Achieve for Ecology: The Economy of Nature 10e with Evolution 4e (1-Term Access)
Tenth Edition ©2026 Rick Relyea; Douglas Emlen; Carl Zimmer Formats: Achieve
As low as $149.99
As low as $149.99
Authors
-
Rick Relyea
Rick Relyea is the William J. Rucker Professor in Fisheries and Wildlife at the University of Missouri–Columbia (Mizzou). He received a BS in environmental forest biology from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, an MS in wildlife management from Texas Tech University, and a PhD in ecology and evolution from the University of Michigan. He has authored more than 200 scientific articles and presented research seminars throughout the world. Dr. Relyea was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh for 15 years, where he was named the Chancellor’s Distinguished Researcher and received the Tina and David Bellet Teaching Excellence Award. In 2014, he moved to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to direct the Darrin Fresh Water Institute. In 2025, Rick moved to Mizzou to be the founding director of the Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands, and Aquatic Systems. Rick has a strong interest in high school education, including hosting high school science teachers who conduct research in his laboratory. He is the author of the college textbook Ecology: The Economy of Nature, and co-author of Environmental Science for the AP® Course, which is also published by BFW publishers.
-
Douglas Emlen
Douglas J. Emlen is a professor at the University of Montana. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the U.S. Pres- idential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. In 2014 he was awarded UM’s Distinguished Teaching Award and in 2015 the Carnegie/CASE Professor of the Year Award for the state of Montana. His 2014 book Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle won the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, and he recently starred in documenta- ries about his work on BBC (Nature’s Wildest Weapons) and NOVA (Extreme Animal Weapons).
-
Carl Zimmer
Carl Zimmer is one of the country’s leading science writers. A colum- nist for the New York Times, he is the author of 15 books, including She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Poten- tials of Heredity, which The Guardian named the best science book of 2018. Zimmer is professor adjunct at Yale University, where he teaches science writing. Among his many honors, Zimmer has won the Stephen Jay Gould Prize, awarded by the Society for the Study of Evolution, and the National Association of Biology Teachers Distinguished Service Award.
Table of Contents
Relyea, Economy of Nature 10e
1 An Introduction to Ecology
Part I: Climates, Climate Change, and Biomes
2 Global Climates
3 Global Climate Change
4 Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes
Part II: Adaptations to Environments
5 Evolutionary Ecology
6 Adaptations to Aquatic Environments
7 Adaptations to Terrestrial Environments
8 Adaptations to Variable Environments
Part III: Life Histories, Reproductive Strategies, and Social Behaviors
9 Life Histories
10 Reproductive Strategies
11 Social Behaviors
Part IV: Populations
12 Population Distributions
13 Population Growth and Regulation
14 Population Dynamics over Time and Space
Part V: Species Interactions
15 Predation and Herbivory
16 Parasitism and Infectious Diseases
17 Competition
18 Mutualism
Part VI: Communities and Ecosystems
19 Community Structure: Biodiversity and Food Webs
20 Community Succession
21 Energy Flow in Ecosystems
22 Nutrient Cycling in Ecosystems
Part VII: Global Ecology
23 Landscape Ecology and Global Biodiversity
24 Conservation of Global Biodiversity
Emlen, Evolution 4e
1 The Whale and the Virus: How Scientists Study Evolution
2 From Natural Philosophy to Darwin: A Brief History of Evolutionary Ideas
3 What the Rocks Say: How Geology and Paleontology Reveal the History of Life
4 The Tree of Life: How Biologists Use Phylogeny to Reconstruct the Deep Past
5 Raw Material: Heritable Variation Among Individuals
6 The Ways of Change: Drift and Selection
7 Beyond Alleles: Quantitative Genetics and the Evolution of Phenotypes
8 The History in Our Genes
9 From Genes to Traits: The Evolution of Genetic Networks and Development
10 Natural Selection: Empirical Studies in the Wild
11 Sex: Causes and Consequences
12 After Conception: The Evolution of Life History and Parental Care
13 The Origin of Species
14 Macroevolution: The Long Run
15 Intimate Partnerships: How Species Adapt to Each Other
16 Brains and Behavior
17 Human Evolution: A New Kind of Ape
18 Evolutionary Medicine
Product Updates
Relyea Updates
The Tenth Edition of Ecology: The Economy of Nature offers foundational updates that reflect ongoing shifts in climate science, research diversity, and ecological pedagogy. Key changes include the addition of two stand-alone chapters—Global Climates (Chapter 2) and Global Climate Change (Chapter 3)—to provide essential context for the global change themes woven throughout the rest of the book.
