Nonlinear Physics of Ecosystems

Using problems from spatial ecology, this book shows how pattern formation theory can be applied to ecological research. Written in language understandable to most physicists and ecologists, it reveals the mechanisms of pattern formation and pattern dynamics. The book explores the implications of these mechanisms in important ecological problems, including self-organized vegetation patchiness, desertification, and biodiversity in changing environments. It also discusses recent developments, such as pattern-forming systems subjected to external periodic forcing, not covered in similar books.