Taking a functional rather than an ecosystem or a utilitarian approach, Thomas and Packham provide a concise account of the structure of woodlands and forests. Using examples from around the world - from polar treelines to savannahs to tropical rain forests - the authors explain the structure of the soil and the hidden world of the roots; how the main groups of organisms which live within them interact both positively and negatively. There is particular emphasis on woodland and forest processes, especially those involving the flow and cycling of nutrients, as well as the dynamics of wooded areas, considering how and why they have changed through geological time and continue to do so. This clear, non-technical, 2007 text will be of interest to undergraduates, foresters, ecologists and land managers.

New or recently sterilized islands (for example through volcanic activity), provide ecologists with natural experiments in which to study colonization, development and establishment of new biological communities. Studies carried out on islands like this have provided answers to fundamental questions as to what general principles are involved in the ecology of communities and what processes underlie and maintain the basic structure of ecosystems. These studies are vital for conservation biology, especially when evolutionary processes need to be maintained in systems in order to maintain biodiversity. The major themes are how animal and plant communities establish, particularly on 'new land' or following extirpations by volcanic activity. This book comprises a broad review of island colonization, bringing together succession models and general principles, case studies with which Professor Ian Thornton was intimately involved, and a synthesis of ideas, concluding with a look to the future for similar studies.

Ecohydrology of Water-Controlled Ecosystems addresses the connections between the hydrologic cycle and plant ecosystems, with special emphasis on arid and semi-arid climates. This important topic is treated by building suitable mathematical models of the physics involved and then applying them to study the ecosystem structure and its response to rainfall and climate forcing in different parts of the world, including savannas, grasslands and forests. It investigates the vegetation response to water stress (drought), the hydrologic control on cycles of soil nutrients, and the dynamics of plant competition for water. The book also offers insights into processes closely related to soil moisture dynamics, such as soil-atmosphere interaction and soil gas emissions. This book will appeal to advanced students and researchers from a large range of disciplines, including environmental science, hydrology, ecology, earth science, civil and environmental engineering, agriculture and atmospheric science.

What determines the number and size of the seeds produced by a plant? How often should it reproduce them? How often should a plant produce them? Why and how are seeds dispersed, and what are the implications for the diversity and composition of vegetation? These are just some of the questions tackled in this wide-ranging review of the role of seeds in the ecology of plants. The authors bring together information on the ecological aspects of seed biology, starting with a consideration of reproductive strategies in seed plants and progressing through the life cycle, covering seed maturation, dispersal, storage in the soil, dormancy, germination, seedling establishment, and regeneration in the field. The text encompasses a wide range of concepts of general relevance to plant ecology, reflecting the central role that the study of seed ecology has played in elucidating many fundamental aspects of plant community function.

The Environmental Biology of Agaves and Cacti constitutes the first comprehensive review of how these two interesting and economically important desert succulent taxa respond, in what turn out to be remarkably similar ways, to specific environmental factors such as water, temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, and nutrients, which affect the exchange of carbon dioxide and water vapor with the environment. Park Nobel first summarizes early environmental research as well as the many ethnobotanical uses of agaves and cacti. He then develops the main themes by considering the three most studied species in detail. Much of the relevant research has been carried out in his own laboratory since the mid-1970s. The book's clear style, many photographs and line drawings, and comprehensive data summaries make it accessible to professionals and interested laypeople alike. Every scientific term is defined the first time it is used. Agaves and cacti are shown to be highly productive compared to other plant groups, and this productivity helps account for their many uses for beverages, food, and animal fodder. Plant ecologists and physiologists, agronomists, environmental biologists, modelers, ethnobotanists, students, amateur succulent enthusiasts, and those responsible for land use and agricultural policy in arid and semiarid regions will all find this book an invaluable resource.

The multitrophic level approach to ecology addresses the complexity of food webs much more realistically than the traditional focus on simple systems and interactions. Only in the last twenty years have ecologists become interested in the nature of more complex systems including tritrophic interactions between plants, herbivores, and natural enemies. These interactions are explored in this exciting new volume by expert researchers from a variety of ecological fields. This book provides a much-needed synthesis of multitrophic level interactions and serves as a guide for future research for ecologists of all descriptions.

