Download or read book Plant Disturbance Ecology written by Edward A. Johnson and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2020-10-21 with total page 564 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Disturbance ecology continues to be an active area of research, having undergone advances in many areas in recent years. One emerging direction is the increased coupling of physical and ecological processes, in which disturbances are increasingly traced back to mechanisms that cause the disturbances themselves, such as earth surface processes, mesoscale, and larger meteorological processes, and the ecological effects of interest are increasingly physiological. Plant Disturbance Ecology, 2nd Edition encourages movement away from the informal, conceptual approach traditionally used in defining natural disturbances and clearly presents how scientists can use a multitude of approaches in plant disturbance ecology. This edition includes nine revised chapters from the first edition, as well new, more comprehensive chapters on fire disturbance and beaver disturbance. Edited by leading experts in the field, Plant Disturbance Ecology, 2nd Edition is an essential resource for scientists interested in understanding plant disturbance and ecological processes. - Advances understanding of natural disturbances by combining geophysical and ecological processes - Provides a framework for collaboration between geophysical scientists and ecologists studying natural disturbances - Includes fully updated research with 5 new chapters and revision of 11 chapters from the first edition

Download or read book Ecological Consequences of a Novel Disturbance Interaction written by Allison Barbara Simler and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Historical disturbance regimes exert selective pressures on species traits. In turn, these traits determine the biological legacies that connect pre- and post-disturbance communities, including the pattern of surviving organisms, propagules, and other materials that shape future composition and structure. Anthropogenic activities have altered disturbance regimes, including their frequency, severity, extent, type, and interaction, and these shifts may challenge existing suites of life history strategies. The chapters of this dissertation examine the mechanisms by which changing disturbance regimes and disturbance interactions may alter or erode biological legacies, with important consequences for system recovery. In the fire-prone coastal forests of California, an emerging infectious tree disease, sudden oak death (SOD), represents a novel biotic disturbance. This disease, caused by the introduced oomycete Phytophthora ramorum, produces acute mortality in susceptible host tree populations, impacts forest fuel profiles, and alters subsequent fire behavior. I conducted this research within a long-term forest plot network established in the early 2000s to monitor the nascent SOD epidemic across the Big Sur region. In 2008, wildfire burned across this preexisting network, creating a rare opportunity to examine ecological impacts of compound disturbance events. In this work, I leverage pre- and post-fire data to examine the potential for disease-fire interactions to: 1) challenge important biological legacies maintained by contrasting asexual and sexual life history traits, 2) shift forest regeneration trajectories, and 3) impact future SOD epidemiology. These forests are dominated by woody plant species with the capacity to both asexually resprout and facultatively sexually regenerate, but belowground tree survival and vegetative regrowth represent the most abundant form of post-fire regeneration in this system. In Chapter 1, I assess the extent to which SOD-fire interactions challenge biological legacies maintained by the persistence of resprouting species, using data describing pre-fire fuels, disease occurrence, fire severity, and patterns of post-fire belowground survival and regrowth. I found that the accumulation of SOD-related surface fuels and increased substrate fire severity were associated with decreased probability of belowground survival for typically highly-persistent resprouting trees. However, surviving individuals resprouted more vigorously, potentially due to reduced stand competition, and indicated evidence of stand-level resilience, despite changes in individual-level vulnerability. The evolution and occurrence of resprouting and seed-producing traits is thought to have been shaped by disturbance regimes’ impacts on patterns of adult survival, competition, and propagule availability. In Chapter 2, I hypothesized that compounded disease and fire disturbances may alter opportunities for facultative sexual regeneration in this resprouter-dominated system, due to its impacts on these mechanisms. I found that diminishing availability of mature seed sources constrained post-fire seedling recruitment; however, where seed sources persisted, pre-fire disease impacts increased opportunities for seedling establishment and survival, likely due to gap formation and decreased competition associated with the SOD-related mortality of typically long-lived host species. Phytophthora ramorum is not completely eradicated from burned areas, and in turn, wildfire has the potential to impact the future epidemiology of this disease via changes to host composition, forest structure, and microclimatic conditions. In Chapter 3, I examine the influence of recurring wildfire on SOD epidemiology, including the occurrence, infestation intensity, and mortality impacts of P. ramorum. Here, I demonstrate that wildfire can alter forest disease dynamics via its influence on host composition and structure. Results from this analysis suggest that more frequent fire reduces P. ramorum occurrence, probability of host infection, and the density of important host species. In recently-burned environments, the persistence and reinvasion of the pathogen is strongly related to the legacy of surviving aboveground host vegetation. Further, recent wildfire reduces the impacts of P. ramorum on host stem mortality. Thus, the biological legacies determined by preceding disease-fire interactions are expected to shape future epidemiological pattern. In a variety of communities impacted by altered disturbance regimes, resprouting species are expected to be more competitive than obligate seeding species, due to resprouters’ abilities to persist locally without relying on dispersal, successful germination, and development to maturity. Together, the results of this dissertation work indicate mixed signs of resilience in this resprouter-dominated system. Following disease-fire interactions, density-dependent increases in resprouting vigor and increased opportunities for sexual recruitment may facilitate structural recovery, gradual compositional shifts to non-susceptible tree species, and opportunities for increased genetic variability. However, increased belowground mortality of typically highly-persistent asexual species and the gradual removal of susceptible hosts will have important impacts on stand turnover, population structure, and compositional shifts. Further, though recurring wildfire may reduce inoculum pressure and diminish mortality impacts, SOD epidemics will gradually reemerge in burned areas. This work provides important insight to the vulnerability and resilience of biological legacies maintained by asexual and sexual regeneration.

Download or read book Invasive Species in Forests and Rangelands of the United States written by Therese M. Poland and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-02-01 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book describes the serious threat of invasive species to native ecosystems. Invasive species have caused and will continue to cause enormous ecological and economic damage with ever increasing world trade. This multi-disciplinary book, written by over 100 national experts, presents the latest research on a wide range of natural science and social science fields that explore the ecology, impacts, and practical tools for management of invasive species. It covers species of all taxonomic groups from insects and pathogens, to plants, vertebrates, and aquatic organisms that impact a diversity of habitats in forests, rangelands and grasslands of the United States. It is well-illustrated, provides summaries of the most important invasive species and issues impacting all regions of the country, and includes a comprehensive primary reference list for each topic. This scientific synthesis provides the cultural, economic, scientific and social context for addressing environmental challenges posed by invasive species and will be a valuable resource for scholars, policy makers, natural resource managers and practitioners.

Download or read book Salvage Logging and Its Ecological Consequences written by David B. Lindenmayer and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2012-07-16 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Bark Beetle Management Ecology and Climate Change written by Kamal J.K. Gandhi and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2021-10-28 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bark Beetle Management, Ecology, and Climate Change provides the most updated and comprehensive knowledge on the complex effects of global warming upon the economically and ecologically important bark beetle species and their host trees. This authoritative reference synthesizes information on how forest disturbances and environmental changes due to current and future climate changes alter the ecology and management of bark beetles in forested landscapes. Written by international experts on bark beetle ecology, this book covers topics ranging from changes in bark beetle distributions and addition of novel hosts due to climate change, interactions of insects with altered host physiology and disturbance regimes, ecosystem-level impacts of bark beetle outbreaks due to climate change, multi-trophic changes mediated via climate change, and management of bark beetles in altered forests and climate conditions. Bark Beetle Management, Ecology, and Climate Change is an important resource for entomologists, as well as forest health specialists, policy makers, and conservationists who are interested in multi-faceted impacts of climate change on forest insects at the organismal, population, and community-levels. - The only book that addresses the impacts of global warming on bark beetles with feedback loops to forest patterns and processes - Discusses altered disturbance regimes due to climate change with implications for bark beetles and associated organisms - Led by a team of editors whose expertise includes entomology, pathology, ecology, forestry, modeling, and tree physiology

Download or read book Seed Dispersal and Frugivory written by Douglas John Levey and published by CABI. This book was released on 2002 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides information on the historical and theoretical perspectives of biodiversity and ecology in tropical forests, plant and animal behaviour towards seed dispersal and plant-animal interactions within forest communities, consequences of seed dispersal, and conservation, biodiversity and management.

Download or read book Abrupt Climate Change written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2002-04-23 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The climate record for the past 100,000 years clearly indicates that the climate system has undergone periodic-and often extreme-shifts, sometimes in as little as a decade or less. The causes of abrupt climate changes have not been clearly established, but the triggering of events is likely to be the result of multiple natural processes. Abrupt climate changes of the magnitude seen in the past would have far-reaching implications for human society and ecosystems, including major impacts on energy consumption and water supply demands. Could such a change happen again? Are human activities exacerbating the likelihood of abrupt climate change? What are the potential societal consequences of such a change? Abrupt Climate Change: Inevitable Surprises looks at the current scientific evidence and theoretical understanding to describe what is currently known about abrupt climate change, including patterns and magnitudes, mechanisms, and probability of occurrence. It identifies critical knowledge gaps concerning the potential for future abrupt changes, including those aspects of change most important to society and economies, and outlines a research strategy to close those gaps. Based on the best and most current research available, this book surveys the history of climate change and makes a series of specific recommendations for the future.

