ABSTRACT
How can we make sense of the complex and constantly changing interactions between the living world, with its myriad species and individuals, and the multifaceted and dynamic environment which life inhabits? In this book we examine this basic question, starting from the idea of the ecosystem as the basic unit of living organisms in the environment. Understanding how ecosystems operate, and how they support the existence of groups of organisms, is not just a question of scientific interest. At a gathering pace since the 1940s, there has been increasing concern about harmful effects caused by human actions on the planet's life support system. Exactly what has occurred and what may happen in the future is not clear. However, most authorities agree that at best the consequences may be uncomfortable for humankind, and at worst may be catastrophic.
