Microbial Ecology: An Evolutionary Approach

Based on the thesis that insights into both evolution and ecology can be obtained through the study of microorganismsm, Microbial Ecology examines microbiology through the lens of evolutionary ecology. Measured from a microbial perspective, this text covers such topics as optimal foraging, genome, reduction, novel evolutionary mechanisms, bacterial speciation, and r and K selection. Numerous aspects of microbial existence are also discussed and include: species competition, predation, parasitism, mutualism, microbial communication through quorum sensing and other. The result is a context for understanding microbes in nature and a framework for microbiologists working in industry, medicine, and the environment.

Applies evolutionary ecological concepts to microbesAddresses individual, population and community ecologyPresents species concepts and offers insights on the origin of life and modern microbial ecologyExamines topics such as species interactions, nutrient cycling, quorum sensing and cheating

SECTION I. Ecology and Evolution
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Molecules and Origins of Life
Chapter 3. Species concepts and speciation

SECTION II. Ecology of Individuals
Chapter 4. The Individual
Chapter 5. Growth and Feeding
Chapter 6. Ecology of Sex

SECTION III. Living Together in Populations
Chapter 7. Fundamentals of microbial population ecology
Chapter 8. Metapopulations, Multicellularity, and Modular Growth
Chapter 9. Effects of Habitats, Genome Size, Diversity and Bacterial Communication on Population Processes
Chapter 10. Population Spatial Stability

SECTION IV. Living Together in Communities
Chapter 11. Characteristics of Communities and Diversity
Chapter 12. Concepts in Community Ecology
Chapter 13. Microbes and the Processing of Nutrients
Chapter 14. Species Interactions and Processes
Chapter 15: More Species Interactions

Bibliography
Glossary
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