Ecology of Woodlands and Forests
Ecology of Woodlands and Forests
Taking a functional rather than an ecosystem or a utilitarian approach, Thomas and Packham provide a concise account of the structure of woodlands and forests. Using examples from around the world - from polar treelines to savannahs to tropical rain forests - the authors explain the structure of the soil and the hidden world of the roots; how the main groups of organisms which live within them interact both positively and negatively. There is particular emphasis on woodland and forest processes, especially those involving the flow and cycling of nutrients, as well as the dynamics of wooded areas, considering how and why they have changed through geological time and continue to do so. This clear, non-technical, 2007 text will be of interest to undergraduates, foresters, ecologists and land managers.
- Uses non-technical language and explains new terminology in the text, allowing the reader to easily follow the text without having to refer to a glossary
- Uses examples and case studies from around the world, making it appealing to a wide geographic audience
- Supplementary information is contained in boxes, allowing readers to follow the main theme of a section without being sidetracked
Reviews & endorsements
"This is an eagerly awaited update and extension of an earlier classic...The book is written with the authority of two established authors with a combined wealth of experience in both the subject and also (importantly) in its communication to a wide audience...The result is a book that will appeal to a wide range of readers from both undergraduate and postgraduate students to foresters, ecologists and land managers. A colleague has 'tested' this with undergraduates and is highly pleased with the result. I'm sure this will be a classic text for a range of readers for many years to come."
Ian D. Rotherham, Agricultural Journal
"The book is very up-to-date. Undergraduates, foresters, ecologists and land managers should have Ecology of Woodlands and Forests on their bookshelf."
Matthias Schaefer, Basic and Applied Ecology
Product details
August 2007Hardback
9780521834520
544 pages
254 × 178 × 30 mm
1.15kg
172 b/w illus.
Available
Table of Contents
- Preface
- 1. Introduction: forest basics
- 2. Forest soils, climate and zonation
- 3. Primary production and forest development
- 4. Reproductive strategies of forest plants
- 5. Biotic interactions
- 6. Biodiversity in woodlands
- 7. Decomposition and renewal
- 8. Energy and nutrients
- 9. Forest change and disturbance
- 10. Working forests
- 11. The future - how will our forests change?
- References.