Download or read book Ecosystem Collapse and Recovery written by Adrian C. Newton and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-04-22 with total page 493 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines how ecosystems can collapse as a result of human activity, and the ecological processes underlying their subsequent recovery.

Download or read book Ecosystems of Disturbed Ground written by L.R. Walker and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 1999-12-17 with total page 881 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the human population inexorably grows, its cumulative impact on the Earth's resources is hard to ignore. The ability of the Earth to support more humans is dependent on the ability of humans to manage natural resources wisely. Because disturbance alters resource levels, effective management requires understanding of the ecology of disturbance. This book is the first to take a global approach to the description of both natural and anthropogenic disturbance regimes that physically impact the ground. Natural disturbances such as erosion, volcanoes, wind, herbivory, flooding and drought plus anthropogenic disturbances such as foresty, grazing, mining, urbanization and military actions are considered. Both disturbance impacts and the biotic recovery are addressed as well as the interactions of different types of disturbance. Other chapters cover processes that are important to the understanding of disturbance of all types including soil processes, nutrient cycles, primary productivity, succession, animal behaviour and competition. Humans react to disturbances by avoiding, exacerbating, or restoring them or by passing environmental legislation. All of these issues are covered in this book.Managers need better predictive models and robust data-collections that help determine both site-specfic and generalized responses to disturbance. Multiple disturbances have a complex effect on both physical and biotic processes as they interact. This book provides a wealth of detail about the process of disturbance and recovery as well as a synthesis of the current state of knowledge about disturbance theory, with extensive documentation.

Download or read book Assembly Rules and Restoration Ecology written by Vicky M. Temperton and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2013-04-10 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding how ecosystems are assembled -- how the species that make up a particular biological community arrive in an area, survive, and interact with other species -- is key to successfully restoring degraded ecosystems. Yet little attention has been paid to the idea of assembly rules in ecological restoration, in both the scientific literature and in on-the-ground restoration efforts. Assembly Rules and Restoration Ecology, edited by Vicky M. Temperton, Richard J. Hobbs, Tim Nuttle, and Stefan Halle, addresses that shortcoming, offering an introduction, overview, and synthesis of the potential role of assembly rules theory in restoration ecology. It brings together information and ideas relating to ecosystem assembly in a restoration context, and includes material from a wide geographic range and a variety of perspectives. Assembly Rules and Restoration Ecology contributes new knowledge and ideas to the subjects of assembly rules and restoration ecology and represents an important summary of the current status of an emerging field. It combines theoretical and practical aspects of restoration, making it a vital compendium of information and ideas for restoration ecologists, professionals, and practitioners.

Download or read book The Ecology of Natural Disturbance and Patch Dynamics written by Steward T.A. Pickett and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2013-10-22 with total page 489 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecologists are aware of the importance of natural dynamics in ecosystems. Historically, the focus has been on the development in succession of equilibrium communities, which has generated an understanding of the composition and functioning of ecosystems. Recently, many have focused on the processes of disturbances and the evolutionary significance of such events. This shifted emphasis has inspired studies in diverse systems. The phrase "patch dynamics" (Thompson, 1978) describes their common focus. The Ecology of Natural Disturbance and Patch Dynamics brings together the findings and ideas of those studying varied systems, presenting a synthesis of diverse individual contributions.

Download or read book The Ecology of Natural Disturbance and Patch Dynamics written by Bozzano G Luisa and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2012-12-02 with total page 489 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Ecology of Natural Disturbance and Patch Dynamics brings together the findings and ideas of researchers studying such varied systems as marine invertebrate communities; grasslands; and boreal, temperate, and tropical forests. The primary goal is to present a synthesis of diverse individual contributions. The book is divided into three main sections: (1) examples of patch dynamics in diverse systems; (2) adaptations of organisms and evolution of populations in patch dynamic environments; and (3) implications of patch dynamics for the organization of communities and the functioning of ecosystems. This approach demonstrates the commonality of disturbance-generated phenomena over a wide range of scales and levels of organization, and thus validates the broad applicability of the patch dynamic viewpoint. The book presents a framework that can stimulate the generation of explicit hypotheses and theory and forms an alternative to equilibrium concepts of the evolution of populations, composition of communities, and functioning of ecosystems.

