structure
b. Successional Change in Community Structure
i. Patterns of Succession
ii. Factors Affecting Succession
iii. Models of Succession
iv. Evidence for Current Declines in Insect Abundance
c. Paleoecology
d. Diversity vs. Stability
i. Components of Stability
ii. Stability of Community Variables
e. Summary
Section IV: Ecosystem Level
11. Ecosystem Structure and Function
a. Ecosystem Structure
i. Physical Structure
ii. Trophic Structure
iii. Spatial Variability
b. Energy Flow
i. Primary Productivity
ii. Secondary Productivity
iii. Energy Budgets
c. Biogeochemical Cycling
i. Abiotic and Biotic Pools
ii. Major Cycles
iii. Factors Influencing Cycling Processes
d. Ecosystem Engineering
e. Urban Ecosystems
f. Ecosystem Modeling
g. Summary
12. Herbivory
a. Types and Patterns of Herbivory
i. Herbivore Functional Groups
ii. Measurement of Herbivory
iii. Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Herbivory
b. Effects of Herbivory
i. Plant Productivity, Survival and Growth Form
ii. Community Dynamics
iii. Water and Nutrient Fluxes
iv. Effects on Climate and Disturbance Regime
c. Summary
13. Pollination, Seed Predation and Seed Dispersal
a. Types and Patterns of Pollination
i. Pollinator Functional Groups
ii. Measurement of Pollination
iii. Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Pollination
iv. Factors Affecting Pollination Efficiency
b. Effects of Pollination
c. Types and Patterns of Seed Predation and Dispersal
i. Seed Predator and Disperser Functional Groups
ii. Measurement of Seed Production and Dispersal
iii. Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Seed Predation and Dispersal
iv. Factors Affecting Seed Predation and Dispersal
d. Effects of Seed Predation and Dispersal
e. Summary
14. Decomposition and Pedogenesis
a. Types and Patterns of Detritivory and Burrowing
i. Detritivore and Burrower Functional Groups
ii. Measurement of Detritivory, Burrowing and Decomposition Rates
iii. Factors Affecting Decomposition
iv. Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Processing of Detritus and Soil
b. Effects of Detritivory and Burrowing
i. Decomposition and Mineralization
ii. Soil Structure, Fertility and Infiltration
iii. Primary Production and Vegetation Dynamics
c. Summary
15. Insects as Regulators of Ecosystem Processes
a. Development of the Concept
b. Ecosystems as Cybernetic Systems
i. Properties of Cybernetic Systems
ii. Ecosystem Homeostasis
iii. Definition of Stability
iv. Regulation of NPP by Biodiversity
v. Regulation of NPP by Insects
c. Summary
Section V. Applications and Synthesis
16. Insects and Ecosystem Services
a. Insect Effects on Ecosystem Services
i. Provisioning Services
ii. Cultural Services
iii. Supporting Services
iv. Regulating Services
b. Valuation of Insect Effects on Ecosystem Services
c. Managing for Sustainability of Ecosystem Services
d. Summary
17. Applications to Pest Management and Conservation
a. Pest Management
i. Crop and Forest “Pests”
ii. Integrated Pest Management
iii. Medical and Veterinary “Pests”
iv. Urban “Pests”
b. Conservation/restoration Ecology
i. Protecting essential insect roles in restored ecosystems
ii. Managing invasive species
c. Using Insects as Indicators of Environmental Conditions
d. Summary
18. Synthesis
a. Summary
b. Synthesis
c. Critical Issues
d. Conclusions
- Edition: 6
- Latest edition
- Published: February 1, 2028
- Language: English
TS
Timothy D. Schowalter
Timothy D. Schowalter received his Ph.D. degree in Entomology from the University of Georgia in 1979. He is currently a Professor of Entomology at Louisiana State University, where he also served as the department head until 2015. Previously, he was a professor of entomology at Oregon State University, Corvallis. Dr. Schowalter served as Program Director for Integrative and Theoretical Ecology at the National Science Foundation, where he was involved in developing global change and terrestrial ecosystem research initiatives at the federal level. He also served as a U.S. delegate to international conventions to develop collaboration between U.S. Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and long-term sites in Hungary and East Asia and the Pacific.
Affiliations and expertise
Professor of Entomology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA