Terrestrial ecosystems /
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| Author / Creator: | Aber, John D. |
|---|---|
| Edition: | 2nd ed. |
| Imprint: | San Diego : Harcourt Academic Press, c2001. |
| Description: | xix, 556 p., [16] p. of plates : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.) ; 26 cm. |
| Language: | English |
| Subject: | |
| Format: | Print Book |
| URL for this record: | http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/4443668 |
Table of Contents:
- Part 1. Introduction
- Chapter 1. Development of Concepts in Ecosystem Science
- Why Study Ecosystems?
- Development of Ecosystem Concepts
- Delimiting the Ecosystem
- Components of Terrestrial Ecosystems
- Chapter 2. Structure of Terrestrial Ecosystems
- Introduction
- Distribution and Characteristics of Major Ecosystem Types
- Vegetation Type, Plant Structure, and Major Processes
- Soil Processes and Distribution of Soil Types
- Major Vegetation and Soil Types of the Earth
- Correlations Between Climate and Ecosystem Function
- Variation Within Large Climatic Regions
- Chapter 3. Measurement of Ecosystem Function I: The Carbon Balance
- Introduction
- The Carbon Balance of Terrestrial Ecosystems
- Chapter 4. Measurement of Ecosystem Function II: Nutrient and Water Balances
- Introduction
- Nutrient and Water Balances
- Methods in Watershed-Ecosystem Studies
- Some Results from Watershed-Ecosystem Studies
- Studies on Responses to Disturbance
- Chapter 5. Additional Approaches to Analysis and Synthesis in Ecosystem Studies
- Introduction
- Analytical Methods
- Gradients in Ecosystem Processes over Space and Time
- Systems Analysis and Ecosystem Studies
- Computer Modeling: A Synthesis Tool for Ecosystem Studies
- Part 2. Mechanisms: Processes Controlling Ecosystem Structure and Function
- Chapter 6. Energy, Water, and Carbon Balances over Leaves
- Introduction
- The Energy, Carbon, and Water Balance of a Leaf
- Chemical and Latent Energy Exchanges
- Net Radiation
- Sensible Heat Exchange: Conduction and Convection
- Structural and Physiological Adaptations
- Leaf Structure and Function in Major Ecosystem Types
- Chapter 7. Water Use and Water Balances in Ecosystems
- Introduction
- The Hydrologic Cycle of Ecosystems
- The Concept of Water Potential in Soils, Plants, and the Atmosphere
- Integrating Water Stress over Time: An Isotope-Based Method
- Chapter 8. Structure and Dynamics of Canopy Systems
- Introduction
- The Canopy Environment
- Structured Canopies, Succession, and Light-Use Efficiency
- Phenology: Seasonal Variation in Canopy Structure and Function
- Models of Canopy Carbon Exchange
- Chapter 9. Soil Development and the Soil Environment
- Introduction
- The Major Elements
- The Soil Environment
- Soil Chemical Processes Affecting Nutrient Availability
- Chapter 10. Biological Processes in Soils
- Introduction
- Measures of Nutrient Availability
- Measures Based on Rate of Mineralization from Organic Matter
- Nutrient Uptake and the Biological Modification of Nutrient Availability
- Chapter 11. Resource Allocation and Net Primary Production
- Introduction
- Resource Limitations on Production: A Simplified View
- Resource Pools in Plants and Their Allocation
- An Ecological Enigma: Why Do Trees Stop Growing?
- Chapter 12. Chemical Properties of Litter and Soil Organic Matter: The Decomposition Continuum
- Introduction
- Organic Matter as a Resource for Microbial Growth
- Biochemical Constituents of Litter and Their Rates of Decay
- What Is Humus?
- Formation of Humus
- Decomposition and Stabilization of Humus
- Three Examples of New Approaches to "Seeing" the Structure and Dynamics of Soil Organic Matter
- Chapter 13. Decay Rates and Nutrient Dynamics of Litter and Soil Organic Matter
- Introduction
- Litter Decomposition Rates
- Decomposition and Nutrient Release from Humus
- The Important Role of Soil Organic Matter
- Chapter 14. Plant-Soil Interactions: Summary Effects on Nutrient Cycles
- Introduction
- Comparisons of Generalized Nutrient Cycles
- Changes in Solution Chemistry in Ecosystems
- Species Effects on Nutrient Distribution and Cycling
- Chapter 15. Factors Limiting Consumption: Plant-Herbivore Interactions
- Introduction
- Consumption as a Fraction of Net Primary Productivity
- Structural and Chemical Inhibition of Herbivory
- Patterns of Herbivore Inhibitor Production in Plants
- Implications
- Chapter 16. Characteristics of Ecosystems with High Herbivore Consumption Rates
- Introduction
- Ungulates and Grasses: Coevolution?
