Today, mid- and high-elevation belts in the American Tropics still support montane evergreen broad-leaved oak (Quercus) forests.They range from r- atively dry woodlands to extremely wet cloud forests, and may occur either as pure monotypic stands - sometimes with giant oaks up to 60 m tall - or as mixed-species systems in which oak co-occurs with other predominant g- era such as pine (Pinus) and sweetgum (Liquidambar). They are found throughout southern Mexico, Central America and the Colombian Andes, and form a major component of the American Tropics ecoregions, biodiversity hotspots, and centers of plant diversity. Their biological richness, expressed in the large variety of trees, shrubs, epiphytic orchids and bromeliads, ferns, bryophytes, lichens and fungi, is indeed striking. Even animal life is astonishing: the avifauna is among the greatest worldwide, with the mythical Resplendent Quetzal as its most beau- ful representative. Large mammals such as jaguar, puma, tapir, peccary and deer still roam around in considerable quantities.In terms of biogeochemical cycling, most of these forests, and especially the oak cloud forests filter large air masses.They capture and incorporate water and nutrients from mist and fog into their cycles, providing nascent rivers with clear fresh water. Originally, these montane oak forests were widely distributed. However, since the early 1800s, large oak forest areas in the highland Neotropics have made way for coffee plantations and pastures. Today, only few intact blocks remain while most forests are fragmented, suffering from severe di

New demands on landscapes and natural resources call for multifunctional approaches to land development. Tools are required to identify the effects of land management on landscape sustainability and to support the decision-making process on the multipurpose utilisation of landscape resources. Scientists from across Europe installed the "Landscape Tomorrow" network to be prepared for new challenges in research to sustainable land development in an international perspective. This publication analyses general principles of landscape multifunctionality, develops methods to assess the sustainability of agricultural and forestry land management and identifies strategies of sustainable land management. Moreover, it contributes to the scientific basis for future land development strategies and helps support land use decision-making on the political, planning and management level.

Mangroves are a fascinating group of plants that occur on tropical and subtropical shorelines of all continents, where they are exposed to saltwater inundation, low oxygen levels around their roots, high light and temperature conditions, and periodic tropical storms. Despite these harsh conditions, mangroves may form luxuriant forests which are of significant economic and environmental value throughout the world - they provide coastal protection and underpin fisheries and forestry operations, as well as a range of other human activities.

This book provides an up-to-date account of mangrove plants from around the world, together with silvicultural and restoration techniques, and the management requirements of these communities to ensure their sustainability and conservation.
All aspects of mangroves and their conservation are critically re-examined. Those activities which threaten their ongoing survival are identified and suggestions are offered to minimise their effects on these significant plant communities.

This book describes an integrated approach to using remotely sensed data in conjunction with geographic information systems for landscape analysis. Remotely sensed data are compressed into an analytical image-map that is compatible with the most popular geographic information systems as well as freeware viewers. The approach is most effective for landscapes that exhibit a pronounced mosaic pattern of land cover.

In this book, we document and evaluate the recovery of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The Great Lakes region is unique in that it was the only portion of the lower 48 states where wolves were never c- pletely extirpated. This region also contains the area where many of the first m- ern concepts of wolf conservation and research where developed. Early proponents of wolf conservation such as Aldo Leopold, Sigurd Olson, and Durward Allen lived and worked in the region. The longest ongoing research on wolf-prey relations (see Vucetich and Peterson, Chap. 3) and the first use of radio telemetry for studying wolves (see Mech, Chap. 2) occurred in the Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes region is the first place in the United States where "Endangered" wolf populations recovered. All three states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan) developed ecologically and socially sound wolf conservation plans, and the federal government delisted the population of wolves in these states from the United States list of endangered and threatened species on March 12, 2007 (see Refsnider, Chap. 21). Wolf management reverted to the individual states at that time. Although this delisting has since been challenged, we believe that biological recovery of wolves has occurred and anticipate the delisting will be restored. This will be the first case of wolf conservation reverting from the federal government to the state conser- tion agencies in the United States.

With one volume published each year, this series keeps scientists and students current with the latest developments and results in all areas of the plant sciences. This present volume includes insightful reviews covering genetics, cell biology, physiology, comparative morphology, systematics, ecology, and vegetation science.

This book presents a wide range of contributions addressing diverse aspects of biodiversity exploitation and conservation. These collectively provide a snapshot of ongoing action and state-of-the-art research, rather than a series of necessarily more superficial overviews. Examples presented here derive from studies in 17 countries including Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. These reports will stimulate future work toward attaining a sustainable balance between the conservation and exploitation of biodiversity.

Research in tropical forestry is confronted with the task of finding strategies to alleviate pressure on remaining forests, and techniques to enhance forest regeneration and restore abandoned lands, using productive alternatives that can be attractive to local human populations. In addition, sustainable forestry in tropical countries must be supported by adequate policies to promote and maintain specific activities at local and regional scales.

Here, a multi-disciplinary approach is presented, to better the understanding of tropical forest ecology, as a necessary step in developing adequate strategies for conservation and management. The authors have long experience in both academic and practical matters related to tropical forest ecology and management.

This is the first book describing in vitro cultivation of root organs. The text describes various biological aspects such as the physiology, biochemistry, biodiversity, and life cycles of fungi, as well as the effects of symbiosis on plant growth and development, including large-scale fungus production for biotechnological use. Detailed protocols allow the immediate application of the method to culture mycorrhizal fungi in vitro.

Plants play a key role in purifying the biosphere of the toxic effects of industrial activity. This book shows how systematic application of the results of investigations into the metabolism of xenobiotics (foreign, often toxic substances) in plants could make a vastly increased contribution to planetary well-being. Deep physiological knowledge gained from an accumulation of experimental data enables the great differences between the detoxifying abilities of different plants for compounds of different chemical nature to be optimally exploited. Hence planting could be far more systematically adapted to actual environmental needs than is actually the case at present.

The book could form the basis of specialist courses in universities and polytechnics devoted to environmental management, and advanced courses in plant physiology and biochemistry, for botany and integrative biology students. Fundamental plant physiology and biochemistry from the molecular level to whole plants and ecosystems are interwoven in a powerful and natural way, making this a unique contribution to the field.

Dendrochronologists have long estimated the impact of climate on tree-ring growth by empirical-statistical methods. The use of the model is illustrated with examples from widely differing environments, and possible future directions for model development and application are discussed. As forests are the main carbon sink on land, the results are of great importance for all global change studies.

Tropical rainforests are disappearing at an alarming rate, causing unprecedented losses in biodiversity and ecosystem services. This book contributes to an improved understanding of the processes that have destabilizing effects on ecological and socio-economic systems of tropical rain forest margins, as well as striving to integrate environmental, technological and socio-economic issues in their solution.

Pine wilt disease (PWD) is unquestionably a major threat to forest ecosystems worldwide. After seriously affecting Eastern Asian countries, the challenge is now in Europe, following its detection in Portugal in 1999 and its subsequent spread. For foresters, these were really very bad news and, in order for adequate action to be taken, scientists had to teach politicians about the seriousness of the problem. That is never an easy task, but it was successfully done at that time, mainly by the continued effort of Professor Manuel Mota. The challenge of having political decisions based on good science is fundamental for the success of any program, but especially in dif?cult situations such as those arising by the introduction of harmful organisms in new ecosystems. The success of the dialogue between science and policy requires intelligent partners from each side, which is not always necessarily the case... Examples of lack of recognition of problems raised by science are unfortunately abundant throughout the history of science. The recent recognition of the efforts of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Al Gore with the - bel Prize, and the continued failure in taking appropriate actions by major political players is a dramatic modern example of the dif?culty of this dialogue...

Landscape Research has been established as an interdisciplinary field dealing with complex environmental processes at multiple spatial and temporal scales. During the course of its history, various societal, technological and philosophical stimuli have shaped Landscape Research, e.g. the declaration of Landscape Ecology in the 1930s and contemporary global technological and societal developments.

Modern landscape research presently uses mathematics, statistics and advanced simulation techniques to combine empirical observations with known theories from ecology, physics, geography, social science and so on. Knowledge is thus updated and quantified via models that are used for estimation, hypothesis testing, prediction and assessment of scenarios. Advances in the computational sciences (e.g. fast computers and vast array of software), space science (e.g. remote sensing) and biological sciences (e.g. genetics) as well as new perspectives in the social sciences play important roles. Research findings are implemented in conservation management, urban planning and global change mitigation strategies.

