This book draws together contributions from forest economists in the Research Triangle of North Carolina, with co-authors from institutions around the world. It represents our common belief that rigorous empirical analysis in an economic framework can inform forest policy. We intend the book as a guide to the empirical methods that we have found most useful for addressing both traditional and modem areas of concern in forest policy, including timber production and markets, multiple use forestry, and valuation of non-market benefits. 'The book editors and most chapter authors are affiliated with three institutions in the Research Triangle: the Southern Research Station of the USDA Forest Service (K. Abt, Butry, Holmes, Mercer, Moulton, Prestemon, Wear), the Department of Forestry at North Carolina State University (R. Abt, Ahn, Cubbage, Sills), and the Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Program of Research Triangle Institute (Murray, Pattanayak). Two other Triangle institutions are also represented among the book authors: Duke University (Kramer) and the Forestland Group (Zinkhan). In addition to our primary affiliations, many of us are adjunct faculty and/or graduates of Triangle universities. Many of our co-authors also graduated from or were previously affiliated with Triangle institutions. Thus, the selection of topics, methods, and case studies reflects the work of this particular network of economists, and to some degree, our location in the southeastern United States. However, our work and the chapters encompass other regions of the United States and the world, including Latin America and Asia.

One of the first priority areas among joint East/West research programs is the rational use of natural resources and sustainable development of regions. In the boreal zone of North America and Eurasia forests are economically very important and, at the same time highly vulnerable to disturbances. Because of its size and ecological functions the boreal forest zone and its most dynamic disturbance factor - fire - play an important role in ecosystem processes on global scale. Interest within the global change research community in Northern Eurasia (Fennoscandia, European Russia, Siberia, and the Far East of Russia) has grown dramatically in the last few years. It is a vast area about which very little is known. It is a region where temperature rise due to anthropogenic climate forcing is predicted to be the greatest, and where the consequent feedbacks to the atmosphere are potentially large. In addition, it is poised to undergo rapid economic development, which may lead to large and significant changes to its land cover. Much of this interest in Northern Eurasia, as in the high latitude regions in general, is centerd on its role in the global carbon cycle, which is likely to be significantly affected under global change. New research initiatives between Western and Eastern countries have been designed to address a series of phenomena, problems and management solutions.

Since the publication of the first edition of Plant Microtubules in 2000, our understanding of microtubules and their manifold functions have advanced substantially. This revised edition highlights the morphogenetic potential of plant microtubules from three general viewpoints: Microtubules and Morphogenesis, Microtubules and Environment, Microtubules and Evolution. The book is an invaluable source of information for researchers as well as for graduate and advanced students.

Chemical fertilizers have had a significant impact on food production in the recent past, and are today an indispensable part of modern agriculture. On the other hand, the oil crisis of the 1970s and the current Middle East problems are constant reminders of the vulnerability of our fossil fuel dependent agriculture. There are vast areas of the developing world where N fertilizers are neither available nor affordable and, in most of these countries, balance of payment problems have resulted in the removal of N fertilizer subsidies. The external costs of environmental degradation and human health far exceed economic concerns. Input efficiency of N fertilizer is one of the lowest and, in turn, contributes substantially to environmental pollution. Nitrate in ground and surface waters and the threat to the stability of the ozone layer from gaseous oxides of nitrogen are major health and environmental concerns. The removal of large quantities of crop produce from the land also depletes soil of its native N reserves. Another concern is the decline in crop yields under continuous use of N fertilizers. These economic, environmental and production considerations dictate that biological alternatives which can augment, and in some cases replace, N fertilizers must be exploited. Long-term sustainability of agricultural systems must rely on the use and effective management of internal resources. The process of biological nitrogen fixation offers and economically attractive and ecologically sound means of reducing external nitrogen input and improving the quality and quantity of internal resources. In this book, we outline sustainability issues that dictate an increased use of biological nitrogen fixation and the constraints on its optimal use in agriculture.