Lee Frelich provides a major contribution to the study of temperate-zone forest dynamics by considering three important themes: the combined influence of wind, fire, and herbivory on the successional trajectories and structural characteristics of forests; the interaction of deciduous and evergreen tree species to form mosiacs; and the significance of temporal and spatial scale with regard to the overall impact of disturbances. These themes are explored via case studies from the forests in the Lake States of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, where the presence of large primary forest remnants provides a unique opportunity to study the long-term dynamics of near-boreal, pine, and hardwood-hemlock forests.

The predictability of the physical arrangement of plants, at whatever scale it is viewed, is referred to as a spatial pattern. Spatial pattern is a crucial aspect of vegetation that has important implications not only for the plants themselves, but also for other organisms that interact with plants, such as herbivores and pollinators; or those animals for which plants provide a habitat. This book describes and evaluates methods for detecting and quantifying a variety of characteristics of spatial pattern. As well as discussing the concepts on which these techniques are based, the book includes examples from real field studies and worked examples, which, together with numerous line figures, help guide the reader through the text.

Pinus is a remarkable genus of trees with a very large distribution range in the northern hemisphere. Where they occur, pines usually form the dominant vegetation cover and are extremely important components of ecosystems. They also provide a wide range of products for human use. In many cases exploitation and other human pressures are threatening the survival of natural pine forests, although pines are also widely grown in commercial plantations, both within and outside their natural range. This book presents a definitive review of pine ecology and biogeography written by forty of the world's leading authorities on this important genus. In the face of increasing human pressure and global climate change, it provides an essential source of reference for all those concerned with the management of natural and planted pine forests.

This new edition is a major contribution to botanical and ecological literature. It provides comprehensive coverage of the major vegetation types of North America, from the arctic tundra of Alaska to the tropical forests of Central America. Each chapter describes the composition, architecture, environment, and conservation status of each ecosystem. In addition, information is included on the abiotic environment, paleoecology, productivity, nutrient cycling, autecological behavior of dominant species, environmental issues, management problems, the role of natural disturbance, and critical areas for future research. This new edition has additional chapters on freshwater wetlands, coastal marine wetlands, temperate Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Hawaiian Islands. Every chapter has been thoroughly updated and now includes information on habitat loss and restoration-preservation programs. This is an outstanding new edition of a well-received text and it is essential reading for students and researchers in plant science, ecology, and conservation.

The predictability of the physical arrangement of plants, at whatever scale it is viewed, is referred to as a spatial pattern. Spatial pattern is a crucial aspect of vegetation that has important implications not only for the plants themselves, but also for other organisms that interact with plants, such as herbivores and pollinators; or those animals for which plants provide a habitat. This book describes and evaluates methods for detecting and quantifying a variety of characteristics of spatial pattern. As well as discussing the concepts on which these techniques are based, the book includes examples from real field studies and worked examples, which, together with numerous line figures, help guide the reader through the text.

Wetlands are unique and fragile environments that provide a transition between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Focusing on freshwater wetlands with emergent vegetation, this book considers productivity in relation to communities of animals and plants and their environments, mineral cycling, hydrology, and management. The contributors emphasize the biological interactions and processes underlying the structure and functioning of wetlands, revealing the need to appreciate the dynamics of the system to establish appropriate management and conservation practices. Based largely on research carried out during the International Biological Programme, this unique synthesis brings together a wealth of information, which until now had been widely dispersed in the literature and often difficult to locate. This comprehensive volume will be an important resource for all those concerned with the ecology, management and conservation of these sensitive natural habitats.

Grasses occupy a greater area of the world's land surface than any other plant family, occurring in almost every terrestrial environment and providing a vital source of food for humans and animals. This volume presents the most recent information on their population biology, bringing together contributions from researchers studying both applied and fundamental aspects of this important group of plants. This volume considers demographic, physiological, ecological and molecular approaches to understanding grass populations in relation to reproduction and to aspects of life history patterns such as dispersal, germination, seedling establishment, population dynamics and reproduction. Other areas covered include the role of genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity in shaping life history traits, the impact of biotic factors, and the ecology of specific species in major grass-dominated ecosystems in Africa, Australia and Japan.

