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As the world population exceeds the six billion mark, questions of population explosion, of how many people the earth can support and under which conditions, become pressing. Some of the questions and challenges raised can be addressed through the use of mathemathical models, but not all. The goal of this book is to search for a balance between simple and analyzable models and unsolvable models which are capable of addressing important questions such as these. Part I focusses on single-species simple models including those which have been used to predict the growth of human and animal population in the past. Single population models are, in some sense, the building blocks of more realistic models - the subject of Part II. Their role is fundamental to the study of ecological and demographic processes including the role of population structure and spatial heterogeneity - the subject of Part III. This book, which includes both examples and exercises, will be useful to practitioners, graduate students, and scientists working in the field.