This volume contains a selection of 14 articles dealing with different aspects of biomonitoring and their relation to questions of global change. During the last 10 - 15 years, vegetation changes due to various causes have been more intensively studied in biological and environmental sciences. Especially aspects of global warming lead to a great variety of tasks for vegetation science (see e.g. the articles by Grabherr, Gottfried & Pauli; Carraro, Gianoni, Mossi, KlOtzli & Walther; Walther; Defila; Stampfli & Zeiter; Rothlisberger; Burga & Perret and Moller, WUthrich & Thannheiser). The different aspects of applied biomonitoring related to (possible) environmental changes concern various ecosystems, e.g. Central European beechwoods, Insubrian evergreen broad-leaved forests, thermophilous lowland deciduous forests, dry grasslands of the lower montane belt of the Ticino Alps, alpine mountain peaks of Switzerland and Austria, Swiss alpine timberline ecotones, and high arctic tundra vegetation. The volume is divided into three parts: A. General aspects of biomonitoring (contributions by KlOtzli; Wildi and Labasch & Otte) , B. Examples of applied biomonitoring in Germany and Switzerland (articles by Hakes; Herpin, Siewers, Kreimes & Markert; Defila; Stampfli & Zeiter; Rothlisberger and Ruoss, Burga & Eschmann), and C. Aspects of global change in the Alps and in the high arctic tundra (Grabherr, Gottfried & Pauli; Burga & Perret; Carraro, Gianoni, Mossi, KlOtzli & Walther; Walther and Moller, WUthrich & Thannheiser).

A new economic theory, rather than a new public policy based on old theory, is needed to guide humanity toward sustainability. Institutions are a critical dimension of sustainability and sustainable forest management, and economic analysis of institutional dimension requires an inclusionist rather than an exclusionist approach. This book provides a systematic critique of neoclassical economic approaches and their limitations with respect to sustainability. Leading institutional economists discuss theoretical perspectives about appropriate institutions for sustainable forest management, markets for environmental services, deforestation and specialization, and some country experiences about Kyoto Protocol, international trade, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable forest management in general. The book includes the ideas from old as well as new institutional economics and discusses the main features of Post-Newtonian economics.

This book follows a companion book, Economics, Sustainability, and Natural Resources: Economics of Sustainable Forest Management, volume 1 of the series.

After the 1986 and 1989 volumes, this is the third volume on biotechnology for propagation of trees. Comprising 28 chapters contributed by international experts the book deals with fruit, ornamental, and forest trees, such as Black cherry, Sour cherry, Pomegranate, Loquat, "Ficus," Yellow poplar, Horse chestnut, Judas tree, Linden tree, Saskatoons, Taiwan sassafras, Plane-tree, Rattans, Bamboos, Engelmann spruce, White spruce, Larches, Hinoki cypress, Western redcedar, and various types of pines, i.e. Jack, Carribean, Eldarica, Slash, Egg-cone, Maritime, Ponderosa, Eastern white, Loblolly pine. Trees III is an excellent reference book for scientists, educators, and students of forestry, botany, genetics, and horticulture, who are interested in tree biotechnology.

Mechanisms and Deployment of Resistance in Trees to Insects is a worldwide synthesis of tree resistance to insects. The contributions are by senior scientists and represent all the major forested regions of the world. The book constitutes a comprehensive treatment of the state of our knowledge on patterns of resistance by insect guilds and how this knowledge can be deployed to achieve the management of damaging forest insects. This book will serve as an essential reference book for all researchers and practitioners attempting to manage forest pests using genetic resistance.

Changing environmental conditions substantially affect genetic variation and its dynamics in forest ecosystems and various systems of plantations. In response to these challenges, the present book focuses on the response to stress in terms of case studies which address physiological and genetic characters as well as various metric traits. Furthermore a choice of studies is presented which refers to diversity and geographic variation of various species and site conditions, respectively. In addition, genetic resources are characterised and a variety of studies is compiled which address reproduction and migration as well as management aspects. Finally, a set of studies is presented which focus on forest tree breeding with respect to uncertain climatic futures.

Over the past 30 years one alarming trend is the emergence of plant species resistant to agrochemicals (e.g. insecticides, herbicides, fungicides). Considering the fact that these pesticides are crucial to human health and to food, feed and fiber production, impressive research was carried out during the last decade to understand the mechanisms of resistance development. This volume reviews the latest results and examines the implications of these findings for delaying or avoiding resistance in plants to agrochemicals.

