Forests and woodland Books

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Book SynopsisForest ecology includes within its scope the components and functions of forest ecosystems -- a community of organisms interacting with each other and with their physical environment. Forest ecosystems, which consist of bacteria, plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, soil, water and air, differ from other ecosystems in that they are dominated by trees and other woody vegetation. Each of these components plays an important role in the function and health of the forest. This book presents important new research in the field.

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Book SynopsisForest ecology includes within its scope the components and functions of forest ecosystems -- a community of organisms interacting with each other and with their physical environment. Forest ecosystems, which consist of bacteria, plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, soil, water and air, differ from other ecosystems in that they are dominated by trees and other woody vegetation. Each of these components plays an important role in the function and health of the forest. This book presents important research in the field.

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Book SynopsisDeforestation is the conversion of forested areas to non-forest land for use such as arable land, pasture, urban use, logged areas, or wasteland. Generally, the removal or destruction of significant areas of forest cover has resulted in a degraded environment with reduced biodiversity. In many countries, massive deforestation is ongoing and is shaping climate and geography. This book provides leading research from around the globe in this field.

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Book SynopsisDiscover the secrets and beauty of the world’s rarest trees in this fantastic book filled with more than 300 color photographs. Did you know that the resin of the dragon tree was so prized that it was used and traded as medicine by the Roman Empire? Or that the Bornean ironwood is one of the only timbers dense enough to sink in water? Trees have adapted to thrive on steep mountains, high in cloud forests, on dry savannahs, in parched deserts, and in tropical wetlands. Our own human history—and our future—are interwoven with the trees that define the character and environments of our green planet. Rare Trees offers a stunning visual presentation of 60 of the most fascinating, bizarre, and threatened tree species on the planet, from conifers to magnolias to oaks. With color photographs showing trees and their most unusual features, maps of growing regions, callouts of memorable facts, and examples of poignant cultural and historical uses by Indigenous populations, Rare Trees will give everyone who loves trees an armchair tour of unique specimens from around the globe. You will be inspired to help preserve this critical canopy of life.

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Book Synopsis“An inspiring reminder of the incredible resource that is our public lands.” —Brendan Leonard, author of The Camping Life and Surviving the Great Outdoors Across 193 million acres of forests, mountains, deserts, watersheds, and grasslands, national forests provide a multitude of uses as diverse as America itself. They welcome 170 million visitors each year to hike, bike, paddle, ski, fish, and hunt. But “the people’s lands” offer more than just recreation. Lost habitats are recovered, timber is harvested, and endangered wildlife is protected as part of the Forest Service’s enduring mission. In Our National Forests, Greg Peters gives an inside look at America’s most important public lands and the people committed to protecting them and ensuring access for all. From the Forest Service growing millions of seedlings in the West each year, to their efforts to save the hellbender salamander in Appalachia, the story spans the breadth of the country and its diverse ecology. And people are at the center, whether the dedicated Forest Service members or the everyday citizens who support and tend to the protected lands near their homes. This complete look at America’s national forests—their triumphs, challenges, controversies, and vital programs—is a must-read for everyone interested in the history of America's most important public lands.

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Book SynopsisAfrican forests provide the focus for a growing body of historical research in Zimbabwe. This book draws on economic and environmental history approaches in exploring the exploitation and conservation of woodland, respectively. The main focus of the investigation is the consumption-conservation relationship between humans and the forest zone. Customary forest practice in the Zambezi teak or Baikiea woodland points towards a better understanding on the subject, informed by a wide range of sources; oral tradition, missionary records, travel accounts and colonial documents. British imperial interest in Zimbabwe accelerated in the mid-1880s motivated and accelerated by speculative mineral discoveries thought to rival the Witwatersrand gold mines in South Africa. The British South Africa Company colonised Zimbabwe in 1890 expecting to finding rich gold deposits and when these hopes were dashed, white settlers turned their interest to other resources, land and forests. The rapidity with which the BSAC surveyed forest resources was testament to their expected commercial value. The mkusi and other commercial species motivated the government to gazette and establish eight state forest reserves in North-Western Matabeleland with a combined total of 1.6 million acres. In the company era, timber merchants exploited gusu with little or no control and their activities resulted in much deforestation. When European farmers and miners established commercial farms and mines in colonial Zimbabwe, the latter received preferential treatment in timber and energy requirements from the government because they contributed the bulk of state revenue. This policy was a source of protracted conflict between miners and farmers over forest exploitation. However, the state also sought to orient settler farmers towards the production of export crops: tobacco, maize and cotton. The two major pillars of the colonial economy, mining and agriculture, directly caused a fundamental transformation in soil and forest use, leading to deforestation and soil erosion. Soil erosion was a major risk that was faced along with the logistic and financial difficulties of pioneer farming. It however highlighted the negative impact of settler farming, particularly the perennial cultivation of the same crop on the same field, notably tobacco and maize. Land was used for short-term economic gain. What was missing was a willingness on the part of the settler society to deal effectively with the problems of deforestation and erosion, and the need for radical change in individual and collective attitudes towards natural resources.

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Book SynopsisThis monograph especially emphasises the importance of the scope, by which forest fires, from year to year endanger the environment, including casualties. Fire seized areas in 2000 in Europe only were over 920,000 ha. Cases relating to relatively small locations, but which burned in unsettled areas, are often unidentified, because the satellite sensors have limited possibilities in the view of the size of the area they can detect. It is similar to those situations on the fires with relatively short temporal range, and during that interval thick clouds are above such area for example and other admixtures stirring the atmosphere. It is necessary to point out that all those fire seized places, spatially limited on smaller localities, often cause fire spreading by their wideness and a sort of a plant mass, relief and geologic surface, humidity and precipitation or by suitable combinations. On the other side, especially in the last few years, we are witnesses to events when fire has seized tens of thousands hectares just in a "wave", also penetrating through the urban areas.

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Book SynopsisAmazonian rain forest forms one of the most precious ecosystems and provides habitat for more than 50% of plant and animal species. This unique ecosystem is highly disturbed by human activities, which causes biodiversity losses. Biodiversity monitoring and conservation plays one of the most important roles of tropical environment protection. This book focuses on the assessment of species diversity and species richness in various land use systems. This book also discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the Brazilian ecotourism industry and the establishment of an eco-triple helix in the Brazilian Amazon region. Over the past two decades, the international community has become aware of the global and regional environmental risks associated with possible massive forest losses in the Brazilian Amazon. The authors of this book investigate the stochastic and dynamic relationship of land use in the Brazilian Amazon. Other chapters in this book examine the main deforestation drivers of the Brazilian Amazon rainforests, the various factors (i.e., geological age, habitat heterogeneity) that generate and maintain fish species diversity in Amazon floodplain lakes, and the causes and effects of fish contamination due to malaria control in the Brazilian Amazon.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the economic implications for sustainable forest management of globalisation and related structural changes in the forest sector of the United States. Globalisation has accelerated structural change in the U.S. forest sector, favoured survival of larger and more capital-intensive enterprises, and altered historical patterns of resource use. These changes reflect deep impacts on the economic, social, and environmental context of forest management in the U.S., suggesting that more in-depth strategic monitoring and analysis of economic globalisation is warranted in planning sustainable forest management policies for the future.

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Book SynopsisAgroforestry is an approach to alternative land use based on deliberate integration of trees with crops and livestock production systems. It combines agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land-use systems. Agroforestry can include various types of practices, including alley cropping, forest farming, shelterbelts (or timberbelts), riparian buffer strips, and silvopastoral systems. In arid and semi-arid environments, agroforestry systems potentially support livelihood improvement through simultaneous production of food, fodder and firewood without much affecting climate change. Careful selection of species and good management of trees and crops are needed to optimise the production and positive effects within the system and to minimise negative competitive effects. This book gathers the latest research from around the globe in the study of agroforestry and highlights such topics as traditional and modern agroforestry in Mediterranean regions, integration of native genetic resources in agroforestry, women agroforestry practices in refugee settlements, a discussion of the major obstacles that prevent increased agroforestry improvements, and the advantages and constrains of agroforestry systems establishment in various Brazilian biomes.

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Book SynopsisIn recent decades, there has been increased interest in understanding ecosystems in order to be able to manage and conserve them. Yet examples of how research directly supports conservation are rare. Protected area managers and policy makers need scientific information from protected areas for policy development and to effectively devise, revise, and implement management strategies. Researchers seek a clear understanding of what types of research can directly support conservation efforts to guide them in the design of such projects. A variety of perspectives of what constitutes ''conservation'' or ''applied'' wildlife research may exist, and indeed conservation priorities do differ between sites so that ultimately, what we describe here is from one perspective and designing projects that directly support site conservation depends on a prior understanding of issues at the site. This book is intended to encourage thinking about what constitutes conservation research to be able to better develop projects that directly support conservation. The aim of this book is to support research that directly benefits conservation by reviewing applied research and providing examples in which it has been used for conservation purposes.

