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| The Reader's Website Reviews: |
This page was created on 15 August 1997. I would like to invite all readers of PPIGB to submit me their website reviews. They will be published here. Why I have establish this page? Searching and finding websites on the internet is only the first part of getting information. Even more difficult is the question, whether the website you have found once contains relevant information or not and of what quality it is. This problem is obvious for those searching the web for information in a field where they are new or not familiar with. Although PPIGB only listed websites containing relevant information, it will be of advantage to have a second opinion. Reader's Reviews and their experiences will help all those uncertain.
For a first review (to start with) I have invited Dr. S. Vidal to review the Tip of the Month August 1997. Dr. Vidal fields of interets are: Plant Pathology, Entomology, Ecology, Population Dynamics, Biological Control of Pests and much more). It could functions as an example of how a review could look like. Thanks to him for this review.
What you should submit?
Besides your review you should submit some personal information for me (Address, your position, your fields of interest...).
How to submit your Review?
Just send it per e-mail to:
kraska@mbox.ipp.uni-hannover.de
The web site Quantitative Population Ecology, maintained by Alexei Sharov at the Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, containes 13 lecture handouts and 8 labs designed for a course of graduate students with low level prerequisites in statistics and ecology. Beginning with a brief introduction and definitions on population ecolgy, the following chapters describe the methods to census population densities and sizes. This is essential, because without a sound method of sampling all analytical models on the population dynamics will be worthless. Thereafter, the methods to analyse statistically population dynamics, the growth of reproducing populations or life tables are introduced. With this tools the students should be able to develop a simple Leslie model. The understading of predator-prey models or the host-pathogen model is essential for biological control programs; however the shortcomings and extensions of the models are also mentioned. One lecture covers the recently developed extensions of local population dynamics, the spatial processes of populations, the diffusion models or metapopulation models. The incorporation of these models will add a new dimension to the understanding of population regulation (see for example J Roland & PD Taylor, Nature 386: 710-713). Everyone, who is interested in the question, why population outbreaks occurr, should read the final lecture on the mechanisms of outbreaks and the underlying models and assumtions. Although huge steps are made to understand the population dynamics of eruptive populations since the very beginning, several questions remain unanswered.
The chapters cover, although in a very abbreviated form, all basic models presently discussed in population ecology and end with several questions on the topics for the readers or students to reconsider the problems again. The presentation of the text and the figures is informative and allows a clear view. The web side created by A. Sharov is a state of the art introduction in population ecology and is a must for those who are interested in population ecology. Moreover it is highly recommended for plant pathologists who want to know something about what is going on in this branch of biology.
Dr. Stefan Vidal Institut for Plant Diseases and Plant Protection University of Hanover Herrenhaeuser Str. 2 D - 30419 Hannover Tel: + 49 511 762 2643 Fax: + 49 511 762 3015 email: vidal@mbox.ipp.uni-hannover.de
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© Thorsten Kraska , 1997 all rights reserved |