Methane is an important greenhouse gas that can cause global warming. The present concentrations of methane are nearly three times higher than several hundred years ago. Today, more than 60% of the atmospheric methane comes from human activities, including rice agriculture, coal mining, natural gas usage, biomass burning, and raising of cattle. Methane affects the stratospheric ozone layer and the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere, which in turn control the concentrations of many man-made and natural gases in the atmosphere. This book brings together our knowledge of the trends and the causes behind the increased levels of methane. Based on the scientific information on the sources and sinks, and the role of methane in global warming, strategies to limit emissions can be designed as part of a program to control future global warming.

With its 250-year history, Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) is now viewed as a model for managing forests worldwide. Yet despite the frequent use of the term there remain many questions concerning its meanings, criteria as well as its practical application.

This book explores the current potential of SFM within the context of the rapid changes occurring in our natural and social environment, and examines the broad range issues climate change, finance, governance, policy, certification, reduced-impact logging, non-timber products and services and stakeholder participation in land-use decisions within the context of forest use, functions and conservation.

With contributions from high-level representatives from the World Bank, FAO, IUCN and UNEP, as well as from leading academics and including case studies from Europe and the tropics this timely synthesis will provide a valuable reference for advanced students and researchers interested in forest and natural resource management, participatory and extension research, forest ecology and ecosystem services, functions and values, as well as for those involved in forest policy at local, regional and international levels.

'Every so often, a discipline should take stock where we are and where we are going. This book is doing that in a very timely manner. As we gain an appreciation of the magnitude and implications of future changes, the authors present views and ideas on a wide range of topics related to sustainable forest management. They provide a much needed overview of challenges in the face of climate and other aspects of global change. The book incorporates recent advances in a variety of fields and provides suggestions for solutions to important management problems that range from theoretical approaches to practical applications.' Klaus J. Puettmann, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA."

This ground-breaking book combines detailed analysis of the forest sector with modern strategic management principles to develop a vision for sustainable forest management which is both practical and theoretically robust. The book adopts a holistic approach to propose a new theoretical framework for this once traditional sector; one which reconciles current thinking in strategic management with natural resource management.

Recent history reveals that both the large-scale reforestation projects of the 20th century have often been less successful than anticipated, and that tree growing by smallholders - as an alternative means to combat deforestation and promote sustainable land use - has received relatively little attention from the scientific and development communities. Taking a first step to addressing that balance, this collection of peer-reviewed papers adopts a comparative approach to explore the potential role that tree growing by farmers can play in sustainable forest management. The goal of this approach is to identify common threads and to start to develop a framework for future research and practice.

Presenting case studies from the Philippines and comparative data from a number of Asian countries the book reveals that farmer tree growing has the potential to play a significant role in sustainable forest management, and discusses the surrounding issues which must be addressed in order to realise this potential.

The book is primarily aimed at research scientists and graduate students interested in relevant aspects of forestry, agroforestry, agricultural diversity, natural resource management and conservation in agricultural landscapes, as well as those involved in sustainable development and international development studies. It will also provide a valuable reference for professionals, managers, consultants, policy makers and planners dealing with issues in sustainable development, natural resource management, land use change issues and participatory approaches to resource management.

Wheat, which is the second most important cereal crop in the world, is being grown in a wide range of climates over an area of about 228 945 thou sand ha with a production of about 535 842 MT in the world. Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ) accounts for 80% of the wheat consumption, howe ver, it is attacked by a large number of pests and pathogens; rusts and smuts cause enormous damage to the crop and reduce the yield drastically in some areas. The major breeding objectives for wheat include grain yield, earliness, resistance to lodging and diseases, spikelet fertility, cold tolerance, leaf duration and net assimilation rate, fertilizer utilization, coleoptile length, nutritional value, organoleptic qualities, and the improvement of charac ters such as color and milling yield. The breeding of wheat by traditional methods has been practiced for centuries, however, it has only now come to a stage where these methods are insufficient to make any further breakthrough or to cope with the world's demand. Although numerous varieties are released every year around the world, they do not last long, and long-term objectives cannot be realized unless more genetic variability is generated. Moreover, the intro duction of exotic genetic stocks and their cultivation over large areas results in the depletion and loss of the native germplasm pool."

