The Second Autumn Course on Mathematical Ecology was held at the Intern ational Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy in November and December of 1986. During the four year period that had elapsed since the First Autumn Course on Mathematical Ecology, sufficient progress had been made in applied mathemat ical ecology to merit tilting the balance maintained between theoretical aspects and applications in the 1982 Course toward applications. The course format, while similar to that of the first Autumn Course on Mathematical Ecology, consequently focused upon applications of mathematical ecology. Current areas of application are almost as diverse as the spectrum covered by ecology. The topiys of this book reflect this diversity and were chosen because of perceived interest and utility to developing countries. Topical lectures began with foundational material mostly derived from Math ematical Ecology: An Introduction (a compilation of the lectures of the 1982 course published by Springer-Verlag in this series, Volume 17) and, when possible, progressed to the frontiers of research. In addition to the course lectures, workshops were arranged for small groups to supplement and enhance the learning experience. Other perspectives were provided through presentations by course participants and speakers at the associated Research Conference. Many of the research papers are in a companion volume, Mathematical Ecology: Proceedings Trieste 1986, published by World Scientific Press in 1988. This book is structured primarily by application area. Part II provides an introduction to mathematical and statistical applications in resource management.