This book identifies emerging fields and new challenges that are discussed within the framework of the driving forces of Landscape Development. Rather than offering a comprehensive overview of all fields of Landscape Research, the book addresses hot topics emphasizing major contemporary trends in these fields."

Interactions matter. To understand the distributions of plants and animals in a landscape you need to understand how they interact with each other, and with their environment. The resulting networks of interactions make ecosystems highly complex. Recent research on complexity and artificial life provides many new insights about patterns and processes in landscapes and ecosystems. This book provides the first overview of that work for general readers. It covers such topics as connectivity, criticality, feedback, and networks, as well as their impact on the stability and predictability of ecosystem dynamics. With over 60 years of research experience of both ecology and complexity, the authors are uniquely qualified to provide a new perspective on traditional ecology. They argue that understanding ecological complexity is crucial in today's globalized and interconnected world. Successful management of the world's ecosystems needs to combine models of ecosystem complexity with biodiversity, environmental, geographic and socioeconomic information.

Since the last century of ecological history, landscape ecologists have played a role in solving many hot issues linking development and conservation of landscape. Recently, cause and consequences of landscape change are significantly related to rapid urbanization and land transformation in populated area. Therefore, ecological applications on the man-influenced area are a worldwide issue and challenge in landscape ecology.

The aim of Landscape Ecological Applications in Man-Influenced Areas is not only to expand concept of landscape ecology, but also to apply its principle to man-influenced ecosystems. New dimensions of landscape ecological research in a global change such as urbanization, biodiversity, and land transformation are explored in this book. This book also includes several case studies concerning landscape analysis and evaluation using spatial analysis and landscape modelling for establishing sustainable management strategy in urban and agricultural landscapes.

The subtitle of the book suggests the integrative and ubiquitous landscape planning considering harmony of man and nature systems in the socio-economic and cultural background. Such key issues and technology of landscape research will provide implements and guidebook for decision makers and land planners as well as teachers and students at universities.

Box 9E. 1 Continued FIGURE 2. The C-S-R triangle model (Grime 1979). The strategies at the three corners are C, competiti- winning species; S, stress-tolerating s- cies; R,ruderalspecies. Particular species can engage in any mixture of these three primary strategies, and the m- ture is described by their position within the triangle. comment briefly on some other dimensions that Grime's (1977) triangle (Fig. 2) (see also Sects. 6. 1 are not yet so well understood. and 6. 3 of Chapter 7 on growth and allocation) is a two-dimensional scheme. A C-S axis (Com- tition-winning species to Stress-tolerating spe- Leaf Economics Spectrum cies) reflects adaptation to favorable vs. unfavorable sites for plant growth, and an R- Five traits that are coordinated across species are axis (Ruderal species) reflects adaptation to leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf life-span, leaf N disturbance. concentration, and potential photosynthesis and dark respiration on a mass basis. In the five-trait Trait-Dimensions space,79%ofallvariation worldwideliesalonga single main axis (Fig. 33 of Chapter 2A on photo- A recent trend in plant strategy thinking has synthesis; Wright et al. 2004). Species with low been trait-dimensions, that is, spectra of varia- LMA tend to have short leaf life-spans, high leaf tion with respect to measurable traits. Compared nutrient concentrations, and high potential rates of mass-based photosynthesis. These species with category schemes, such as Raunkiaer's, trait occur at the ''quick-return'' end of the leaf e- dimensions have the merit of capturing cont- nomics spectrum.

Harmful algal can cause a variety of deleterious effects, including the poisoning of fish and shellfish, habitat disruptions for many organisms, water discoloration, beach fouling, and even toxic effects for humans. In this volume, international experts provide an in-depth analysis of harmful algae topics and offer a comprehensive synthesis of the latest research in the field.

Monitoring Nature Conservation in Cultural Habitats presents monitoring as an integral component of responsible conservation management and as a catalyst for decision making. The early sections of the book cover key areas in the development of a monitoring project, including:

- The roles of survey and surveillance
- Incorporating knowledge from existing research
- Identifying the conservation priority on sites
- Minimising observer error
- Identifying site-specific condition indicators for habitats
- Collecting monitoring data.

The later sections of the book comprise a series of case studies covering a wide range of habitats and species. These case studies focus mostly, though not exclusively, on sites that form part of the Natura 2000 series in Europe.

