ABSTRACT

This is not a traditional ecology textbook. It shows that trophic ecology is a means to bridge the gap between general ecology texts, including those focusing on community ecology, and the dense, theoretically rich books on food web theory, stoichiometry, and ecosystem processes. We first make a case for why this book is needed for upper-level undergraduate students, graduate students, and practicing ecologists looking for ideas and refreshers on concepts and techniques used in trophic research. The history of trophic ecology is old and varied. We will provide a brief overview of how trophic relationships have been considered for millennia and still are relevant to research today. The organization of the book will be described, giving a road map for how the information in the book should be used. Each chapter is intended to build on the next, reinforcing complementary concepts and approaches in trophic ecology.