Content has been updated to emphasize diverse voices in the field, featuring new studies from underrepresented groups in STEM and more photos of scientists to showcase a broad range of ecologists in action. In addition, a new focus on the integration of Indigenous ecological knowledge highlights the long-term, place-based insights that are shaping contemporary research. These updates aim to give students a more inclusive and comprehensive view of ecological science.
- New Working with Ecological Data: Calculating Climate Anomalies. Students use real data to plot temperature anomalies over time and evaluate if presenting data in this fashion helps communicate how climate is changing (Chapter 3).
- New Ecology Today: Embracing Indigenous Knowledge and “Two-Eyed Seeing” to Understand Climate Change. Description of the research effort to understand changes to Alaskan ecosystems as informed by Indigenous knowledge, which provides a longer time horizon than otherwise available to Western science (Chapter 3).
- New Ecological Problem-Solving: The Melting Polar Ice Cap. Students plot and evaluate the most current data on ice loss in the Arctic (Chapter 3).
Emlen updates
The Fourth Edition of Evolution: Making Sense of Life reflects the latest scientific discoveries and pedagogical improvements across evolutionary biology. Updates include restructured content for improved clarity, revised illustrations, integration of recent research studies, and expanded discussions of key concepts. Significant changes span genomic analysis, fossil evidence, disease evolution, and behavioral ecology, ensuring students engage with the most current and relevant content in the field.
Updated Study and Assessment Tools:
- Updated Adaptive Quizzes
- All assessments are now tagged with learning objectives
- Updated Homework
- New Writing-to-Learn Activities utilize short-form writing and AI-enabled grading
- Updated Videos and paired assessment
- New functionality built-into the multi-take setting
New Instructor Resources:
- New Active Lecture Slides
- Updated Test Bank (10 new questions per chapter)
Chapter-by-Chapter Highlights:
- Ch. 1: New SARS-CoV-2 case replaces influenza; expanded comparisons between whales and viruses; added content on cetacean evolution and thick skin adaptation in whales and hippos.
- Ch. 2: New key concept added regarding Darwin’s voyages.
- Ch. 3: Heavily revised; includes fossil dating techniques, pigment and soft tissue fossils, and new findings like 890-million-year-old sponges.
- Ch. 4: New content on phylogenies, lobe-fin and tetrapod fossils (updated Fig 4.22), and mammalian ear evolution.
- Ch. 5: Updated discussion of Joel Hirschhorn’s height genetics research.
- Ch. 6: New example of natural selection drawn from Becca Love’s mosquito research.
- Ch. 7: Added GWA study by Hopi Hoekstra on color change in mice.
- Ch. 8: Updated Homo sapiens evolution; new genomic comparison techniques (dN/dS and sliding windows); new material on mobile genetic elements and supergenes.
- Ch. 9: New section on limb patterning modules in vertebrates.
- Ch. 10: New example of rapid evolution in elephants due to poaching; updates to finch research.
- Ch. 11: Streamlined illustrations and added coverage of mating in sea lions.
- Ch. 12: New opening section on orca longevity.
- Ch. 13: New figure and example on “magic traits” using Timema stick insects.
