The Ecology of Collective Behavior

"Based on her many years of work with two ant colonies, one in an arid desert and one in a lush tropical forest, Deborah M. Gordon has written a detailed, incisive account of the differences in their collective behaviours, and the extent to which behavioural patterns are influenced by their environment."—David M. Gascoigne, Travels With Birds

"An expansive view of the theory of collective behavior. . . . [The Ecology of Collective Behavior] goes beyond earlier models proposed in evolution and ecology (e.g., individual versus group selection). Gordon proposes new and productive avenues for studying the complex interactions of organisms and environment."—Choice

"Though this book is aimed at biologists studying collective behaviour, the subject matter here is easily accessible to ecologists and evolutionary biologists more generally. The verbal argumentation and numerous examples also put this book within reach of interested general readers. The emphasis on an actionable framework illustrated by [Gordon’s] decades-long research on ants makes for a particularly grounded, can-do book. Overall, a very interesting perspective."—Leon Vlieger, The Inquisitive Biologist

“This engaging and thought-provoking book presents an ecological approach to the study of collective behavior, challenging more traditional approaches to the subject by emphasizing how systems interact with and respond to their environments rather than focusing on behavioral rules. The Ecology of Collective Behavior contributes a valuable perspective to the field.”—Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin, University of Konstanz

“Gordon provides a very useful introduction to the study of collective behavior that is timely given the growing recognition of the need to develop a better understanding of the factors leading to diverse collective outcomes.”—Jessica Flack, Santa Fe Institute