Ecology has been required at the ecosystem level and has benefited from new methods and technologies as well as those adapted from other disciplines. With the rise of ecosystem science and management, the need for comprehensive treatment of the technologies used in this rapidly growing field has developed.

The methods of ecosystem science meet this need by combining the advantages, disadvantages and tradeoffs associated with the most common techniques used in both water and terrestrial research. The book is divided into sections dealing with carbon and energy dynamics, nutrient and water dynamics, manipulative ecosystem expertise, and tools for pooling our understanding of ecosystems.

Detailed information on the different methods helps researchers to choose the most appropriate methods for their own studies. Top scientists are discussing how tools from a variety of disciplines in ecosystem science can be used at different levels..