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Book SynopsisIn the last two decades, as a result of the limitations of protected areas in providing habitat for many wildlife species, efforts have shifted to studying wildlife conservation in human-dominated landscapes. The present study was carried out in the Path of the Tapir Biological Corridor, Costa Rica. The corridor encompasses 55 rural communities with more than 10,000 people. Deforestation and development are the main threats to biodiversity in the region. The main objective of this study was to estimate the contribution of ten habitat types: forested areas, agroforestry systems, and other human-dominated land uses on the conservation of bird species in the corridor.

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Book SynopsisScientists tell us that climate change is upon us and the physical world is changing quickly with serious implications for biodiversity and human well-being. Forests cover vast regions of the globe and serve as a first line of defence against the worst effects of climate change, but only if we keep them healthy and resilient. Forests in Our Changing World tells us how to do that. Authors Joe Landsberg and Richard Waring present an overview of forests around the globe, describing basic precepts of forest ecology and physiology and how forests will change as earth's climate warms. Drawing on years of research and teaching, they discuss the values and uses of both natural and plantation-based forests. In easy-to-understand terms, they describe the ecosystem services forests provide, such as clean water and wildlife habitat, present economic concepts important to the management and policy decisions that affect forests, and introduce the use of growth-and-yield models and remote-sensing technology that provide the data behind those decisions. This book is a useful guide for undergraduates as well as managers, administrators, and policy makers in environmental organisations and government bodies looking for a clear overview of basic forest processes and pragmatic suggestions for protecting the health of forests.

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Book SynopsisForests are enormously important to mankind. They not only supply essential harvestable products, but also ornamental landscapes, regulate climate, hydrology, mineral cycling and soil erosion. Over the last few decades, crucial changes have taken place in the views and demands on forests by society at large. In this book, the authors present topical research in the study of forestry ecology and policy. Topics discussed include forest management in Finland and Sweden; forestry-related GPS research; forestry trade and population growth in the Philippines and forestry education towards ecological civilization.

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Book SynopsisThis book is organised into three main parts: plantation forestry in context; plantation silviculture and management and plantation forestry economics. Throughout the book, several case studies are presented, using growth and yield information on teak and neem plantations in the guinea savannah and semi-deciduous vegetation zones of Ghana. These two species are used because of the availability of detailed data on them through previous studies. While these case studies are meant to be illustrative, they are useful in demonstrating how the principles described in the theoretical parts of the book are applied.

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Book SynopsisThis book present current research from across the globe in the study of the causes and impacts of forest decline. Topics discussed include the biotechnological approach to conservation of forest tree species; managing mangrove forest decline; ectomycorrhizas for forest resistance and resilience against factors of tree dieback; tree growth decline on relict Western-Mediterranean mountain forests; decline in the physical structure of deciduous hardwood forests due to deer grazing and drought and forest decline in the Iberian Peninsula.

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Book SynopsisAgroforestry is a system of land use in which both agriculture and forestry production are intermingled. All over the world, farmers have had a long tradition of planting trees on their fields and pastures. The major objective of this book is to review the history of agroforestry development in the region and this progress is found to be slower than in other regions of North lmerica in spite of various benefits that could be generated from agroforestry practices. This book reviews the state of agroforestry in the Prairie Provinces of Canada and describes various types of agroforestry that have developed historically.

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Book SynopsisEfforts to mitigate climate change have focused on reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere. Some of these efforts centre on reducing CO2 emissions from deforestation, since deforestation releases about 17% of all annual anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is seen as a relatively low-cost target for emissions reduction. Policies aimed at reducing deforestation are central points of a strategy to decrease carbon emissions, reflected in pending legislation in Congress as well as in international discussions, such as the December 2009 negotiations in Copenhagen. This book discusses the linkages between forests and climate, describing the characteristics of the major forest biomes, with an overview of deforestation causes and impacts and approaches to reducing deforestation.

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Book SynopsisThe world-wide conversion of forest land to commercial and residential use is increasingly affecting the ability of ecosystems to provide basic services to humankind. Conversion of forest land affects both private and public forest ownerships. Predicted increases in population growth over the coming decades are expected to result in steadily increasing fragmentation of currently cohesive forest lands. This development can potentially reduce the goods and services derived from both publicly and privately owned forests. This book uses the ecosystem service conceptual framework as a basis for understanding the ecological effects of forest-land conversion, and as a basis for understanding the economic issues that arise in designing policies to conserve forest ecosystems.

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Book SynopsisGlobal climate change is a widespread and growing concern that has led to extensive international discussions and negotiations. Responses to this concern have focused on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, and on measuring carbon absorbed by and stored in forests, soils, and oceans. One option for slowing the rise of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, and thus possible climate change, is to increase the amount of carbon removed by and stored in forests. This book examines the issues of carbon sequestration in forests. Also discussed are the existing federal programs that could affect forest carbon sequestration.

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Book SynopsisIn recent decades, managing the nation''s public and private forests and rangelands has become increasingly complex, requiring a sound understanding of science and science-based tools to address these complexities. The Department of Agriculture''s Forest Service maintains a research and development program (FS R&D) to help provide scientific information and tools. This book examines the scope of research and development carried out by FS R&D and some of its resulting accomplishments; trends in resources used in performing FS R&D work and the effects of those trends on its research efforts and priorities and recent steps FS R&D has taken to improve its ability to fulfil its mission and the challenges it faces in doing so.

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Book SynopsisThe coming global climate changes associated with the increase of atmospheric greenhouse effect, may disturb the natural carbon cycle in the biosphere and may lead to large-scale ecological consequences. The cognition of the mechanisms of environmental sustainability in changing climate is connected with studying the biotic regulation of the carbon cycle. Boreal forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle. This book expounds the regional-local prognostic conception as a scientific basis of monitoring forest ecosystems under global climatic changes. Predictive landscape-ecological scenarios of the nearest future of temperate forests and their paleogeographical analogues as a single system of global changes have been considered for the first time by the example of a large region -- the Volga River basin.

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Book SynopsisMediterranean forests provide a diversity of products such as wood, non-wood forest products including cork, fodder for livestock and aromatic plants and game, all of which are important for socio-economic or cultural development and contribute to food security and poverty alleviation in rural areas. But Mediterranean forests also are facing a mix of threats such as climatic change, agricultural expansion, tourism, urban development and other land use practices that are contributing to forest area losses. Mediterranean forests will be one of the most affected forest ecosystems in the near future as temperatures will increase and rain will decrease. This book aims to provide scientific knowledge for researchers, students, local managers and policy makers. The book is divided into eleven chapters covering not only ecological, but also economic and social perspectives on climate change and Mediterranean forest management. The authors provide information about different research projects and examples related to climate change and forest natural regeneration, genetic aspects of forest ecosystems, forest fires, environmental services, traditional markets and social perspectives on adaptation in forest management.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines one of the most important ecosystems of the world, the Amazon Rainforest, with a focus on the diversity of species found in the region; its importance and vulnerability on the processes, especially anthropogenic, which are occurring; the sustainable use of products found in the forest and how it can be less degrading for those who depend on it to survive; and how public policies and correct decision-making could benefit the sustainable use of the forest. The quality of life of people living in this region and how the processes of forest degradation influence precipitation is also discussed, as are key elements for the proper maintenance of this ecosystem. You can understand how the forest is connected with other parts of the world through an analysis of what is presented in these chapters in terms of climate change and the biological, anthropological, economic and meteorological point of view.

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Book SynopsisThe Forest Service manages more than 158,000 miles of recreational trails offering hikers, horseback riders, cyclists, off-highway-vehicle drivers, and others access to national forests. To remain safe and usable, these trails need regular maintenance, such as removal of downed trees or bridge repairs. This book examines (1) the extent to which the Forest Service is meeting trail maintenance needs, and effects associated with any maintenance not done; (2) resources, including funding and labour, that the agency employs to maintain its trails; (3) factors, if any, complicating agency efforts to maintain its trails; and (4) options, if any, that could improve the agency''s trail maintenance efforts.