This book reexamines patterns of relationship among plant life history traits in phylogenetic perspective. The reexamination first recognizes that because evolution is a branching process, traits are not randomly distributed across taxa and that therefore analysis of trait correlations cannot treat species as independent data points. It then discusses the use of phylogeny to reconstruct the evolutionary pathways of traits. Part 1 looks at the use of the phylogenetic perspective on trait correlation. Parts 2-4 examine traits from the reproductive phase from seed production and dispersal to recruitment and growth. The final section looks at interactions between plants and competitors, herbivores and microbial symbionts, recognizing that these interactions may have an ancient evolutionary history.

Through a meticulous labor of love, Dr. Hershoff has produced a virtual musculoskeletal textbook for chiropractors and physicians who are pursuing a course of natural health care for their patients. The heart of his book, the first of its kind, addresses the homeopathic solutions for musculoskeletal complaints commonly seen in our offices and commonly experienced by many people in the course of their lives. As he focuses our attention on the musculoskeletal keynotes and affinities of the homeopathic materia medica, easy to read illustrations and charts help us reach the homeopathic cure, (or similimum) for many acute and chronic conditions. This book has the potential to relieve much human suffering.

Forces of nature and human intervention lead to innumerable local, regional and sometimes global changes in plant community patterns. Regardless of the causes and the intensity of change, ecosystems are often naturally able to recover most of their attributes through natural succession. In this thoughtful and provocative new book, Fakhri Bazzaz integrates and synthesizes information on how disturbance changes the environment, how species function, coexist, and share or compete for resources in populations and communities, and how species replace each other over successional time. It illustrates how a diverse array of plant species have been used to examine fundamental questions in plant ecology by integrating physiological, population and community ecology. Graduate students and research workers in plant ecology, global change, conservation and restoration will find the perspective and analysis offered by this book an exciting contribution to the development of our understanding of plant successional change.

Forces of nature and human intervention lead to innumerable local, regional and sometimes global changes in plant community patterns. Regardless of the causes and the intensity of change, ecosystems are often naturally able to recover most of their attributes through natural succession. In this thoughtful and provocative new book, Fakhri Bazzaz integrates and synthesizes information on how disturbance changes the environment, how species function, coexist, and share or compete for resources in populations and communities, and how species replace each other over successional time. It illustrates how a diverse array of plant species have been used to examine fundamental questions in plant ecology by integrating physiological, population and community ecology. Graduate students and research workers in plant ecology, global change, conservation and restoration will find the perspective and analysis offered by this book an exciting contribution to the development of our understanding of plant successional change.

The rain forests of tropical America, Africa, Asia, and Australia are rapidly vanishing. With a focus on ecology, this book discusses rain forests as complex natural systems that are continually changing in response to climate and soil conditions, as well as to shifting cultivation, logging, and other human activities. The completely revised edition includes new chapters on climate (contributed by R.P.D. Walsh), microclimates and hydrology (contributed by R.P.D. Walsh), soils (contributed by I.C. Baillie) and an appendix on quantitative methods (contributed by P. Greig-Smith). This book, first published in 1952, is now a classic and represents an important record of what has become of the rain forest in the twentieth century and will be meaningful reading for botanists, ecologists, tropical biologists, conservationists, and general readers.

It is almost dogma that the boreal forest in North America is a fire-dependent forest, yet ecologists often do not consider in any technical detail how forest fires produce effects on individual plants and on plant populations. Consequently, the causal connection between the behaviour of fire and its ecological consequences is poorly understood. This book sets out to correct this deficiency by assembling the relevant studies of fire intensity, rate of spread, fuel consumption, fire frequency and fire weather in the North American boreal forest. The central thesis is that the North American boreal forest has at least four wildfire characteristics that are important in understanding the dynamics of its plant populations: the large size of the burns with respect to dispersal distances, the short recurrence time of fire with respect to tree lifespans, the high mortality of plants due to the predominance of crown fires, and a good germination surface due to the large area of the forest floor which is covered by ash.

An appreciation of the natural processes of woodlands is essential for the development of a rationale and practices for woodland nature conservation and management. In this book, Dr. Peterken describes how woodlands grow, die, and regenerate in the absence of human influence, and the structures and range of habitats found in natural woods. He describes examples of virgin and old-growth forests in Europe and North America, and outlines the dynamics and structure of natural temperate woodlands. This knowledge is then applied to nature conservation issues in British woods and forests, particularly the maintenance of "untouched" reserves, the management of native broadleaved woods, and the design of coniferous plantations. Natural Woodlands is a fascinating account of woodland natural history for all those concerned with the management and ecology of natural or commercial woodlands.

What are the ecological attributes of weeds that confer the ability to interfere with human activities? Roger Cousens and Martin Mortimer place weed management within an ecological context, with the focus on the manipulation of population size. The dynamics of abundance and spatial distribution are considered at both geographic and local scales. The basic processes of dispersal, reproduction and mortality are described, together with the factors that influence them. Management is shown to modify patterns of behaviour that are intrinsic to populations. Attention is given to the evolution and management of resistance to herbicides. This book provides weed science with the conceptual basis that has previously been lacking. It also gives ecologists access to the extensive database on the population ecology of weeds.

The Chicago metropolitan area is home to far more protected nature than most people realize. Over half a million acres of protected land known as the Chicago Wilderness are owned and managed by county forest preserve districts and other public and private sector partners. But there’s a critical factor of the Chicago Wilderness conservation effort that makes it unique: a pioneering grassroots volunteer community, thousands strong, has worked for decades alongside agency staff to restore these nearby natural areas, learning how to manage biodiversity in an altered and ever-changing urban context. A Healthy Nature Handbook captures hard-earned ecological wisdom from this community in engaging and highly readable chapters, each including illustrated restoration sequences. Restoration leaders cover large-scale seeding approaches, native seed production, wetland and grassland bird habitat restoration, monitoring, and community building. Contributions from local artists bring the region’s beauty to life with vibrant watercolors, oil paintings, and sketches. A Healthy Nature Handbook is packed with successful approaches to restoring nature and is a testament to both the Chicago region’s surprising natural wealth and the stewards that are committed to its lasting health.

A great many terrestrial plants live in close association with fungi. The features of this association known as mycorrhiza, are those of a mutualistic symbiosis. Almost all plants form mycorrhizae whereby the fungus provides soil resources to the plant in exchange for energy manufactured by the plant. The symbiosis means greater productivity under stress for the plant and a steady energy supply for the fungus. This book addresses the diverse and complex ways in which mycorrhizae affect the mechanisms for plant survival as individuals and populations, for community structure, and for ecosystem functioning. It integrates information on organisms interacting with mycorrhizae from bacteria to mammals. The author takes a unique evolutionary/ecological approach to describe how and under what conditions mycorrhizae influence basic ecological processes. The applications of mycorrhizal symbioses range from managing natural and agricultural lands to biotechnological processes that enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability.

Correlation between plant distribution and climate is examined over different time and space scales to determine the mechanisms of control in physiological and biochemical terms.

Does biodiversity influence how ecosystems function? Might diversity loss affect the ability of ecosystems to deliver services of benefit to humankind? Ecosystems provide food, fuel, fiber, and drinkable water, regulate local and regional climate, and recycle needed nutrients, among other things. An ecosyste's ability to sustain functioning may depend on the number of species residing in the ecosystem--its biological diversity--but this has been a controversial hypothesis. There are many unanswered questions about how and why changes in biodiversity could alter ecosystem functioning. This volume, written by top researchers, synthesizes empirical studies on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning and extends that knowledge using a novel and coordinated set of models and theoretical approaches.

These experimental and theoretical analyses demonstrate that functioning usually increases with biodiversity, but also reveals when and under what circumstances other relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning might occur. It also accounts for apparent changes in diversity-functioning relationships that emerge over time in disturbed ecosystems, thereby addressing a major controversy in the field. The volume concludes with a blueprint for moving beyond small-scale studies to regional ones--a move of enormous significance for policy and conservation but one that will entail tackling some of the most fundamental challenges in ecology.

In addition to the editors, the contributors are Juan Armesto, Claudia Neuhauser, Andy Hector, Clarence Lehman, Peter Kareiva, Sharon Lawler, Peter Chesson, Teri Balser, Mary K. Firestone, Robert Holt, Michel Loreau, Johannes Knops, David Wedin, Peter Reich, Shahid Naeem, Bernhard Schmid, Jasmin Joshi, and Felix Schlapfer."