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Book Old Fields

    Book Details:
  • Author : Richard J. Hobbs
  • Publisher : Island Press
  • Release : 2012-06-22
  • ISBN : 1610910982
  • Pages : 347 pages

Download or read book Old Fields written by Richard J. Hobbs and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2012-06-22 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Land abandonment is increasing as human influence on the globe intensifies and various ecological, social, and economic factors conspire to force the cessation of agriculture and other forms of land management. The “old fields” that result from abandonment have been the subject of much study, yet few attempts have been made to examine the larger questions raised by old field dynamics. Old Fields brings together leading experts from around the world to synthesize past and current work on old fields, providing an up-to-date perspective on the ecological dynamics of abandoned land. The book gives readers a broad understanding of why agricultural land is abandoned, the factors that determine the ecological recovery of old fields, and how this understanding contributes to theoretical and applied ecology. Twelve case studies from diverse geographical and climatic areas—including Australian rainforest, Brazilian Amazonia, New Jersey piedmont, and South African renosterveld—offer a global perspective on the causes and results of land abandonment. Concluding chapters consider the similarities and differences among the case studies, examine them in the context of ecological concepts, and discuss their relevance to the growing field of restoration ecology. Old Fields is the first book to draw together studies on old fields from both a theoretical and practical perspective. It represents an important contribution to the development of theory on old field dynamics and the practice of ecological restoration on abandoned farmland, and the broader implications of old field dynamics to ecology and restoration.

Book Invasive Species in Forests and Rangelands of the United States

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.

Book Grassland Invertebrates

    Book Details:
  • Author : Jim P. Curry
  • Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
  • Release : 1993-11-30
  • ISBN : 9780412165207
  • Pages : 470 pages

Download or read book Grassland Invertebrates written by Jim P. Curry and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1993-11-30 with total page 470 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Grasslands comprise more than a quarter of the Earth's land surface. In addition to supporting a wide range of vertebrates such as domestic livestock and a variety of games species, grassland is the natural habitat for a wide range of invertebrate species, and this book considers those which occur in grassland and their impact on soil fertility and herbage growth. It describes grassland as a habitat for invertebrates, the groups which occur there and their abudance. An extensive literature on grassland invertebrates scattered through numerous scientific journals and reports is drawn on in an attempt to develop an overview. In the opening chapter the major grassland types are considered and the features which influence the distribution and abudance of the invertebrates which inhabit them are discussed. Next the major taxonomic groups are reviewed in turn, with a brief account of their biology and ecology and of their ecosystem role. Some general features of grassland invertebrate communities are then described and teh factors which influence th epopulation densities of their constituent species are considered. Particular attentionm is given to the ways in which populations are influenced by management practices. The final and largest chapterdeals with the various ways in which invertebrates influence important grassland processes through ingestion of organic matter, interaction with injurious species is considered, with particular emphasis on the potential for achieving this through manipulating grassland management practices.

Book California Grasslands

    Book Details:
  • Author : Mark R. Stromberg
  • Publisher : Univ of California Press
  • Release : 2007-12-03
  • ISBN : 9780520252202
  • Pages : 416 pages

Download or read book California Grasslands written by Mark R. Stromberg and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2007-12-03 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This highly synthetic and scholarly work brings together new and important scientific contributions by leading experts on a rich diversity of topics concerning the history, ecology, and conservation of California's endangered grasslands. The editors and authors have succeeded admirably in drawing from a great wealth of recent research to produce a widely accessible and compelling, state-of-the-art treatment of this fascinating subject. Anyone interested in Californian biodiversity or grassland ecosystems in general will find this book to be an invaluable resource and a major inspiration for further research, management, and restoration efforts."—Bruce G. Baldwin, W. L. Jepson Professor and Curator, UC Berkeley "Grasses and grasslands are among the most important elements of the California landscape. This is their book, embodying the kind of integrated view needed for all ecological communities in California. Approaches ranging across an incredibly broad spectrum -- paleontology and human history; basic science and practical management techniques; systematics, community ecology, physiology, and genetics; physical factors such as water, soil nutrients, atmospherics, and fire; biological factors such as competition, symbiosis, and grazing -- are nicely tied together due to careful editorial work. This is an indispensable reference for everyone interested in the California environment."—Brent Mishler, Director of the University & Jepson Herbaria and Professor of Integrative Biology, UC Berkeley "The structure and function of California grasslands have intrigued ecologists for decades. The editors of this volume have assembled a comprehensive set of reviews by a group of outstanding authors on the natural history, structure, management, and restoration of this economically and ecologically important ecosystem."—Scott L. Collins, Professor of Biology, University of New Mexico

Book Dissertation Abstracts International

Download or read book Dissertation Abstracts International written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 924 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Terrestrial Vegetation of California  3rd Edition

Download or read book Terrestrial Vegetation of California 3rd Edition written by Michael Barbour and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2007-07-17 with total page 734 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thoroughly revised, entirely rewritten edition of what is the essential reference on California’s diverse and ever-changing vegetation now brings readers the most authoritative, state-of-the-art view of California’s plant ecosystems available. Integrating decades of research, leading community ecologists and field botanists describe and classify California’s vegetation types, identify environmental factors that determine the distribution of vegetation types, analyze the role of disturbance regimes in vegetation dynamics, chronicle change due to human activities, identify conservation issues, describe restoration strategies, and prioritize directions for new research. Several new chapters address statewide issues such as the historic appearance and impact of introduced and invasive plants, the soils of California, and more.

Book Ecosystems of California

    Book Details:
  • Author : Harold Mooney
  • Publisher : Univ of California Press
  • Release : 2016-01-19
  • ISBN : 0520278801
  • Pages : 1008 pages

Download or read book Ecosystems of California written by Harold Mooney and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2016-01-19 with total page 1008 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This long-anticipated reference and sourcebook for CaliforniaÕs remarkable ecological abundance provides an integrated assessment of each major ecosystem typeÑits distribution, structure, function, and management. A comprehensive synthesis of our knowledge about this biologically diverse state, Ecosystems of California covers the state from oceans to mountaintops using multiple lenses: past and present, flora and fauna, aquatic and terrestrial, natural and managed. Each chapter evaluates natural processes for a specific ecosystem, describes drivers of change, and discusses how that ecosystem may be altered in the future. This book also explores the drivers of CaliforniaÕs ecological patterns and the history of the stateÕs various ecosystems, outlining how the challenges of climate change and invasive species and opportunities for regulation and stewardship could potentially affect the stateÕs ecosystems. The text explicitly incorporates both human impacts and conservation and restoration efforts and shows how ecosystems support human well-being. Edited by two esteemed ecosystem ecologists and with overviews by leading experts on each ecosystem, this definitive work will be indispensable for natural resource management and conservation professionals as well as for undergraduate or graduate students of CaliforniaÕs environment and curious naturalists.

Book Population Biology of Grasses

Download or read book Population Biology of Grasses written by G. P. Cheplick and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1998-03-28 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dynamics.

Book Population Viability in Plants

    Book Details:
  • Author : Christy A. Brigham
  • Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
  • Release : 2003-03-24
  • ISBN : 9783540439097
  • Pages : 396 pages

Download or read book Population Viability in Plants written by Christy A. Brigham and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2003-03-24 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Persistence, threats, pathogens, herbivores, interactions, fragmented, landscape, extinction, habitat, disturbance, restoration.

Book Plant Invasions

    Book Details:
  • Author : Anna Traveset
  • Publisher : CABI
  • Release : 2020-11-20
  • ISBN : 1789242177
  • Pages : 481 pages

Download or read book Plant Invasions written by Anna Traveset and published by CABI. This book was released on 2020-11-20 with total page 481 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are many books on aspects of plant invasions, but none that focus on the key role of species interactions in mediating invasions. This book reviews exciting new findings and explores how new methods and tools are shedding new light on crucial processes in plant invasions. This book will be of interest to academics and students of ecology, researchers engaged in developing management solutions, scientific managers of natural ecosystems, and policy-makers.

Book Experimental Approaches to Conservation Biology

Download or read book Experimental Approaches to Conservation Biology written by Malcolm Gordon and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2004-09-13 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We are living in the early stages of a looming worldwide extinction crisis. Abundant evidence shows that the current rate of species extinctions is nearing its highest level since the asteroid collision 65 million years ago, and that humans are largely responsible. This book addresses the urgent need to understand and find solutions to this crisis. Written by an international team of contributors who are among the best-known and most active experimental biologists working in the field of conservation biology today, it provides a unique approach by focusing on individual species rather than whole plant and animal communities. Emphasizing throughout how conservation biology can benefit from an experimental approach, the book looks at a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic species—from giant pandas and tree snails to sea turtles and Steller sea lions—and demonstrates what can be done both to preserve rare species and to combat invasive organisms. Finally, contributors show how we can bridge the gap between policy makers and research scientists in order to develop lasting solutions to these problems.

Book Invasive Species and Biodiversity Management

Download or read book Invasive Species and Biodiversity Management written by Odd Terje Sandlund and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2001-06-30 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on a selection of papers presented at the Norway/UN Conference on Alien Species, Trondheim, Norway

Book Ecotones Between Forest and Grassland

Download or read book Ecotones Between Forest and Grassland written by Randall W. Myster and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-07-10 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecotones are dynamic over-lapping boundary areas where major terrestrial biomes meet. As past studies have shown, and as the chapters in this book will illustrate, their structure, size, and scope have changed considerably over the millennia, expanding and shrinking as climate and/or other driving conditions, also changed. Today, however, many of them are changing at a rate not seen for a long time, perhaps largely due to climate change and other human-induced factors. Indeed ecotones are more sensitive to climate change than the biomes on either side, and thus may serve as critical early indicators of future climate change. As ecotones change, they also redefine the limits of the biomes on either side by altering their distributions of species because, in addition to their own endemic species, any ecotone will also have species from both adjoining biomes. Consequently, they may also be places of high levels of species interaction, serving as active evolutionary laboratories, which generate new species that then migrate back into adjacent biomes. Ecotones Between Forest and Grassland explores how these ecotones have changed in the past, how they are changing today, and how they are likely to change in the future. The book includes chapters from around the world with a special focus on South American and Neotropical ecotones.

Book Encyclopedia of Biological Invasions

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Biological Invasions written by Dr. Daniel Simberloff and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2011-01-02 with total page 1580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This pioneering encyclopedia illuminates a topic at the forefront of global ecology—biological invasions, or organisms that come to live in the wrong place. Written by leading scientists from around the world, Encyclopedia of Biological Invasions addresses all aspects of this subject at a global level—including invasions by animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria—in succinct, alphabetically arranged articles. Scientifically uncompromising, yet clearly written and free of jargon, the volume encompasses fields of study including biology, demography, geography, ecology, evolution, sociology, and natural history. Featuring many cross-references, suggestions for further reading, illustrations, an appendix of the world’s worst 100 invasive species, a glossary, and more, this is an essential reference for anyone who needs up-to-date information on this important topic. Encyclopedia of Biological Invasions features articles on: • Well-known invasive species such the zebra mussel, chestnut blight, cheatgrass, gypsy moth, Nile perch, giant African snail, and Norway rat • Regions with especially large numbers of introduced species including the Great Lakes, Mediterranean Sea, Hawaiian Islands, Australia, and New Zealand. • Conservation, ecological, economic, and human and animal health impacts of invasions around the world • The processes and pathways involved in invasion • Management of introduced species

Book Grasslands and Climate Change

Download or read book Grasslands and Climate Change written by David J. Gibson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-03-21 with total page 363 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive assessment of the effects of climate change on global grasslands and the mitigating role that ecologists can play.