This book spells out the theoretical structure, methodology and philosophy of the science of autecology. The autecological approach focuses on the interactions of individual organisms (and their species-specific adaptations) with the spatio-temporal dynamics of their environment as a basis for interpreting patterns of diversity and abundance in nat

Preface, Chapter 1. Introduction-An Outline and Justification for Autecology, Chapter 2. Two Alternative Approaches in Ecology, Chapter 3. Basic Ecological Processes and the Autecological Generalization, Chapter 4. Spatio-Temporal Dynamics-Climatic Variables and the Response Rates of Organisms, Chapter 5. Environmental Matching-Individuals, Species and Scales in Ecology, Chapter 6. Environmental Response Systems of Organisms- Determinants of Spatio-Temporal Dynamics, Chapter 7. Quantifying Autecology - Survival, Reproduction and Movement, Chapter 8. Research in Ecology-Patterns and the Scientific Exploration and Reconstruction of Ecological Processes, Chapter 9. Organisms Across Space and Over Time-Deterministic Structures, Stochastic Influences, Environmental Gradients and Risk Analysis, Chapter 10. Contrasting the Ecological Paradigms-Principles, Related Sub-Disciplines, General Laws and Prediction, Appendix, Glossary, References, Index