"Landscape Ecology" is an emerging science of gaining momentum over the past few decades in the scientific as well as in the planning-management worlds. Although the field is rooted in biology and geography, the approaches to understanding the ecology of a landscape are highly divers. This hybrid vigor provides power to the field. One can no longer view a local ecosystem or land use in isolation from global areas and time frames. The surrounding landscape mosaic and the flows and movements in a landscape must be considered, especially the linkage between humans requiring resources provided by nature, the constraints on their use as well as the responding landscape.

The eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, had a momentous impact on the fungal, plant, animal, and human life from the mountain to the far reaches of the explosion's ash cloud and mudflows. Although this intense natural event caused loss of substantial life and property, it also created a unique opportunity to examine a huge disturbance of natural systems and their subsequent responses. Based on one of the most studied areas of volcanic activity, Ecological Responses to the 1980 Eruption of Mount St. Helens synthesizes the ecological research that has been conducted for twenty-five years since the eruption.

Research from geology as well as plant and animal ecology has been integrated in this unprecedented look at the complex interactions of biological and physical systems in the response of the volcanic landscape. Lessons from the volcano inform our larger understanding of ecosystem disturbances, natural processes, and the impact of land-use practices. Included are results of significant and long-term research on vegetation, mycorrhizae, plant and animal interactions, arthropods, amphibians, mammals, fish, lakes, nutrient cycling, geomorphology, and environmental management. This comprehensive account will be of value to those interested in natural history, ecology, disturbance, conservation biology, limnology, geoscience, and land management. Questions about what actually happens when a volcano erupts, what the immediate and long-term dangers are, and how life reasserts itself in the environment are discussed in full detail.

About the Editors:

Virginia Dale is a Corporate Fellow in the Environmental Sciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She isalso an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee.

Fred Swanson is a Research Geologist at the USDA Forest Service Pacific NW Research Station in Corvallis, OR.

Charles Crisafulli is an Ecologist at the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station in Olympia, WA.

2007 Award of Excellence:

Springer is pleased to announce that the editors and authors of Ecological Responses to the 1980 Eruption of Mount St. Helens have won the 2007 Technical Publication Award from the Society of Technical Communication, Willamette Valley Chapter.

Springer is pleased to announce that the editors and authors of Ecological Responses to the 1980 Eruption of Mount St. Helens have won a 2007 Merit Award in the "Books" category of the Society for Technical Communication's (STC) International Technical Publications Competition. To read the press release, click on this link: http: //www.springer-sbm.com/index.php?id=291&backPID=132&L=0&tx_tnc_news=3309&cHash=64b44bbd74

Salvage logging--removing trees from a forested area in the wake of a catastrophic event such as a wildfire or hurricane--is highly controversial. Policymakers and those with an economic interest in harvesting trees typically argue that damaged areas should be logged so as to avoid "wasting" resources, while many forest ecologists contend that removing trees following a disturbance is harmful to a variety of forest species and can interfere with the natural process of ecosystem recovery.

"Salvage Logging and Its Ecological Consequences "brings together three leading experts on forest ecology to explore a wide range of issues surrounding the practice of salvage logging. They gather and synthesize the latest research and information about its economic and ecological costs and benefits, and consider the impacts of salvage logging on ecosystem processes and biodiversity. The book examines

- what salvage logging is and why it is controversial - natural and human disturbance regimes in forested ecosystems - differences between salvage harvesting and traditional timber harvesting - scientifically documented ecological impacts of salvage operations - the importance of land management objectives in determining appropriate post-disturbance interventions Brief case studies from around the world highlight a variety of projects, including operations that have followed wildfires, storms, volcanic eruptions, and insect infestations. In the final chapter, the authors discuss policy management implications and offer prescriptions for mitigating the impacts of future salvage harvesting efforts.

"Salvage Logging and Its Ecological Consequences "is a "must-read" volume for policymakers, students, academics, practitioners, and professionals involved in all aspects of forest management, natural resource planning, and forest conservation.