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Book SynopsisIn the turn-of-the-twentieth-century Northwest, the lives and passions of an American physician and her Swedish naturalist husband helped shape a territory on the cusp of change--from the author of Sources of the River and The Collector.Dr. Carrie Leiberg, a pioneer physician, fought hard for public health while nurturing both a troubled son and a fruit orchard. Her husband, John Leiberg, was a Swedish immigrant and self-taught naturalist who transformed himself from pickax Idaho prospector to special field agent for the US Forest Commission and warned Washington DC of ecological devastation of public lands. The Leiberg story opens a window into the human and natural landscape of a century past that reflects all the thorny issues of our present time.Trade Review“Jack Nisbet continues to educate, entertain, and mesmerize with this meticulously written and researched story of two people-of-destiny whose intelligence and passion transformed our awareness and understanding of the Northwest. Part history, part adventure tale, part love story, part futuristic foreshadowing, this book fascinated me from beginning to end with its eloquence, urgency, and quiet intensity.” —Kim Barnes, author of In the Wilderness: Coming of Age in Unknown Country “Jack Nisbet’s The Dreamer and the Doctor is a textured, insightful history of the waning frontier days of the American West that reads like a novel. The featured couple, a female doctor and an obsessed botanist, provide an unusual lens to a time that is both familiar and antique, a time when science and medicine were rapidly evolving but were still intensely personal. Entwined in the narrative are the roots of the battle for Western public lands, the impact of federal science, and a growing awareness of the impact of forest fires.” —Kirk Johnson, Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History"For more than two decades, Spokane teacher and historian Jack Nisbet has been telling the stories of the Intermountain West. Now he’s turning his careful attention to Dr. Carrie Leiberg and her husband, John Leiberg, who arrived in the Idaho Panhandle in 1885 and homesteaded on the southern tip of Lake Pend Oreille."—The Spokesman-Review"Jack Nisbet ought to be declared a national treasure. Over the past twenty years, his interest in the natural history of the inland Pacific Northwest has produced a series of highly readable biographies of early explorers that have enriched our understanding of the natural and cultural history of the region. This latest book, a double biography of the botanist John Leiberg and his physician wife, Carrie Leiberg, shows Nisbet's characteristic attention both to people and to the environment."—Oregon Historical Quarterly "Early on in The Dreamer and the Doctor, the reader emerges from a gorgeous description of North Idaho as Swedish prospector John Leiberg must have found it…In the end, this is the story of two flawed, extraordinary people who contributed to our understanding of the Northwest, both of their time but remarkably forward-thinking."—The Inlander

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Book SynopsisTropical deforestation and rural poverty are among the major apprehensions of developing nations in the 21st century. The protectionist paradigm that had dominated nature conservation since the 19th century is replaced by a strong notion that poverty reduction and environmental protection should go hand in hand. Decentralization is among the key polices devised to achieve these dual objectives of forest governance. This book presents the role decentralized forest governance can contribute to address the aforementioned problems by comparing and contrasting three forms of decentralization, i.e. deconcentration, delegation and devolution in Ethiopia. Owning to the alarming rate of deforestation and the large number of biodiversity hosted by the remnant forests, the Ethiopian forests are included in global biodiversity hot-spots by Conservation International. The country is also well known for recurrent poverty. Consequently, it is a perfect candidate to investigate the linkage among decentralized forest governance, forests and poverty.

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Book SynopsisFossil records indicate the Neotropical Dry Forests had a more continuous distribution in the recent geological past, especially in the late Pleistocene, more precisely at the end of the last glacial period. Seasonal Deciduous Forests are remnants of a broader continuous distribution that was present in the past, ranging from North-Eastern Brazil to Argentina in the Pleistocene dry period. This currently fragmented structure is the result of the dry, cold climate that caused the retraction of Wet Forests to riversides and the spread of seasonal forests. This book discusses the ecology, species diversity and sustainable management of dry forests. The topics include a biogeographical overview of the "lianescent clade" of violaceae in the Neotropical region; diversity and distribution of hymenoptera aculeate in mid-western Brazilian dry forests; the Brazilian "caatinga"; changes in the labile and recalcitrant organic matter fractions due to transformation of semi-deciduous dry tropical forest to pasture in the western llanos, Venezuela; ecology and management of the dry forests and savannas of the western Chaco region, Argentina; predicting pasture security in rangeland districts of Kenya using 1 km resolution spot vegetation sensor ndvi data.

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Book SynopsisThe arid mangrove forest from the Baja California Peninsula represents a series of chapters devoted to the understanding of the biodiversity and fisheries value of this critical habitat. The book contents are devoted to making the reader aware of the great value of the mangrove in relation to their conservation and management. Mangrove forests in Mexico represent the northernmost populations along Pacific coast, and thus they are likely to be sourced populations for colonisation at higher latitudes as the climate becomes more favourable. Today, these populations are relatively small and fragmented and prior research has indicated that they are poor in genetic diversity, but in the actual global warming scenario, it is very likely that forest cover will increase and genetic diversity will increase. Another relevant component of the book will be the biodiversity inventory still in progress for many biological groups and will be taken into account in the present volume. The present volume will review and analyse some physical, biological, and ecological factors that determine the success of these communities and their use in conservation or fisheries management. Marine Protected Areas include several of the mangroves studied here and the presented information is critical for the appropriate management. The book is organised in 10 chapters to evaluate studies based on the value of the forest in arid zones of the Baja California Peninsula and the surrounding areas worldwide. This book will be essential to understand the mangroves along North-western Mexico and will also be a critical consulting book for the next generation of managers and nature lovers who want to better understand our environment.