Remediation of contaminants caused by growing human civilization and industrialization is a serious environmental issue. Recent research has shown that soil microorganisms play an important role in remediating and improving disturbed ecosystems. This approach is eco-friendly and relatively less expensive. The present book covers the investigations carried out using microbes for restoration of degraded eco-systems. Please note: This volume is Co-published with New India Publishing Agency, New Delhi. Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

From deep ocean trenches and the geographical poles to outer space, organisms can be found living in remarkably extreme conditions. This book provides a captivating account of these systems and their extraordinary inhabitants, 'extremophiles'. A diverse, multidisciplinary group of experts discuss responses and adaptations to change; biodiversity, bioenergetic processes, and biotic and abiotic interactions; polar environments; and life and habitability, including searching for biosignatures in the extraterrestrial environment. The editors emphasize that understanding these systems is important for increasing our knowledge and utilizing their potential, but this remains an understudied area. Given the threat to these environments and their biota caused by climate change and human impact, this timely book also addresses the urgency to document these systems. It will help graduate students and researchers in conservation, marine biology, evolutionary biology, environmental change and astrobiology better understand how life exists in these environments and their susceptibility or resilience to change.

This book provides a comprehensive review on the status of iron nutrition in plants. It contains updated reviews of most relevant issues involving Fe in plants and combines research on molecular biology with physiological studies of plant-iron nutrition. It also covers molecular aspects of iron uptake and storage in Arabidopsis and transmembrane movement and translocation of iron in plants. This book should serve to stimulate continued exploration in the field.

Internationally, the wetlands of headwater and upland regions provide many valuable environmental services. They influence flood flows, sediment loads and aquifer recharge; biochemical water qualities and biodiversity. They affect the livelihoods of many communities providing water, peat, timber, grazing, crops and, locally, aesthetic, cultural, recreational, nature conservation and educational benefits. Previously, many of these lands were valued only for their capacity to be converted to other uses through drainage and forestation. Today, their benefits are better appreciated. Better environmental management highlights ways of bringing enhanced benefits from these lands to all stakeholders and of minimising their potentially negative impacts due to climatic emissions of greenhouse gases, hydrological changes (especially flooding, water chemistry) and sediment release. This book moves towards a more comprehensive inventory of the benefits and costs of headwater wetlands. It evaluates the research that tries to understand the tolerances, exchanges, checks and balances within headwater landscapes and the downstream impacts of changes in wetlands. It employs case studies and reviews from 21 nations spanning Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. It explores the new policy frameworks, changes in land husbandry, new systems for community education, participatory processes and technological interventions required for the effective management of headwater wetlands and the full integration of wetlands (including newly constructed wetlands) into environmental management and planning. In the past, most research dealt with wetlands as isolated features, this book examines wetlands in theirwatershed management context.

The state of the art in the area of security related civil science and technology concerning energetic materials and munitions is of pressing importance at the present time, because 10 years after the end of the cold war, in many countries in east and west, huge stockpiles of munitions still await destruction. The safety behavior of munitions and their energetic material is the determining factor for all precautionary measures for the protection of environment and population. The probability of a catastrophic reaction of munitions and their energetic components will be so more likely, the closer the munitions are to the end of their life time. Residues and undetected ordnance, recycling, destruction of ammunition and depletion or reuse of energetic materials will either cause more or less damage to environment. Scientific research and development have the aim to increase performance of munitions on one side and to improve safety in relation to unpredictable events on the other side. The impact on the environment by the production and normal use of munitions and their residues after use will acquire an increasing importance in environmental awareness. The excellent technical presentations were classified in five Groups, according to the technical programme. The "Introduction to the subject; Methods, tests and application; Insensitive and "green" munitions; Storage and transportation; and Demilitarisation and recycling" sessions, were closed by a final and general interesting discussion among participants.

Vegetation, soil and climate are the most important components of ecological systems. This long-awaited fourth edition of the well-established textbook by Heinrich Walter summarizes our knowledge of the earth's ecology and constitutes the basis for a deeper understanding of the larger interrelations on a global scale.While Walter's general concept remains unchanged, the individual chapters have been completely revised, enlarged and updated. The author's intimate knowledge of practically all classes of plants and climatic zones allows him to describe the various ecological systems in close detail.This richly illustrated textbook is a must for every student in the plant sciences.