Behavioral Aspects of Ecology

"Zoology has not been renowned for a paucity of methods or viewpoints. Some workers have approached ecological problems from a theoretical, mathematical standpoint; others have been decidedly pragmatic and empirical. A few have even proven able to reconcile these often divergent approaches within the scope of some particularly masterful study. Yet, for all the diversity in the approaches to the major problems of ecology, there has been a striking neglect of psychological factors that control or regulate the behavior of animals. This bald assertion is not intended to minimize the frequency, importance, or value of specific behavioral studies which seek to explain habitat selection, food preferences, or the like. What is lacking is a more general account of the relation between the principles and facts studied by psychologists and those of interest to ecologists. In this short book, we hope to summarize what we consider to be the major problems of ecology and to suggest how the applic