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Book SynopsisNatural resource policy and management in the United States often are characterized by limited budgets and multiple, and sometimes competing, societal objectives. The use and management of forest lands in the U.S. involve tradeoffs between the current and potential benefits public and private lands provide to society and the effects the policy and management actions have on the resiliency of natural systems. However, translating society''s multiple forestry objectives into policies and management actions has become more difficult as society''s objectives have become more complex. This book characterizes the concept of ecosystem services as it could apply to national forests; describes the value of an ecosystem service approach and provides examples of how management actions support the provision of these services; compares the Deschutes National Forest''s current accomplishment reporting system to ecosystem service outcomes that potentially result from management activities; identifies partners with potential to collaboratively plan, fund, or implement projects to enhance or conserve ecosystem services; describes current research efforts to support management application of the ecosystem service concept; and identifies research needs.

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Book SynopsisFor over a century, Experimental Forests and Ranges (EFRs) have provided critical science on the ecosystems and management activities of the National Forest System. Forest Service EFRs play a unique and important role both within the agency as well as in the broader field of land management. The goal of EFRs is to generate knowledge that benefits both public land managers and private land owners. This goal is achieved through research projects on pressing natural resource topics such as hydrology, fire dynamics, range management, erosion, climate change, silviculture, and forest regeneration. EFRs are uniquely situated for such research due to their relative stability and long-term datasets. This book specifically discusses the role of EFRs in understanding and adapting to climate change.

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Book SynopsisForest ecosystems cover around 31% of the total land area of the Earth. They represent important biodiversity and genetic resources; provide material goods, including fuelwood, commercial timber, soils, medicinal plants and others; as well as environmental services, such as cleaning air and water, sequestering carbon and maintaining biodiversity. Old-growth forests are those developed during long periods without relevant human impact and with distinctive features in terms of forest continuity, structural heterogeneity, large volumes of standing and fallen deadwood, decaying ancient and veteran trees, and large diameter live trees. These characteristics ensure the growth and dispersal of forest-dwelling species, playing thus a vital role in the conservation of biodiversity. This book discusses the ecology, habitat and conservation of old-growth forests, as well as coniferous forests.

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Book SynopsisThe Amazon forest is one of the world''s most complex, unknown and threatened ecosystems that holds a considerable part of biodiverse species in different groups. This ecosystem needs greater scientific attention so that we can better understand the features of the fauna, flora and microbiota to conserve species before they disappear. Thus, this book addresses issues about resources of the largest rainforest of the world. Microbiota, fauna and flora are investigated differently, providing information of ecological interest, pharmaceutical and/or economic importance. Specialists and scientists that work in Amazonia can access new information about the species that inhabit this region with unprecedented advances on ecological and behavioral aspects of apple snails, meat yield and nutritive potential of crustacean species, tadpole knowledge, mitefaun in agroecosystems, pharmaceutical potential of plant species, computational models for flora cultivation, and reviews of microbiota composition of Amazonia. Scientists will acquire knowledge about aromatic plants from the Amazon and their applications, which include uses in perfumes, fragrances, cosmetics, phytopharmaceuticals, insecticides, fungicides, bactericides, larvicides and others. Regarding the microbiota of different Amazonian environments, the book is intended to present information about applications related to mycorrhizal fungi and endophytic microorganisms.

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Book SynopsisIt has been estimated that more than 30% of the global land surface is subject to a considerable frequency of vegetation fires (Chuvieco et al., 2008). Li et al. (2013, 2014) argues that fire is an important Earth system process and a primary terrestrial ecosystem disturbance agent on a global scale which depends on an array of attributes, including vegetation characteristics, climate, and human activities, and fire generates feedback by affecting biogeochemical cycles, vegetation composition and structure, landatmosphere water and heat exchanges, atmospheric chemistry and composition, and human health and property. Although wildland fires are characteristic of certain regions and seasons, vegetation fires occur with varying regularity and severity across almost every biome on Earth (Archibald et al., 2013). Earth''s forests and vegetation provide a vast source of fuel, and fires consume huge quantities of biomass in all ecosystems ranging across all biomes, from tundra to savanna and from boreal to tropical forests, where many of our ecosystems are considered fire dependent (Belcher, 2013). It is both friend and foe to the human race, having strongly influenced our social development and success as a species, but also acts as a serious threat to human life (Belcher, 2013). The present book outlines different perspectives regarding wildland fires, mega fires, wildland-urban interfaces, and its ecosystem impacts. It also presents different case-studies from eight countries (Portugal, Spain, Greece, Israel, Algeria, Russia, Lithuania and Chile), including valuable contributions that reflect its title: "Wildland Fires - A Worldwide Reality".

