This book provides a foundation for modern applied ecology. Much of current ecology research and conservation addresses problems across landscapes and regions, focusing on spatial patterns and processes. This book is aimed at teaching fundamental concepts and focuses on learning-by-doing through the use of examples with the software R. It is intended to provide an entry-level, easily accessible foundation for students and practitioners interested in spatial ecology and conservation.  

1. Introduction to spatial ecology and its relevance for conservation

2. Scale
3. Land-cover pattern and change
4. Spatial dispersion and point data
5. Spatial dependence and autocorrelation
6. Accounting for spatial dependence in ecological data
7. Species distributions
8. Space use and resource selection
9. Connectivity
10. Population dynamics in space
11. Spatially structured communities
12. What have we learned? Looking back and pressing forward.- Appendix: An introduction to R.