- Ch. 14: Revised opening on mass extinctions; new content on marsupial dispersal, stasis periods, and updated extinction statistics.
- Ch. 15: New Box 15.1 on CRISPR-Cas system evolution in bacteria.
- Ch. 16: Expanded discussion on animal cognition, supergenes, and vocal learning research by Erich Jarvis.
- Ch. 17: Heavily rewritten for clarity and updated content.
- Ch. 18: Major overhaul; new coverage of SARS-CoV-2 virus evolution, variants, infection mechanisms, vaccine development, and adaptive cancer therapies; multiple new figures added.
Authors
-
Rick Relyea
Rick Relyea is the William J. Rucker Professor in Fisheries and Wildlife at the University of Missouri–Columbia (Mizzou). He received a BS in environmental forest biology from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, an MS in wildlife management from Texas Tech University, and a PhD in ecology and evolution from the University of Michigan. He has authored more than 200 scientific articles and presented research seminars throughout the world. Dr. Relyea was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh for 15 years, where he was named the Chancellor’s Distinguished Researcher and received the Tina and David Bellet Teaching Excellence Award. In 2014, he moved to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to direct the Darrin Fresh Water Institute. In 2025, Rick moved to Mizzou to be the founding director of the Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands, and Aquatic Systems. Rick has a strong interest in high school education, including hosting high school science teachers who conduct research in his laboratory. He is the author of the college textbook Ecology: The Economy of Nature, and co-author of Environmental Science for the AP® Course, which is also published by BFW publishers.
-
Douglas Emlen
Douglas J. Emlen is a professor at the University of Montana. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the U.S. Pres- idential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. In 2014 he was awarded UM’s Distinguished Teaching Award and in 2015 the Carnegie/CASE Professor of the Year Award for the state of Montana. His 2014 book Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle won the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, and he recently starred in documenta- ries about his work on BBC (Nature’s Wildest Weapons) and NOVA (Extreme Animal Weapons).
-
Carl Zimmer
Carl Zimmer is one of the country’s leading science writers. A colum- nist for the New York Times, he is the author of 15 books, including She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Poten- tials of Heredity, which The Guardian named the best science book of 2018. Zimmer is professor adjunct at Yale University, where he teaches science writing. Among his many honors, Zimmer has won the Stephen Jay Gould Prize, awarded by the Society for the Study of Evolution, and the National Association of Biology Teachers Distinguished Service Award.
Table of Contents
Relyea, Economy of Nature 10e
1 An Introduction to Ecology
Part I: Climates, Climate Change, and Biomes
2 Global Climates
3 Global Climate Change
4 Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes
Part II: Adaptations to Environments
5 Evolutionary Ecology
6 Adaptations to Aquatic Environments
7 Adaptations to Terrestrial Environments
8 Adaptations to Variable Environments
Part III: Life Histories, Reproductive Strategies, and Social Behaviors
9 Life Histories
10 Reproductive Strategies
11 Social Behaviors
Part IV: Populations
12 Population Distributions
13 Population Growth and Regulation
14 Population Dynamics over Time and Space
Part V: Species Interactions
15 Predation and Herbivory
16 Parasitism and Infectious Diseases
17 Competition
18 Mutualism
Part VI: Communities and Ecosystems
19 Community Structure: Biodiversity and Food Webs
20 Community Succession
21 Energy Flow in Ecosystems
22 Nutrient Cycling in Ecosystems
Part VII: Global Ecology
23 Landscape Ecology and Global Biodiversity
24 Conservation of Global Biodiversity
Emlen, Evolution 4e
1 The Whale and the Virus: How Scientists Study Evolution
2 From Natural Philosophy to Darwin: A Brief History of Evolutionary Ideas
3 What the Rocks Say: How Geology and Paleontology Reveal the History of Life
4 The Tree of Life: How Biologists Use Phylogeny to Reconstruct the Deep Past
5 Raw Material: Heritable Variation Among Individuals
6 The Ways of Change: Drift and Selection
7 Beyond Alleles: Quantitative Genetics and the Evolution of Phenotypes
8 The History in Our Genes
9 From Genes to Traits: The Evolution of Genetic Networks and Development
10 Natural Selection: Empirical Studies in the Wild
11 Sex: Causes and Consequences
12 After Conception: The Evolution of Life History and Parental Care
13 The Origin of Species
14 Macroevolution: The Long Run
15 Intimate Partnerships: How Species Adapt to Each Other
16 Brains and Behavior
17 Human Evolution: A New Kind of Ape
18 Evolutionary Medicine
Product Updates
Relyea Updates
The Tenth Edition of Ecology: The Economy of Nature offers foundational updates that reflect ongoing shifts in climate science, research diversity, and ecological pedagogy. Key changes include the addition of two stand-alone chapters—Global Climates (Chapter 2) and Global Climate Change (Chapter 3)—to provide essential context for the global change themes woven throughout the rest of the book.