Big-Leaf Mahogany is the most important commercial timber species of the tropics. Current debate concerning whether to protect it as an endangered species has been hampered by the lack of complete, definitive scientific documentation. This book reports on vital research on the ecology of big-leaf mahogany, including genetic variations, regeneration, natural distribution patterns and the silvicutural and trade implications for the tree.

The future of insect control looked very bright in the 1950s and 1960s with new insecticides constantly coming onto the market. Today, however, whole classes of pesticide chemistry have fallen by the wayside due to misuse which generated resistance problems reaching crisis proportions, severe adverse effects on the environment, and public outcry that has led to increasingly stricter regulation and legislation. It is with this background, demanding the need for safer, environmentally friendly pesticides and new strategies to reduce resistance problems, that this book was written. The authors of the various chapters have a wealth of experience in pesticide chemistry, biochemical modes of action, mechanism of resistance and application, and have presented concise reviews. Each is actively involved in thedevelopment of new groups of pesticide chemistry which led to the development of novel insecticides with special impact in controlling agricultural pests. Emphasis has been given to insecticides with selective properties, such as insect growth regulators hormone mimics, ecdysone agonists), (chitin synthesis inhibitors, juvenile chloronicotinyl insecticides (imidacloprid, acetamiprid), botanical insecticides (neem, plant oils), pymetrozine, diafenthiuron, pyrrole insecticides, and others. The importance of these compounds, as components in integrated pest management programs and in insecticide resistance management strategies, is discussed. The data presented are essential in establishing new technologies and developing novel groups of compounds which will have impact on our future agricultural practices.

Peatlands (or mires) cover at least 550 million ha globally, of which the greater part is situated between 50 and 70 N. Although the majority of peatlands are not used for human needs, there are large areas where agriculture, peat or wood production has been practiced. The suitability of peatlands for forestry differs from country to country depending on climatic conditions, raw wood demand, silvicultural management practice and tradition, as weH as the infrastructure in the remote areas considered. Peatland utilization for forestry may be divided into three efficiency catego- ries: (1) exploitation (harvesting oftrees with inadequate attention to regenera- tion) leading to reduction in the renewable resouree; (2) silvicultural manage- ment (harvesting of trees with natural or artificial regeneration) aimed at main- taining the renewable resource in a sustainable way; and (3) progressive rorest management (drainage, fertilization, afforestation, thinning, ditch maintenance, final harvest and regeneration) aimed at increasing the renewable resource. In North America, forestry utilization is changing from exploitation towards a kind of silvicultural management whereas progressive forest amelioration activities on forested peatlands and waterlogged mineral soils are part of the normal forestry practiees in Fennoscandinavia, the Baltic countries and Russia. In the British Isles afforestation of open peatlands is associated with drainage. This monograph is a review and synthesis of peatland forestry on northern peatland (mire) ecosystems. It covers peat soH properties, mire hydrology, car- bon and nutrient cycling, and classification of mire sites.

This book is a textbook for Urban/Community Forestry courses and a handbook for Shade Tree Commissions, tree wardens, State and National Forestry Services, and professional societies. It is the most complete text in this field because it addresses both culture and management, and the chapters have been written by experts who are active practitioners. The book provides observations and examples relevant to every urban center in the U.S. and elsewhere.

For the first time, this opportune book provides a comprehensive treatment of the many innovative, non-timber bioproducts that may be derived from Canada 's vast forests, including their potential economic, social and environmental impacts. It also offers a balanced discussion of the technological, policy and regulatory issues surrounding the emerging global bioeconomy. This book will not only be of interest to Canadian forestry professionals and entrepreneurs, but also to those interested in the contribution of forestry to the bioeconomy worldwide.

