Front cover -- Ecological Understanding: The Nature of Theory and the Theory of Nature, Second Edition -- Copyright page -- Table of contents -- PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION -- PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION -- Part I: Advancing the Discipline and Enhancing Applications -- Chapter 1: Integration in Ecology -- I. Overview -- II. Ecological Advances and Diversity of Ecology -- III. Progress via Integration -- IV. Integration, Understanding, and Theory -- V. What an Integrated Ecology Might Look Like -- VI. Conclusions and Prospects -- Chapter 2: Understanding in Ecology -- I. Overview -- II. The Nature of Scientific Understanding -- III. Toward Understanding -- IV. Conclusions and Prospects -- Part II: The Nature of Theory -- Chapter 3: The Anatomy of Theory -- I. Overview -- II. Theory and Its Conceptual Foundation -- III. The Basic Conceptual Content of Theory -- IV. Theory and Its Empirical Content -- V. Theory and Its Derived Conceptual Content -- VI. Theory Frameworks and Structure -- VII. Conclusions and Prospects -- Chapter 4: The Ontogeny of Theory -- I. Overview -- II. Why Theory Change Is Important -- III. How Theories Change -- IV. Theory Maturity -- V. Conclusions and Prospects -- Chapter 5: The Taxonomy of Theory -- I. Overview -- II. The Bases of Taxonomy -- III. Understanding and Diversity of Theory -- IV. Examples of the Classification of Theories and Models -- V. Conclusions and Prospects -- Part III: From Theory to Integration and Application -- Chapter 6: Fundamental Questions: Changes in Understanding -- I. Overview -- II. Theory and Change in Understanding -- III. Examples of Fundamental Questions -- IV. All Fundamental Questions Are Not Created Equal -- V. Where Do Radically New Theories Come From? -- VI. Conclusions and Prospects -- Chapter 7: Integration and Synthesis -- I. Overview -- II. Integration.

III. Questions for Integration -- IV. Radical Integration and Paradigms -- V. Theory as a Constraint on Integration across Paradigms: New Fundamental Questions -- VI. Theory as a Constraint on Integration across Paradigms -- VII. Conclusions and Prospects -- Part IV: Theory and Its Environment -- Chapter 8: Constraint and Objectivity in Ecological Integration -- I. Overview -- II. Sociological Constraints on Integration -- III. Societal Constraints on Integration -- IV. Scientific Objectivity and Changes in Paradigm -- V. Integration and Paradigms Affecting the Whole of Ecology -- VI. Conclusions and Prospects -- Chapter 9: Ecological Understanding and the Public -- I. Overview -- II. Scientific versus Public Concepts of Theory -- III. Certainty and Belief in Science -- IV. Judging Science in the Public Sphere -- V. The State of Public Knowledge of Ecology -- VI. Rights and Responsibilities in Ecological Understanding -- VII. What It All Means -- LITERATURE CITED -- INDEX.