Content has been updated to emphasize diverse voices in the field, featuring new studies from underrepresented groups in STEM and more photos of scientists to showcase a broad range of ecologists in action. In addition, a new focus on the integration of Indigenous ecological knowledge highlights the long-term, place-based insights that are shaping contemporary research. These updates aim to give students a more inclusive and comprehensive view of ecological science.
- New Working with Ecological Data: Calculating Climate Anomalies. Students use real data to plot temperature anomalies over time and evaluate if presenting data in this fashion helps communicate how climate is changing (Chapter 3).
- New Ecology Today: Embracing Indigenous Knowledge and “Two-Eyed Seeing” to Understand Climate Change. Description of the research effort to understand changes to Alaskan ecosystems as informed by Indigenous knowledge, which provides a longer time horizon than otherwise available to Western science (Chapter 3).
- New Ecological Problem-Solving: The Melting Polar Ice Cap. Students plot and evaluate the most current data on ice loss in the Arctic (Chapter 3).
Emlen updates
The Fourth Edition of Evolution: Making Sense of Life reflects the latest scientific discoveries and pedagogical improvements across evolutionary biology. Updates include restructured content for improved clarity, revised illustrations, integration of recent research studies, and expanded discussions of key concepts. Significant changes span genomic analysis, fossil evidence, disease evolution, and behavioral ecology, ensuring students engage with the most current and relevant content in the field.
Updated Study and Assessment Tools:
- Updated Adaptive Quizzes
- All assessments are now tagged with learning objectives
- Updated Homework
- New Writing-to-Learn Activities utilize short-form writing and AI-enabled grading
- Updated Videos and paired assessment
- New functionality built-into the multi-take setting
New Instructor Resources:
- New Active Lecture Slides
- Updated Test Bank (10 new questions per chapter)
Chapter-by-Chapter Highlights:
- Ch. 1: New SARS-CoV-2 case replaces influenza; expanded comparisons between whales and viruses; added content on cetacean evolution and thick skin adaptation in whales and hippos.
- Ch. 2: New key concept added regarding Darwin’s voyages.
- Ch. 3: Heavily revised; includes fossil dating techniques, pigment and soft tissue fossils, and new findings like 890-million-year-old sponges.
- Ch. 4: New content on phylogenies, lobe-fin and tetrapod fossils (updated Fig 4.22), and mammalian ear evolution.
- Ch. 5: Updated discussion of Joel Hirschhorn’s height genetics research.
- Ch. 6: New example of natural selection drawn from Becca Love’s mosquito research.
- Ch. 7: Added GWA study by Hopi Hoekstra on color change in mice.
- Ch. 8: Updated Homo sapiens evolution; new genomic comparison techniques (dN/dS and sliding windows); new material on mobile genetic elements and supergenes.
- Ch. 9: New section on limb patterning modules in vertebrates.
- Ch. 10: New example of rapid evolution in elephants due to poaching; updates to finch research.