Micropropagation of plants is a multibillion dollar industry being prac- ticed in hundreds of small and large nurseries and commercial labora- tories throughout the world. At present, it is the only component of plant biotechnology which has been commercially exploited on such a large scale, especially for the production of ornamentals. Now micro- propagation of trees and medicinal plants has also assumed great im- portance. With recent progress made in the propagation of fruit and forest trees, and the immediate need for afforestation and planting of orchards, propagules and plantlets are required quickly and in large numbers. Taking these points into consideration High-Tech and Micro- propagation I, If, If I, and IV were published in 1991 and 1992. The present two volumes, High-Tech and Micropropagation V and VI, com- prise 51 chapters contributed by international experts from 24 countries. High-Tech and M icropropagation V comprises 24 chapters arranged into the following three sections: I. Vegetables and fruits (garlic, Amaranthus, Brassica oleracea, pepper watermelon, cassava, banana, Myrtus communis, passionfruit, Poly- mnia sonchifolia, pepino, and spinach) II. Grasses (bamboos, Caustis dioica, Dendrocalamus, Miscanthus x giganteus, sugarcane) III. Trees (Aegle marmelos, Eucalyptus, Fraxinus excelsior, Juglans cinerea, Pinus virginiana, Prosopis, and Ulmus species) High-Tech and Micropropagation VI comprises 27 chapters arranged in two sections: I.

One of the central research themes in ecology is evaluating the extent to which biological richness is necessary to sustain the Earth's system and the functioning of individual ecosystems. In this volume, for the first time, the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem processes in forests is thoroughly explored. The text examines the multiple effects of tree diversity on productivity and growth, biogeochemical cycles, animals, pests, and disturbances. Further, the importance of diversity at different scales, ranging from stand management to global issues, is considered. The authors provide both extensive reviews of the existing literature and own datasets. The volume is ideally suited for researchers and practitioners involved in ecosystem management and the sustainable use of forest resources.

Trees and vegetation in cities aren t just there to make the place look pretty. They have an important ecological function. This book contains studies and perspectives on urban forests from a broad array of basic and applied scientific disciplines including ecosystem ecology, biogeochemistry, landscape ecology, plant community ecology, geography, and social science. The book includes contributions from experts around the world, allowing the reader to evaluate methods and management that are appropriate for particular geographic, environmental, and socio-political contexts.

This book has been developed as a textbook of decision support methods for s- dents and can also serve as a handbook for practical foresters. It is based on the research we have carried out and lectures we have given over the past years. We have set out to present all the methods in enough details and examples that they can be adopted from this book. For researchers who need more details, references are given to more advanced scienti c papers and books. In this book, theories of decision making and the methods used for forestry - cision support are presented. The book covers basics of classical utility theory and its fuzzy counterparts, exact and heuristic optimization method and modern mul- criteria decision support tools such as AHP or ELECTRE. Possibilities of analyzing and dealing with uncertainty are also brie y presented. The use of each method is illustrated with examples. In addition to decision aid methods, we present the basic theory of participatory planning. Both hard and soft methods suitable for partici- tory or group decision analysis are presented, such as problem structuring method and voting. The criticism towards decision theory is also covered. Finally, some real-life examples of the methods are presented. Annika Kangas Department of Forest Resource Management University of Helsinki Jyrki Kangas Metsahallitus ] Mikko Kurttila University of Joensuu v Acknowledgements Manyresearchersandstudentshavehelpedusbyreviewingchapters, suggesting- provements and even checking our example calculations. We would like to ackno- edgethesereviewers, Ms.AnuHankala, M.Sc.TeppoHujala, M.Sc.AnnuKaila,

The Handbook of Plant Ecophysiology Techniques you have now in your hands is the result of several combined events and efforts. The birth of this handbook can be traced as far as 1997, when our Plant Ecophysiology lab at the University of Vigo hosted a practical course on Plant Ecophysiology Techniques. That course showed us how much useful a handbook presenting a bunch of techniques would be for the scientists beginning to work on Plant Ecophysiology. In fact, we wrote a short handbook explaining the basics of the techniques taught in that 1997 course: Flow cytometry to measure ploidy levels, Use of a Steady-State porometer to measure transpiration, In vivo measure of fluorescence, HPLC analysis of low molecular weight phenolics, Spectrophotometric determinations of free proline and soluble proteins, TLC polyamines contents measures, Isoenzymatic electrophoresis, Use of IRGA and oxygen electrode. That modest handbook, written in Spanish, was very helpful, both for the people who attended the course and for other who have used it for beginning to work in Plant Ecophysiology. The present Handbook is much more ambitious, and it includes more techniques. But we have also had in mind the young scientists beginning to work on Plant Ecophysiology. In 1999 Francois Pellissier leaded a proposal presented to the European Commission in the Fifth Framework Program in the High Level * Scientific Conferences, including three EuroLab Courses about lab and field techniques useful to improve allelopathic research."