Spatial Ecology via Reaction-Diffusion Equations

Many ecological phenomena involve space as well as time and arise from a combination of random and deterministic processes. Such phenomena include the effects of habitat fragmentation, which is a common result of human activity and a major problem in biological conservation. Reaction-diffusion models provide one approach to describing how random movements and deterministic interactions between individuals combine to influence the dynamics of populations and the structure of ecological communities. Spatial Ecology via Reaction-Diffusion Equations addresses the problem of modeling spatial effects in ecology and population dynamics using reaction-diffusion models. *Provides broad coverage of a rapidly expanding area of research for ecologists and applied mathematicians. *Provides a unified and coherent account of methods developed to study spatial ecology via reaction-diffusion models. *Provides the reader with the tools needed to construct and interpret models. *Includes specific applications of both the models and the methods described.

Spatial Ecology via Reaction-Diffusion Equations provides a practical introduction to the subject for graduate students and researchers working in spatial modeling from mathematics, statistics, ecology, geography and biology.