At present most books on ecological modelling rely on very complex mathematics, and so students and researchers shy away from investigating the potential uses of ecological models and their methods of construction. This new book aims to open up this exciting area to a much wider audience. Assuming only basic mathematical knowledge, the text uses case studies to show how a relatively small set of techniques of model construction can be used in a wide range of important applications. Researchers will find it an invaluable guide to using ecological models in their work.