Download or read book Assessment and Management of Plant Invasions written by James O. Luken and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biological invasion of native plant communities is a high-priority problem in the field of environmental management. Resource managers, biologists, and all those involved in plant communities must consider ecological interactions when assessing both the effects of plant invasion and the long-term effects of management. Sections of the book cover human perceptions of invading plants, assessment of ecological interactions, direct management, and regulation and advocacy. It also includes an appendix with descriptive data for many of the worst weeds.

Download or read book Disturbance and Ecosystems written by H. A. Mooney and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The earth's landscapes are being increasingly impacted by the activities of man. Unfortunately, we do not have a full understanding of the consequences of these disturbances on the earth's productive capacity. This problem was addressed by a group of French and U.S. ecologists who are specialists at levels of integration extending from genetics to the biosphere at a meeting at Stanford, California, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. With a few important exceptions it was found at this meeting that most man-induced disturbances of ecosystems can be viewed as large scale patterns of disturbances that have occurred, generally on a small scale, in ecosystems through evolutionary time. Man has induced dramatic large-scale changes in the environment which must be viewed at the biosphere level. Acid deposition and CO increase are two 2 examples of the consequences of man's increased utilization of fossil fuels. It is a matter of considerable concern that we cannot yet fully predict the ecological consequences of these environmental changes. Such problems must be addressed at the international level, yet substantive mechanisms to do this are not available.

Download or read book Assessing and Managing the Ecological Impacts of Paved Roads written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2006-01-22 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: All phases of road developmentâ€"from construction and use by vehicles to maintenanceâ€"affect physical and chemical soil conditions, water flow, and air and water quality, as well as plants and animals. Roads and traffic can alter wildlife habitat, cause vehicle-related mortality, impede animal migration, and disperse nonnative pest species of plants and animals. Integrating environmental considerations into all phases of transportation is an important, evolving process. The increasing awareness of environmental issues has made road development more complex and controversial. Over the past two decades, the Federal Highway Administration and state transportation agencies have increasingly recognized the importance of the effects of transportation on the natural environment. This report provides guidance on ways to reconcile the different goals of road development and environmental conservation. It identifies the ecological effects of roads that can be evaluated in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of roads and offers several recommendations to help better understand and manage ecological impacts of paved roads.

Download or read book An Ecosystem Services Approach to Assessing the Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-12-20 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the Gulf of Mexico recovers from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, natural resource managers face the challenge of understanding the impacts of the spill and setting priorities for restoration work. The full value of losses resulting from the spill cannot be captured, however, without consideration of changes in ecosystem services-the benefits delivered to society through natural processes. An Ecosystem Services Approach to Assessing the Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico discusses the benefits and challenges associated with using an ecosystem services approach to damage assessment, describing potential impacts of response technologies, exploring the role of resilience, and offering suggestions for areas of future research. This report illustrates how this approach might be applied to coastal wetlands, fisheries, marine mammals, and the deep sea-each of which provide key ecosystem services in the Gulf-and identifies substantial differences among these case studies. The report also discusses the suite of technologies used in the spill response, including burning, skimming, and chemical dispersants, and their possible long-term impacts on ecosystem services.

Download or read book Rangeland Systems written by David D. Briske and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-04-12 with total page 664 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 2.5 license. This book provides an unprecedented synthesis of the current status of scientific and management knowledge regarding global rangelands and the major challenges that confront them. It has been organized around three major themes. The first summarizes the conceptual advances that have occurred in the rangeland profession. The second addresses the implications of these conceptual advances to management and policy. The third assesses several major challenges confronting global rangelands in the 21st century. This book will compliment applied range management textbooks by describing the conceptual foundation on which the rangeland profession is based. It has been written to be accessible to a broad audience, including ecosystem managers, educators, students and policy makers. The content is founded on the collective experience, knowledge and commitment of 80 authors who have worked in rangelands throughout the world. Their collective contributions indicate that a more comprehensive framework is necessary to address the complex challenges confronting global rangelands. Rangelands represent adaptive social-ecological systems, in which societal values, organizations and capacities are of equal importance to, and interact with, those of ecological processes. A more comprehensive framework for rangeland systems may enable management agencies, and educational, research and policy making organizations to more effectively assess complex problems and develop appropriate solutions.