This ecology textbook introduces the fundamentals in an easily understandable way - from theoretical foundations to practical applications. Consistently colored illustrations, simple didactic elements, and a wealth of examples make this book an ideal entry point into ecology for students at all levels of study. New in the 3rd edition are additional explanations in the form of speech bubbles in the illustrations and the new structure of the text divided into five sections. Ecosystems and biogeochemistry are covered in more detail, and hundreds of new studies are included, addressing both the fundamental and applied aspects of ecology.