- Plants, Herbivores, Carnivores, and Cyclic Patterns of Consumption in Nongrassland Systems
- The Stabilizing Effects of Territoriality and Predation: Moose and Wolves on Isle Royale
- Effects of Vegetative Change and Climate on Irruptions of Insect Populations
- Conclusion
- Chapter 17. The Role of Fire in Carbon and Nutrient Balances
- Introduction
- Major Categories of Fire Types
- Fire Frequency and Intensity in Different Types of Ecosystems
- Effects on Soils and Plants
- Plant Adaptations to Different Fire Regimes
- Fire-Herbivory Interactions
- Fire and the Management of Ecosystems
- Conclusion
- Chapter 18. Synthesis: A Generalized Theory of Ecosystem Dynamics
- Introduction
- Successional Theories of Ecosystem Development
- Physiological Theories of Ecosystem Development
- Comparing Successional and Physiological Theories
- Part 3. Synthesis: Dynamics of Selected Ecosystems
- Chapter 19. A Fire-Dominated Ecosystem: The Taiga Forests of Interior Alaska
- Introduction
- The Taiga Forests of Interior Alaska
- Fire and Succession in Taiga Forests
- Experimental Modification of Taiga Ecosystems
- Summary of Interactions and Relation to General Theory
- Implications for Human Use of the Taiga
- Boreal Forests and Global Change
- Chapter 20. The Serengeti: An Herbivore-Dominated Ecosystem
- Introduction
- Environment of the Serengeti Region
- Resource Partitioning and Use by Herbivores
- Resource Partitioning Among Predators
- Vegetation-Herbivore-Predator Interactions
- Predation Versus Food as Limiting Factors in Herbivore Populations
- Perturbations, Succession, and the Dynamics of the Serengeti System
- Human Use and Conservation Concerns in the Serengeti
- Chapter 21. A Gap-Regeneration System: The Northern Hardwood Forests of the United States
- Introduction
- The Northern Hardwood Ecosystems of New England
- Patterns of Disturbance in Northern Hardwoods and Effects on Resource Availability
- Species Adaptations to the Disturbance Gradient: Reproductive and Life History Strategies
- Integration of Plant and Biogeochemical Responses to Disturbance
- Alternate Endpoints for Succession: Species-Site Interactions
- Human Use and History of the Northern Hardwoods Region
- Chapter 22. Ecosystem Development over Geologic Time: The Tropical Forests of Hawaii
- Introduction
- The Hawaiian Islands
- Soil Development, Soil Chemistry, and Nutrient Availability
- Feedbacks Between Plant Limitations and Nutrient Cycling
- Long-Range Nutrient Transport and the Long-Term Maintenance of Productivity
- Human Influences and Changes in Ecosystem Function
- Part 4. Application: Human Impacts on Local, Regional, and Global Ecosystems
- Chapter 23. Ecosystems Managed for Food and Fiber
- Introduction
- Malthus and the Race Between Population Growth and Increased Agricultural Production
- A Gradient in the Intensity of Management of Arable Land
- Management of Native Forests for Timber and Fiber
- Plantation Forestry
- Conserving Forest Resources
- Low-Input/Low-Yield Agriculture: Traditional Practices in the Humid Tropics
- Agroforestry: Increasing Yields by Intercropping and Managing the Fallow Forest
- Permanent High-Yield Agriculture: An Extreme Example
- Methods for Improving Sustainability
- Historical Methods of Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics
- Characteristics of Sustainable Agroecosystems
- Relation to Conservation of Native Ecosystems
- Chapter 24. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function
- Introduction
- Defining Biodiversity
- Biodiversity at the Global Scale: Evolution and Extinction
- Patterns of Biodiversity in Terrestrial Ecosystems
- Human Effects on Biodiversity and Consequences for Ecosystems
- Invasive Species and Introductions
- Environmental Change and Biodiversity
- Chapter 25. Effects of Air Pollution on Terrestrial Ecosystems
- Introduction
- Air Pollution Sources
- Distribution of Air Pollutants
- Effects of Air Pollutants on Terrestrial Ecosystems
- Effects of Individual Air Pollutants
- Forest Decline: The Interactive Effects of Pollutants
- Determining "Critical Loads" of Pollution
- Environmental Success Stories: Pollution Reductions in the United States and Europe
- Chapter 26. The Global Carbon Cycle and Climate Change
- Introduction
- Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Climate
- Physiological Effects of Carbon Dioxide and Climate
- Historical Changes in Land Use and Carbon Storage
- A Comparison of Methods for Estimating Carbon Balances: The United States as a Case Study
- Predicting Net Primary Production and Carbon Balances in the Future
- Epilog
- Index
