This book introduces experimental design and data analysis / interpretation as well as field monitoring skills for both plants and animals. Clearly structured throughout and written in a student-friendly manner, the main emphasis of the book concentrates on the techniques required to design a field based ecological survey and shows how to execute an appropriate sampling regime. The book evaluates appropriate methods, including the problems associated with various techniques and their inherent flaws (e.g. low sample sizes, large amount of field or laboratory work, high cost etc). This provides a resource base outlining details from the planning stage, into the field, guiding through sampling and finally through organism identification in the laboratory and computer based data analysis and interpretation. The text is divided into six distinct chapters. The first chapter covers planning, including health and safety together with information on a variety of statistical techniques for examining and analysing data. Following a chapter dealing with site characterisation and general aspects of species identification, subsequent chapters describe the techniques used to survey and census particular groups of organisms. The final chapter covers interpreting and presenting data and writing up the research. The emphasis here is on appropriate wording of interpretation and structure and content of the report.
"I would certainly recommend this book to be used as a textbook for students undertaking higher level VET (Vocational EducationTraining) Certificates and Diplomas, as well as applications for first and second year levels of university." (Austral Ecology, 1 October 2013)
"This will be a great boom to tutors on residential field courses or lecturers supervising student projects as a part of degree courses, particularly those concerned with animal ecology, though there is much sound advice for those working on other groups of organisms." (Biodiversity and Conservation, 1 October 2012)
"With all the points above in mind, I know that I will make this book available to all my students. In fact, having read it, I can now even answer questions about slurp guns." (African Journal of Range & Forage Science, 1 November 2012)
"It is very informative and its 606 pages are a real bargain for £45.00." (
British Ecological Society Bulletin, 1 August 2012)
"Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through graduate students." (Choice, 1 January 2012)
"The book is very well structured and takes the reader through the entire process of carrying out an ecological research project in clear and logically ordered sections ... The book contains a huge amount of information which is presented in a highly accessible way, with clear illustrations and case studies throughout." (Elsevier's Biological Conservation, 1 January 2012)
"I highly recommend the very thorough and approachable book Practical Field Ecology: A Project Guide by C. Philip Wheater, James R. Bell, and Penny A. Cook, to any students, researchers, ecologists, business people, and policy makers who are seeking a very well grounded guide to planning, executing, measuring, and reporting on any ecological project. This book provides the tools necessary to provide scientifically sound information for informed decision making in any ecology related field." (Blog Business World, 19 November 2011)
