Forest Ecology

About this book

Forest Ecology provides comprehensive coverage of the field, focusing on traditional plant ecology topics of tree structure and growth, regeneration, effects of light and temperature on tree physiology, forest communities, succession, and diversity. The work also reviews abiotic factors of light, temperature, physiography (landforms and topography), soil, and disturbance (especially fire), and provides coverage of ecosystem-level topics including carbon storage and balance, nutrient cycling, and forest ecosystem productivity.

The 5th edition of Forest Ecology retains the readability and accessibility of the previous editions and includes important additional topical material that has surfaced in the field. All topics are approached with a landscape ecosystem or geo-ecological view, which places biota (organisms and communities) in context as integral parts of whole ecosystems that also include air (atmosphere and climate), topography, soil, and water. As such, the book fills a niche utilized by no other forest ecology text on the market, helping students and researchers consider whole ecosystems at multiple scales.

Sample topics covered in Forest Ecology include:
- Contemporary components of forest ecology, including climate change, invasive species, diversity, ecological forestry, landscape ecology, and ecosystem services.
- Characteristics of physiography important for forest ecosystems, including its effects on microclimate, disturbance, soil, and vegetation.
- Genetic diversity of woody plants and genecological differentiation of tree species, including the importance of hybridization, polyploidy, and epigenetics.
- Site quality estimation using tree height and ground flora, and multiple-factor approaches to forest site and ecosystem classification and mapping.

Forest Ecology is a highly accessible text for students, but it also serves as an excellent reference for academics. In addition, practitioners of forest ecology can also harness the information within to gain better insight into the field for practical application of concepts.

Contents

Preface   xxiii

PART 1 Forest Ecology and Landscape Ecosystems
1. Concepts of Forest Ecology   3
2. Landscape Ecosystems at Multiple Scales   15

PART 2 The Forest Tree
3. Forest Tree Variation   35
4. Regeneration Ecology   69
5. Tree Structure and Growth   95

PART 3 The Physical Environment
6. Light   123
7. Temperature   143
8. Physiography   167
9. Soil   195
10. Fire   219
11. Site Quality and Ecosystem Evaluation and Classification   237

PART 4 Forest Communities
12. Animals in Forest Ecosystems   269
13. Forest Communities   291
14. Diversity in Forests   327

PART 5 Forest Ecosystem Dynamics
15. Long-Term Forest Ecosystem and Vegetation Change   367
16. Disturbance   381
17. Forest Succession   413
18. Carbon Balance of Trees and Ecosystems   449
19. Nutrient Cycling   487

PART 6 Forests of the Future
20. Climate Change and Forest Ecosystems   537
21. Invasive Species in Forest Ecosystems   587
22. Forest Landscape Ecology   611
23. Sustainability of Forest Ecosystems   639

References   651
Scientific Names of Trees and Shrubs   731
Index   739

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