Genes in Ecology 33rd Symposium of the British Ecological Society

Genetics and ecology ought to be complementary disciplines at the population level. This conviction underpins this integrative volume, which brings together geneticists and ecologists to confront the implications of the others' discipline for their own work. The book is divided into three sections: first 'Genes in Ecology', the influence of population genetics on our view of ecology; then 'Modules in Ecology', the use of molecular methods to investigate adaptive and ecological processes; finally 'Ecology in Genetics', the integration of ecological principles into genetics. Most chapters have two authors; a geneticist and an ecologist each bringing their own insights to the topics considered, and illustrating the importance of one discipline for the other. The book also includes protocols for relevant molecular and genetic techniques, including DNA purification, polymerase chain reaction, DNA fingerprinting, sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism investigation.

Part 1. Genes in Ecology: 1. Genes and ecology in history A. J. Cain and W. B. Provine; 2. Stochastic processes in populations: the horse behind the cart? J. R. G. Turner; 3. Population dynamics, natural selection and chaos H. C. J. Godfray, L. M. Cook and M. P. Hassell; 4. Life-history evolution R. Sibly and J. Antonovics; 5. These hierarchical views of life: phylogenies and metapopulations P. H. Harvey, S. Nee, A. Ø. Mooers and L. Partridge; 6. The coevolution of plant-insect and host-parasite relationships D. J. Futuyma and R. M. May; Part II. Molecules in Ecology: 7. Adaptation in bacteria: unanswered ecological and evolutionary questions about well-studied molecules J. P. W. Young and B. R. Levin; 8. Enzymes and adaptation A. G. Clark and R. K. Koehn; 9. Molecular variation and ecological problems T. Burke, W. E. Rainey and T. J. White; 10. Ecological genetics of parasitism R. Ennos; 11. Genes and ecology: two alternative perspectives using Drosophila M. Kreitman, B. Shorrocks and C. Dytham; Part III. Ecology in Genetics: 12. Genetic heterogeneity and ecology J. A. Endler; 13. Density and frequency dependence in ecology: messages for genetics? M. Begon; 14. Density and frequency dependence: a genetical view B. C. Clarke and M. A. Beaumont; 15. Functional biology of adaptation M. E. Feder and W. B. Watt; 16. Life history and mechanical constraints on reproduction in genes, cells and waterfleas J. S. Jones, D. Ebert and S. C. Stearns; 17. Conservation biology: the ecology and genetics of endangered species A. P. Dobson, G. M. Mace, J. Poole and R. A. Brett; 18. Genes in the real world R. J. Berry and A. D. Bradshaw; Part IV. Techniques and Protocols: 19. Use of PCR techniques in Drosophila population biology L. O'Brien, D. Coates, J. Arnold and B. Shorrocks; 20. Polymerase chain reactions I. Arnau and S. Cooper; 21. The detection of organisms at family, genus and species level using the polymerase chain reaction to amplify specific target DNA sequences R. A. McKee, C. M. Gooding, S. D. Garrett and H. A. Powell; 22. Selection of DNA sequences for use as probes R. A. McKee, C. M. Gooding, S. D. Garrett, H. A. Powell, B. M. Lund and M. R. Knox; 23. RAPDs: random amplified polymorphic DNAs D. Howland and J. Arnau; 24. DNA fingerprinting R. E. Carter; 25. DNA fingerprinting using multilocus and single locus probes R. E. Carter and D. T. Parkin; 26. Fingerprinting fungi P. Nicolson, J. Brown and M. Atkinson; 27. Analysis of genetic variation in populations: southern blotting and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis S. Noble, R. Oliver and A. Davy; 28. The use of repetitive DNA probes in the analysis of natural populations of insects and parasites P. K. Flook, M. D. Wilson and R. J. Post; 29. C-banding and the characterization of heterochromatic regions J. M. Rubio and C. Ferris; 30. Silver staining C. Ferris and J. M. Rubio; 31. Use of a cellulose acetate system for allozyme electrophoresis I. R. Wynne, H. D. Loxdale and C. P. Brookes; 32. A device for producing multiple deep-frozen samples for allozyme electrophoresis I. R. Wynne and C. P. Brookes.

This integrative volume brings together geneticists and ecologists to confront the implications of the others' discipline for their own work. The book also includes protocols for relevant molecular and genetic techniques, including DNA purification, polymerase chain reaction, DNA fingerprinting, sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism investigation.

R.J. Berry was formerly Professor of Genetics at University College London.
T. J. Crawford is in the Department of Biology at the University of York.
Professor Hewitt is in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia.