EBookClubs

Read Books & Download eBooks Full Online

EBookClubs

Read Books & Download eBooks Full Online

Book Utilizing Dendrochronology to Investigate Multiscale Drivers of Conifer Growth in the Pacific Northwest

Download or read book Utilizing Dendrochronology to Investigate Multiscale Drivers of Conifer Growth in the Pacific Northwest written by Meghan B. Foard and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conifers dominate temperate and boreal forests around the world and many species are economically important for structural timber production. They are also adapted to extreme climatatic conditions, such as drought and cold temperatures. Numerous conifer species occur within the Pacific Northwest United States (PNW) including firs, hemlocks, cedars, larches, and pines. The diversity of hydrologic and geographic variables across the PNW creates distinctive localized climates with differing limiting factors on conifer growth, such as temperature, moisture, and nutrient availability. Dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating, is a multidisciplinary methodology that utilizes annual tree ring widths to investigate environmental conditions influencing trees or stands throughout their life. A substantial amount of information is known about tree-growth responses to climate and stand dynamics. However, investigations into interacting silvicultural and climatological influences, as well as spatial variability of growth relationships, may inform future management and dendrochronological techniques. The first three chapters of this dissertation utilize dendrochronology to investigate multiple drivers of species-specific tree growth. The first chapter investigates the impacts of density reductions, via different thinning intensities, on tree growth in moist mixed coniferous forests in northern Idaho, USA. Species that respond rapidly to available sunlight and/or nutrients, like western larch and western redcedar, show the greatest growth increases following thinning. The less consistent responses to thinning by western hemlock and grand fir were likely due to their autecological characteristics and inherent lack of responses to greater growing space. Findings from Chapter 1 align with past thinning experiments and found that thinning is an effective tool for increasing growth in most species. However, if the objectives are to favor injury-prone and less competitive species like western hemlock and grand fir, precautions must be taken during and after treatment to limit tree damage that could produce undesired responses. Chapter 2 presents the temporal variability of growth-drought relationships for the same species from Chapter 1, and how that relationship is influenced by thinning. The four species in this study, western larch, grand fir, western redcedar, and western hemlock, show a wide range of responses to drought depending on timing of drought, length of drought, intensity of drought, and forest stand density. Findings indicate that length and season of drought, species-specific drought tolerance, and stage of stand development, influence growth-drought responses. Drought sensitivity often involves trade-offs among other limiting factors like direct competition for resources. Moreover, trees growing in moist forests may not be as highly susceptible to droughts as those in dry forests. Therefore, it is suggested that stands be managed as complex adaptive systems by prioritizing species, age, and structural diversity. Results from Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 demonstrate that strip clearcutting in moist forest results in diverse conifer species composition and structure that can be further managed to create complexity through mid-rotation thinning. Chapter 3 focused at a larger spatial scale (e.g., greater PNW) to examine the effects of geographical factors on flow-growth relationships of four different conifer species. Streamflow correlated negatively with subalpine fir and mountain hemlock growth, species commonly found at cool, moist, high elevation sites, indicating that they are likely more sensitive to severe environmental variation like those experienced with climate change. Drier-site species, Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine were mostly positively correlated with flow, though a few had significant negative correlations, indicating that they are species with high adaptive capacity. Results help simplify planning for field collections and strengthen methodologies for future streamflow reconstructions by supplying knowledge about which streams, species, elevations, and directions will yield the most robust models in the spatially diverse terrain of the PNW. Chapter 4 is a collaborative synthesis of climate change research in the Columbia River Basin (CRB). Results show that spatial distribution and thematic content of research varies across an international border, with greater concentrations of research in the United States than Canada. A general scarcity of social science research and limited interaction between social and biophysical content reinforces the need for increased collaboration between disparate disciplines. Future research focus areas should include research related to climate change adaptation and mitigation, increased integration between social and biophysical sciences, and collaborations that bridge the international border for a more unified basin-wide focus. Focusing on these new directions for research will increase the potential for science and management communities to co-produce actionable science and effective responses to climate change. With the utilization of dendrochronological techniques, many of the interacting drivers of species-specific tree growth in the PNW were discovered. Shade tolerance, disturbance dynamics, and hydroclimate all influence conifer growth in the region. The relationships between streamflow and growth are heightened for trees growing in extreme climates, and these relationships are driven by geographical features. Overall, this dissertation provides insight into dendrochronological techniques as well as silvicultural management in moist mixed conifer forests; it also lends support that forest management can assist tree growth and alter growth-drought relationships depending on species. Finally, the dissertation offers additional evidence to the decades-long theory that trees growing at the edges of their ranges show higher sensitivity to limiting factors.

Book Operationalizing the Concepts of Resilience and Resistance for Managing Ecosystems and Species at Risk

Download or read book Operationalizing the Concepts of Resilience and Resistance for Managing Ecosystems and Species at Risk written by Jeanne C. Chambers and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2020-07-17 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Causes and Consequences of Species Diversity in Forest Ecosystems

Download or read book Causes and Consequences of Species Diversity in Forest Ecosystems written by Aaron M. Ellison and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2019-07-30 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue Causes and Consequences of Species Diversity in Forest Ecosystems that was published in Forests

Book The Redwood Forest

    Book Details:
  • Author : Save-the-Redwoods League
  • Publisher :
  • Release : 2000
  • ISBN :
  • Pages : 376 pages

Download or read book The Redwood Forest written by Save-the-Redwoods League and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evidence is mounting that redwood forests, like many other ecosystems, cannot survive as small, isolated fragments in human-altered landscapes. Such fragments lose their diversity over time and, in the case of redwoods, may even lose the ability to grow new, giant trees. The Redwood Forest, written in support of Save-the-Redwood League's master plan, provides scientific guidance for saving the redwood forest by bringing together in a single volume the latest insights from conservation biology along with new information from data-gathering techniques such as GIS and remote sensing. It presents the most current findings on the geologic and cultural history, natural history, ecology, management, and conservation of the flora and fauna of the redwood ecosystem. Leading experts -- including Todd Dawson, Bill Libby, John Sawyer, Steve Sillett, Dale Thornburgh, Hartwell Welch, and many others -- offer a comprehensive account of the redwoods ecosystem, with specific chapters examining: the history of the redwood lineage, from the Triassic Period to the present, along with the recent history of redwoods conservation life history, architecture, genetics, environmental relations, and disturbance regimes of redwoods terrestrial flora and fauna, communities, and ecosystems aquatic ecosystems landscape-scale conservation planning management alternatives relating to forestry, restoration, and recreation. The Redwood Forest offers a case study for ecosystem-level conservation and gives conservation organizations the information, technical tools, and broad perspective they need to evaluate redwood sites and landscapes for conservation. It contains the latest information from ground-breaking research on such topics as redwood canopy communities, the role of fog in sustaining redwood forests, and the function of redwood burls. It also presents sobering lessons from current research on the effects of forestry activities on the sensitive faunas of redwood forests and streams. The key to perpetuating the redwood forest is understanding how it functions; this book represents an important step in establishing such an understanding. It presents a significant body of knowledge in a single volume, and will be a vital resource for conservation scientists, land use planners, policymakers, and anyone involved with conservation of redwoods and other forests.

Book Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Management Options

Download or read book Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Management Options written by James M. Vose and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2013-12-05 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forest land managers face the challenges of preparing their forests for the impacts of climate change. However, climate change adds a new dimension to the task of developing and testing science-based management options to deal with the effects of stressors on forest ecosystems in the southern United States. The large spatial scale and complex interactions make traditional experimental approaches difficult. Yet, the current progression of climate change science offers new insights from recent syntheses, models, and experiments, providing enough information to start planning now for a future that will likely include an increase in disturbances and rapid changes in forest conditions. Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Management Options: A Guide for Natural Resource Managers in Southern Forest Ecosystems provides a comprehensive analysis of forest management options to guide natural resource management in the face of future climate change. Topics include potential climate change impacts on wildfire, insects, diseases, and invasives, and how these in turn might affect the values of southern forests that include timber, fiber, and carbon; water quality and quantity; species and habitats; and recreation. The book also considers southern forest carbon sequestration, vulnerability to biological threats, and migration of native tree populations due to climate change. This book utilizes the most relevant science and brings together science experts and land managers from various disciplines and regions throughout the south to combine science, models, and on-the-ground experience to develop management options. Providing a link between current management actions and future management options that would anticipate a changing climate, the authors hope to ensure a broader range of options for managing southern forests and protecting their values in the future.

Book Silviculture and Ecology of Western U S  Forests

Download or read book Silviculture and Ecology of Western U S Forests written by John C. Tappeiner and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "An essential reference for forest managers, policy makers, forest scientists, and students, this authoritative volume provides a basis for silviculture practices and contemporary management of western forests."--BOOK JACKET.

Book Fire and Climatic Change in Temperate Ecosystems of the Western Americas

Download or read book Fire and Climatic Change in Temperate Ecosystems of the Western Americas written by Thomas T. Veblen and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-05-10 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Both fire and climatic variability have monumental impacts on the dynamics of temperate ecosystems. These impacts can sometimes be extreme or devastating as seen in recent El Nino/La Nina cycles and in uncontrolled fire occurrences. This volume brings together research conducted in western North and South America, areas of a great deal of collaborative work on the influence of people and climate change on fire regimes. In order to give perspective to patterns of change over time, it emphasizes the integration of paleoecological studies with studies of modern ecosystems. Data from a range of spatial scales, from individual plants to communities and ecosystems to landscape and regional levels, are included. Contributions come from fire ecology, paleoecology, biogeography, paleoclimatology, landscape and ecosystem ecology, ecological modeling, forest management, plant community ecology and plant morphology. The book gives a synthetic overview of methods, data and simulation models for evaluating fire regime processes in forests, shrublands and woodlands and assembles case studies of fire, climate and land use histories. The unique approach of this book gives researchers the benefits of a north-south comparison as well as the integration of paleoecological histories, current ecosystem dynamics and modeling of future changes.

Book Dendroecology

    Book Details:
  • Author : Mariano M. Amoroso
  • Publisher : Springer
  • Release : 2017-12-12
  • ISBN : 3319616692
  • Pages : 404 pages

Download or read book Dendroecology written by Mariano M. Amoroso and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-12-12 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dendroecologists apply the principles and methods of tree-ring science to address ecological questions and resolve problems related to global environmental change. In this fast-growing field, tree rings are used to investigate forest development and succession, disturbance regimes, ecotone and treeline dynamics and forest decline. This book of global scope highlights state-of-the-science dendroecological contributions to paradigm-shifts in our understanding of ecophysiology, stand dynamics, disturbance interactions, forest decline and ecosystem resilience to global environmental change and is fundamental to better managing our forested ecosystems for the full range of ecosystem goods and services that they provide.

Book Past Climate Variability through Europe and Africa

Download or read book Past Climate Variability through Europe and Africa written by Richard W. Battarbee and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2004-12-03 with total page 653 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses on two complementary time-scales, the Holocene (approximately the last 11,500 years) and the last glacial-interglacial cycle (approximately the last 130,000 years) to synthesize evidence of climate variability at the regional and continental scale across Europe and Africa. This is the first examination of historical climate variations at such a scale, and thus sets a benchmark for future research.

Book Mediterranean Oak Woodland Working Landscapes

Download or read book Mediterranean Oak Woodland Working Landscapes written by Pablo Campos and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-06-18 with total page 504 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The oak tree was a boon companion as humans expanded their presence across much of the globe. While oak woodlands (Quercus spp.) come today in stunningly diverse forms, the stately dehesas of Spain and the dramatic oak-dominated ranchlands of California are working landscapes where cultivation and manipulation for a couple of millennia have shaped Mediterranean-type ecosystems into a profoundly modified yet productive environment that is sought-after by every manner of species. The grazing of wildlife and livestock in oak woodlands yields a remarkable plant and animal biodiversity, creating a mosaic of habitats and visually pleasing savannas. Added products unique to Spain such as Iberian pigs and cork, and in California multiple landowner benefits, include valued ecosystem services that allow owners, visitors, and conservation supporters to experience the benefits of woodland life. With its 15 chapters a decade in the making, this handsomely illustrated book covers key topics in oak woodland policy, ecology, and management in Spain and California, presenting new research results and reviewing an existing expert literature.