- Ch. 11: Streamlined illustrations and added coverage of mating in sea lions.
- Ch. 12: New opening section on orca longevity.
- Ch. 13: New figure and example on “magic traits” using Timema stick insects.
- Ch. 14: Revised opening on mass extinctions; new content on marsupial dispersal, stasis periods, and updated extinction statistics.
- Ch. 15: New Box 15.1 on CRISPR-Cas system evolution in bacteria.
- Ch. 16: Expanded discussion on animal cognition, supergenes, and vocal learning research by Erich Jarvis.
- Ch. 17: Heavily rewritten for clarity and updated content.
- Ch. 18: Major overhaul; new coverage of SARS-CoV-2 virus evolution, variants, infection mechanisms, vaccine development, and adaptive cancer therapies; multiple new figures added.
Ecology + Evolution: One Course. One Platform. Smarter Learning.
Designed for courses that bridge the natural connection between ecology and evolution, this Achieve edition brings together two leading texts—Ecology: The Economy of Nature by Relyea and Evolution: Making Sense of Life by Emlen and Zimmer—into one cohesive learning experience. Students explore foundational ecological concepts while discovering how evolutionary processes shape life on Earth, all through a unified lens.
Interactive features, real-world examples, and engaging narratives help students connect scientific principles to contemporary issues, from poaching’s impact on elephant evolution to ecological modeling of species interactions. Critical thinking is encouraged at every turn, whether students are analyzing data, interpreting figures, or applying evolutionary theory to ecological case studies.
Achieve supports instructors with auto-graded assessments, visual and quantitative tools, and powerful reporting features—making it easier to guide students toward meaningful understanding in both disciplines.
Success Stories
Here are a few examples of how Achieve has helped instructors like you improve student preparedness, enhance their sense of belonging, and achieve course goals they set for themselves.
Prof. Kiandra Johnson, Spelman College
See how the resources in Achieve help you engage students before, during, and after class.
Prof. Jennifer Duncan
Use diagnostics in Achieve for a snapshot into cognitive and non-cognitive factors that may impact your students’ preparedness.
Prof. Ryan Elsenpeter
Here’s why educators who use Achieve would recommend it to their peers.
Related Titles
FAQs
-
-
Are you a campus bookstore looking for ordering information?
MPS Order Search Tool (MOST) is a web-based purchase order tracking program that allows customers to view and track their purchases. No registration or special codes needed! Just enter your BILL-TO ACCT # and your ZIP CODE to track orders.
Canadian Stores: Please use only the first five digits/letters in your zip code on MOST.
Visit MOST, our online ordering system for booksellers: https://tracking.mpsvirginia.com/Login.aspx
Learn more about our Bookstore programs here: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/college/us/contact-us/booksellers
-
-
-
Our courses currently integrate with Canvas, Blackboard (Learn and Ultra), Brightspace, D2L, and Moodle. Click on the support documentation below to find out more details about the integration with each LMS.
Integrate Macmillan courses with Blackboard
Integrate Macmillan courses with Canvas
-
-
-
If you’re a verified instructor, you can request a free sample of our courseware, e-book, or print textbook to consider for use in your courses. Only registered and verified instructors can receive free print and digital samples, and they should not be sold to bookstores or book resellers. If you don't yet have an existing account with Macmillan Learning, it can take up to two business days to verify your status as an instructor. You can request a free sample from the right side of this product page by clicking on the "Request Instructor Sample" button or by contacting your rep. Learn more.
-
-
-
Sometimes also referred to as a spiral-bound or binder-ready textbook, loose-leaf textbooks are available to purchase. This three-hole punched, unbound version of the book costs less than a hardcover or paperback book.
-
-
-
Achieve (full course) includes our complete e-book, as well as online quizzing tools, multimedia assets, and iClicker active classroom manager.
Most Achieve Essentials courses do not include our e-books and adaptive quizzing.
