This text presents a critical survey of the burgeoning field of political ecology, an interdisciplinary area of research which connects politics and economy to problems of environmental control and ecological change.

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• Provides the first full history of the development of political ecology over the last century.
  
• Considers the major challenges facing the field now and for the future.
  
• Written to be accessible to students at all levels and from different disciplines.
  
• Uses case examples to explore abstract, theoretical issues in a down-to-earth way.
  
• Features study boxes, introducing key figures in the development of the discipline and summarizing their key works.
  
• Details of the author’s own research experiences to offer a personal glimpse into political ecology research.