Book Dryland Ecohydrology

    Book Details:
  • Author : Paolo D'Odorico
  • Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
  • Release : 2006-01-09
  • ISBN : 9781402042591
  • Pages : 358 pages

Download or read book Dryland Ecohydrology written by Paolo D'Odorico and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-01-09 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecohydrology emerges as a new field of research aiming at furthering our understanding of the earth system through the study of the interactions between the water cycle and vegetation. By combining the analysis of biotic and abiotic components of terrestrial ecosystems, this volume provides a synthesis of material on arid and semiarid landscapes, which is currently spread in a number of books and journal articles. The focus on water-limited ecosystems is motivated by their high sensitivity to daily, seasonal, and decadal perturbations in water availability, and by the ecologic, climatic, and economic significance of most of the drylands around the world. Conceived as a tool for scientists working in the area of the earth and environmental sciences, this book presents the basic principles of eco-hydrology as well as a broad spectrum of topics and advances in this research field. The chapters collected in this book have been contributed by authors with different expertise, who work in several arid areas around the World. They describe the various interactions among the biological and physical dynamics in dryland ecosystems, starting from basic processes in the soil-vegetation-climate system, to landscape-scale hydrologic and geomorphic processes, ecohydrologic controls on soil nutrient dynamics, and multiscale analyses of disturbances and patterns.

Book Growing Plantation Forests

Download or read book Growing Plantation Forests written by P. W. West and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-10-21 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes the scientific principles that are used throughout the world to ensure the rapid, healthy growth of forest plantations. As the population of the world increases so does the amount of wood people use. Large areas of natural forests are being cleared every year and converted to other uses. Almost as large an area of plantation forests is being established annually to replace those lost natural forests. Eventually, plantations will produce a large proportion of the wood used around the world for firewood, building, the manufacture of paper and bioenergy. Forest plantations can also provide various environmental benefits including carbon storage, rehabilitation of degraded land, serving as disposal sites for various forms of industrial or agricultural waste and enhancing biodiversity in regions that have been largely cleared for agriculture. Whatever their motivation, plantation forest growers want their plantations to be healthy and grow rapidly to achieve their purpose as soon as possible. This book discusses how this is done. It is written for a worldwide audience, from forestry professionals and scientists through to small plantation growers, and describes how plantations may be grown responsibly and profitably.

Book Global Biodiversity in a Changing Environment

Download or read book Global Biodiversity in a Changing Environment written by Osvaldo E. Sala and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2001-08-24 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Climatic change, conservation biology

Book Forest Hydrology

Download or read book Forest Hydrology written by Devendra Amatya and published by CABI. This book was released on 2016-09-14 with total page 309 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forests cover approximately 26% of the world's land surface area and represent a distinct biotic community. They interact with water and soil in a variety of ways, providing canopy surfaces which trap precipitation and allow evaporation back into the atmosphere, thus regulating how much water reaches the forest floor as through fall, as well as pull water from the soil for transpiration. The discipline "forest hydrology" has been developed throughout the 20th century. During that time human intervention in natural landscapes has increased, and land use and management practices have intensified. The book will be useful for graduate students, professionals, land managers, practitioners, and researchers with a good understanding of the basic principles of hydrology and hydrologic processes.

Book The Physical Geography of South America

Download or read book The Physical Geography of South America written by Thomas T. Veblen and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2015-04-01 with total page 750 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Physical Geography of South America, the eighth volume in the Oxford Regional Environments series, presents an enduring statement on the physical and biogeographic conditions of this remarkable continent and their relationships to human activity. It fills a void in recent environmental literature by assembling a team of specialists from within and beyond South America in order to provide an integrated, cross-disciplinary body of knowledge about this mostly tropical continent, together with its high mountains and temperate southern cone. The authors systematically cover the main components of the South American environment - tectonism, climate, glaciation, natural landscape changes, rivers, vegetation, animals, and soils. The book then presents more specific treatments of regions with special attributes from the tropical forests of the Amazon basin to the Atacama Desert and Patagonian steppe, and from the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Pacific coasts to the high Andes. Additionally, the continents environments are given a human face by evaluating the roles played by people over time, from pre-European and European colonial impacts to the effects of modern agriculture and urbanization, and from interactions with El Niño events to prognoses for the future environments of the continent.