在“Milestones in ecological thought – A canon for plant ecology, Journal of Vegetation Science 16: 145-150, 2005“ 这篇文章中，著名生态学家Paul A. Keddy 向生态专业的学生推荐了20本重要的经典著作 （真经 Canon），以及22 本辅助读物。
这20本经典著作如下：
1. Darwin, C. 1859. The origin of species by means of natural selection. In: Adler, M.J. (ed.). 1990. Great books of the Western World, 2nd. ed., Vol. 49, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chicago, IL, US.
2. Williams, C.B. 1964. Patterns in the balance of nature. Academic Press, London, UK.
3. Morowitz, H.J. 1968. Energy flow in biology: Biological organization as a problem in thermal physics. Academic Press, New York, NY, US.
4. Whittaker, R.H. 1970. Communities and ecosystems. MacMillan, New York, NY, US. (2nd. ed. 1975.)
5. Shimwell, D.W. 1971. The description and classification of vegetation. Sidgwick & Jackson, London, UK. (also 1972 University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA, US.)
6. MacArthur, R.H. 1972. Geographical ecology: Patterns in the distribution of species. Harper & Row, New York, NY, US.
7. Mueller-Dombois, D. & Ellenberg, H. 1974. Aims and methods of vegetation ecology. Wiley and Sons, New York, NY, US.
8. Lieth, H. & Whittaker, R.H. (eds.) 1975. Primary productivity of the biosphere. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY.
9. Chapman, S.B. 1976. Methods in plant ecology. Blackwell, London, UK.
10. May, R.M. (ed.) 1976. Theoretical ecology. Principles and applications. Blackwell, London, UK. (2nd. ed. 1981 Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA, US.)
11. Harper, J.L. 1977. The population biology of plants. Academic Press, London, UK.
12. Pielou, E.C. 1977. Mathematical ecology. Wiley and Sons, New York, NY, US.
13. Grime, P. 1979. Plant strategies and vegetation processes. Wiley and Sons, Chichester, UK. (2nd. ed. 2001 Plant strategies, vegetation processes and ecosystem properties.)
14. Boucher, D.H. (ed.) 1985. The biology of mutualism: Ecology and evolution. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, US.
15. Pickett, S.T.A. & White, P.S. (eds.) 1985. The ecology of natural disturbance and patch dynamics. Academic Press, Orlando, FL, US.
16. Keddy, P.A. 1989. Competition. Chapman and Hall, London, UK. (2nd. ed. 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, NL.)
17. Leck, M.A., Parker, V.T. & Simpson, R.L. (eds.) 1989. Ecology of soil seed banks. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, US.
18. Aber, J.D. & Melillo, J.M.. 1991. Terrestrial ecosystems. Saunders, Philadelphia, PA, US (2nd. ed. 2001, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, US.)
19. de Groot, R.S. 1992. Functions of nature. Wolters-Noordhoff, roningen, NL.
20. Archibold, O.W. 1995. Ecology of world vegetation. Chapman and Hall, London, UK.
1. Darwin, C. 1859. The origin of species by means of natural selection. In: Adler, M.J. (ed.). 1990. Great books of the Western World, 2nd. ed., Vol. 49, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chicago, IL, US.
2. Williams, C.B. 1964. Patterns in the balance of nature. Academic Press, London, UK.
3. Morowitz, H.J. 1968. Energy flow in biology: Biological organization as a problem in thermal physics. Academic Press, New York, NY, US.
4. Whittaker, R.H. 1970. Communities and ecosystems. MacMillan, New York, NY, US. (2nd. ed. 1975.)
5. Shimwell, D.W. 1971. The description and classification of vegetation. Sidgwick & Jackson, London, UK. (also 1972 University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA, US.)
6. MacArthur, R.H. 1972. Geographical ecology: Patterns in the distribution of species. Harper & Row, New York, NY, US.
7. Mueller-Dombois, D. & Ellenberg, H. 1974. Aims and methods of vegetation ecology. Wiley and Sons, New York, NY, US.
8. Lieth, H. & Whittaker, R.H. (eds.) 1975. Primary productivity of the biosphere. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY.
9. Chapman, S.B. 1976. Methods in plant ecology. Blackwell, London, UK.
10. May, R.M. (ed.) 1976. Theoretical ecology. Principles and applications. Blackwell, London, UK. (2nd. ed. 1981 Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA, US.)
11. Harper, J.L. 1977. The population biology of plants. Academic Press, London, UK.
12. Pielou, E.C. 1977. Mathematical ecology. Wiley and Sons, New York, NY, US.
13. Grime, P. 1979. Plant strategies and vegetation processes. Wiley and Sons, Chichester, UK. (2nd. ed. 2001 Plant strategies, vegetation processes and ecosystem properties.)
14. Boucher, D.H. (ed.) 1985. The biology of mutualism: Ecology and evolution. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, US.
15. Pickett, S.T.A. & White, P.S. (eds.) 1985. The ecology of natural disturbance and patch dynamics. Academic Press, Orlando, FL, US.
16. Keddy, P.A. 1989. Competition. Chapman and Hall, London, UK. (2nd. ed. 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, NL.)
17. Leck, M.A., Parker, V.T. & Simpson, R.L. (eds.) 1989. Ecology of soil seed banks. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, US.
18. Aber, J.D. & Melillo, J.M.. 1991. Terrestrial ecosystems. Saunders, Philadelphia, PA, US (2nd. ed. 2001, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, US.)
19. de Groot, R.S. 1992. Functions of nature. Wolters-Noordhoff, roningen, NL.
20. Archibold, O.W. 1995. Ecology of world vegetation. Chapman and Hall, London, UK.