Visit our comparison table for details: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/college/us/digital/achieve/compare
-
-
-
Achieve (full course) includes our complete e-book, as well as online quizzing tools, multimedia assets, and iClicker active classroom manager.
Achieve Read & Practice only includes our e-book and adaptive quizzing, and does not include instructor resources and assignable assessments. Read & Practice does integrate with LMS.
Visit our comparison table for details: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/college/us/digital/achieve/compare
-
-
-
We can help! Contact your representative to discuss your specific needs for your course. If our off-the-shelf course materials don’t quite hit the mark, we also offer custom solutions made to fit your needs.
-
ISBN:9781319636302
Access all your course tools in one place!
FAQs
-
-
Are you a campus bookstore looking for ordering information?
MPS Order Search Tool (MOST) is a web-based purchase order tracking program that allows customers to view and track their purchases. No registration or special codes needed! Just enter your BILL-TO ACCT # and your ZIP CODE to track orders.
Canadian Stores: Please use only the first five digits/letters in your zip code on MOST.
Visit MOST, our online ordering system for booksellers: https://tracking.mpsvirginia.com/Login.aspx
Learn more about our Bookstore programs here: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/college/us/contact-us/booksellers
-
-
-
Our courses currently integrate with Canvas, Blackboard (Learn and Ultra), Brightspace, D2L, and Moodle. Click on the support documentation below to find out more details about the integration with each LMS.
Integrate Macmillan courses with Blackboard
Integrate Macmillan courses with Canvas
-
-
-
If you’re a verified instructor, you can request a free sample of our courseware, e-book, or print textbook to consider for use in your courses. Only registered and verified instructors can receive free print and digital samples, and they should not be sold to bookstores or book resellers. If you don't yet have an existing account with Macmillan Learning, it can take up to two business days to verify your status as an instructor. You can request a free sample from the right side of this product page by clicking on the "Request Instructor Sample" button or by contacting your rep. Learn more.
-
-
-
Sometimes also referred to as a spiral-bound or binder-ready textbook, loose-leaf textbooks are available to purchase. This three-hole punched, unbound version of the book costs less than a hardcover or paperback book.
-
-
-
Achieve (full course) includes our complete e-book, as well as online quizzing tools, multimedia assets, and iClicker active classroom manager.
Most Achieve Essentials courses do not include our e-books and adaptive quizzing.
Visit our comparison table for details: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/college/us/digital/achieve/compare
-
-
-
Achieve (full course) includes our complete e-book, as well as online quizzing tools, multimedia assets, and iClicker active classroom manager.
Achieve Read & Practice only includes our e-book and adaptive quizzing, and does not include instructor resources and assignable assessments. Read & Practice does integrate with LMS.
Visit our comparison table for details: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/college/us/digital/achieve/compare
-
-
-
We can help! Contact your representative to discuss your specific needs for your course. If our off-the-shelf course materials don’t quite hit the mark, we also offer custom solutions made to fit your needs.
-
Achieve for Ecology: The Economy of Nature 10e with Evolution 4e (1-Term Access)
Designed for courses that bridge the natural connection between ecology and evolution, this Achieve edition brings together two leading texts—Ecology: The Economy of Nature by Relyea and Evolution: Making Sense of Life by Emlen and Zimmer—into one cohesive learning experience. Students explore foundational ecological concepts while discovering how evolutionary processes shape life on Earth, all through a unified lens.
Interactive features, real-world examples, and engaging narratives help students connect scientific principles to contemporary issues, from poaching’s impact on elephant evolution to ecological modeling of species interactions. Critical thinking is encouraged at every turn, whether students are analyzing data, interpreting figures, or applying evolutionary theory to ecological case studies.
Achieve supports instructors with auto-graded assessments, visual and quantitative tools, and powerful reporting features—making it easier to guide students toward meaningful understanding in both disciplines.
Select a demo to view:
Sample Achieve