Terrestrial ecosystems
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Terrestrial ecosystems
Saunders College Pub., c1991
- : pbk
Note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
This unique text offers a survey of all major processes affecting terrestrial ecosystems. It can be used in a variety of "ecosystems" courses, including forestry, environmental science, botany, and biology. Diverse topic coverage including soil chemistry, herbivory, physiological ecology, decomposition, and fire effects - all within the context of environmental conditions.
Table of Contents
Part I. Introduction: The Nature of Ecosystem Studies. The Development of Ecosystem Concepts. Survey of Terrestrial. Methods of Ecosystem Measurement I: Carbon Balance. Methods of Ecosystem Measurement II: Water and Nutrient Balance. Concepts and Terminology. Part II. Mechanisms: Processes Controlling Ecosystem Function. Resource Availability, Resource Use and Primary Production. Energy, Water and Carbon Balances on Leaves. Canopy Structure and Total Potential Photosynthesis. Soil Chemistry and Nutrient Availability. Biological Allocation and Net Primary Productivity. Resource Allocation and Net Primary Productivity. Organic Matter Breakdown: Mechanisms of Carbon and Nutrient Release. Decomposition of Litter. Humus Formation, Stabilization and Decomposition. Summary Effects of Production and Decomposition on Generalized Nutrient Cycles. Factors Limiting Consumption: Plant-Herbivore Interactions. Characteristics of Ecosystems with High Rates of Herbivory. The Role of Fire in Carbon and Nutrient Balances. Part III. Synthesis: Disturbance, Succession and Ecosystem Function in Specific Ecosystems. A Fire-Dominated Ecosystem: The Taiga of Interior Alaska. The Serengeti: An Herbivore-Dominated Ecosystem. A Decomposition-Dominated Ecosystem: The Northern Hardwood Forests of the Northeastern U.S.. Part IV. Application: Ecosystem Principles Applied to Management and Regional and Global Environmental Problems. Computer Modeling and an Application to Forest Management. Agricultural Ecosystems. Acid Deposition and Northern Forests. Global Ecology and the Global Carbon Question.
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