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Book SynopsisRestoration of our national forests benefits the environment and creates jobs in rural communities. Increasing the pace of restoration of the Nation''s forests is critically needed to address a variety of threats including fire, climate change, the bark beetle infestation, and others -- to the health of our forest ecosystems, watersheds, and forest-dependent communities. The Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and National Park Service (NPS) within the Department of the Interior have increasingly promoted landscape-scale forest restoration as a way to improve forest health. Through landscape-scale projects, agencies can treat tens or hundreds of thousands of acres, in contrast to projects commonly of under 1,000 acres. Such projects must comply with NEPA by assessing the effects of major federal actions that significantly affect the environment. This book examines the number of such projects the agencies have conducted and how they are scoped; the actions taken by agencies to track the projects'' progress; successes and challenges experienced by agencies; and steps taken by agencies to help increase NEPA efficiency for such projects.

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Book SynopsisRainforests have long been recognized as hotspots of biodiversity--but they are crucial for our planet in other surprising ways. Not only do these fascinating ecosystems thrive in rainy regions, they create rain themselves, and this moisture is spread around the globe. Rainforests across the world have a powerful and concrete impact, reaching as far as America's Great Plains and central Europe. In Rainforest: Dispatches from Earth's Most Vital Frontlines, a prominent conservationist provides a comprehensive view of the crucial roles rainforests serve, the state of the world's rainforests today, and the inspirational efforts underway to save them. In Rainforest, Tony Juniper draws upon decades of work in rainforest conservation. He brings readers along on his journeys, from the thriving forests of Costa Rica to Indonesia, where palm oil plantations have supplanted much of the former rainforest. Despite many ominous trends, Juniper sees hope for rainforests and those who rely upon them, thanks to developments like new international agreements, corporate deforestation policies, and movements from local and Indigenous communities. As climate change intensifies, we have already begun to see the effects of rainforest destruction on the planet at large. Rainforest provides a detailed and wide-ranging look at the health and future of these vital ecosystems. Throughout this evocative book, Juniper argues that in saving rainforests, we save ourselves, too.

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Book SynopsisIn 1972, The Limits to Growth introduced the idea that world resources are limited. Soon after, people became aware of the threats to the world's rainforests, the biggest terrestrial repositories of biodiversity and essential regulators of global air and water cycles. Since that time, new research and technological advances have greatly increased our knowledge of how rainforests are being affected by changing patterns of resource use. Increasing concern about climate change has made it more important than ever to understand the state of the world's tropical forests. This book provides an up-to-date picture of the health of the world's tropical forests. Claude Martin, an eminent scientist and conservationist, integrates information from remote imaging, ecology, and economics to explain deforestation and forest health throughout the world. He explains how urbanization, an increasingly global economy, and a worldwide demand for biofuels put new pressure on rainforest land. He examines the policies and market forces that have successfully preserved forests in some areas and discusses the economic benefits of protected areas. Using evidence from ice core records and past forest cover patterns, he predicts the most likely effects of climate change.Trade Review"An impassioned argument backed by scientific data that is geared toward an educated general readership. Anyone interested in the fate of the rainforests--and the world--should check it out." --Publishers Weekly "On the Edge is the definitive assessment of the single most important factor in the future of Earth's biodiversity." --Edward O. Wilson, university research professor emeritus, Harvard University "In this new book the distinguished biologist Claude Martin summarizes the bad news and the good news about rainforest conservation, the leading threats to the world's rainforests, and the ways in which we can best deal with those threats." --Jared Diamond, Pulitzer-prize-winning author of best-selling books Guns, Germs, and Steel and The World until Yesterday "In this definitive report to think tank the Club of Rome, conservation veteran Claude Martin and contributors cover the territory from the bad old days of error-ridden global forest monitoring to today's smart mapping and strategies management... Key reading for environmental policy-makers."--Nature "On the Edge follows in the tradition of The Limits to Growth, the first report to the Club of Rome in 1972, which triggered an environmental debate that is still continuing and was credited with kickstarting the green movement."--The Guardian UK "Of all invasive species, none has been more destructive than us... Martin provides us with a description of the catastrophic effects of human activity and a description of some of the possible avenues away from this destructive path." --David Suzuki, internationally renowned environmentalist "Claude Martin has a long experience in tropical forest conservation, both as a scientist and as former director general of WWF International, and in this book he presents a vitally important agenda for the 21st century to save the biodiversity and indigenous communities of the world's precious tropical rainforests. I urge you to read it. --Yolanda Kakabadse, President, WWF International "To save civilization, there is nothing more urgent today than to regenerate and conserve our highly threatened forests--most importantly our tropical forests. This book comes just in time... [and shows] how systems-based solutions could yet bring humanity back from the brink of self-destruction." --Ashok Khosla, former president, IUCN and copresident, Club of Rome "On the Edge is more than just a very comprehensive consolidation of information about the tropical rainforests: it also builds a very compelling argument about what drives deforestation and reports an array of success stories of how to conserve, regenerate, and sustainably manage this Earth's treasure." --Tasso Azevedo, former chief of the Brazilian Forest Service and cochair of Megaflorestais "Claude Martin's deeply impressive account of the state and fate of the rainforests is the place to turn while there is still a bit of time left" --James Gustave Speth, author of The Bridge at the Edge of the World

