Modeling spatiotemporal dynamics in ecology

Ecology has been a largely descriptive science throughout its history. Scientists are in need of a theoretical framework that will assist in the understanding of observed patterns, and serve as a predictive tool. In particular since ecological systems are dynamic and spatially extended, it is important to understand the processes underlying spatiotemporal patterns. This book reviews one of the newest and most important parts of theoretical ecology: the study of spatiotemporal dynamics by means of a spatially explicit approximation that allows us to investigate the effects of real space.