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Book SynopsisFrom the acclaimed author of In Praise of Paths comes a humorous and modest Walden for modern times.As nature becomes ever more precious, we all want to spend more time appreciating it. But time is often hard to come by. And how do we appreciate nature without disruption? In this sensitively-written book, Torbjørn Ekelund, an acclaimed Norwegian nature writer, shares a creative and non-intrusive method for immersing oneself in nature. And the result is nothing short of transformative.Evoking Henry David Thoreau and the four-season structure of Walden, Ekelund writes about communing with nature by repeating a small, simple ritual and engaging in quiet reflection. At the start of the book, he hatches a plan: to leave the city after work one day per month, camp near the same tiny pond in the forest, and return to work the next day. He keeps this up for a year.His ritual is far from rigorous and it is never perfect. One evening, he grows so cold in his tent that he hikes out before daybreak. But as Ekelund inevitably greets the same trees and boulders each month, he appreciates the banality of their sameness alongside their quiet beauty. He wonders how long they have stood silently in this place—and reflects on his own short existence among them.A Year in the Woods asks us to reconsider our relationship with the natural world. Are we anxious wanderers or mindful observers? Do we honor the seasons or let them pass us by? At once beautifully written, accessible, and engaging, A Year in the Woods is the perfect book for anyone who longs for a deeper connection with their environment, but is realistic about time and ambition.Trade Review"Calm and charming... [this] book leaves the reader with the pleasant sense of meeting a new and civilized friend who tells good stories."—The Vancouver Sun"A lovely little book."—Toronto Star"A wonderful reminder of the importance of meandering without a goal and that as nature moves by all we seek is equilibrium. Sit by the campfire and smell the wood and the smoke and let Torbjørn show you how."—Marc Hamer, author of Seed to Dust and How to Catch a Mole“"A topical and beguiling book. Admirably humble and honest."—Tristan Gooley, author of The Natural Navigator"Quiet and contemplative... [A] gentle, enlightening read."—The Winnipeg Free Press"This determination to live his life deliberately, to pay attention to the natural world, is inspiring, as is his philosophy that meaning can come from small gestures."—Star Tribune"With all the turbulence and chaos of recent times, so many of us are yearning for our own small journeys into nature. The world needs more of this, and more stories such as A Year in the Woods."—Alastair Humphreys, author of Microadventures: Local Discoveries for Great Escapes"A funny and relatable story of a city man trying to find some life balance. Ekelund is a new, much-needed model of the Norwegian explorer, perfect for our times."—Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative

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Book SynopsisThroughout human history our relationship with trees, woods and forests has remained central to the development of our technology, culture and expansion as a species. In this engaging book Charles Watkins examines and challenges our historical andmodern attitudes to wooded environments, and our continuing anxiety about humanity's impact on these natural realms.

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Book SynopsisThis new edition of Conservation and Management of Tropical Rainforests applies the large body of knowledge, experience and tradition available to those who study tropical rainforests. Revised and updated in light of developments in science, technology, economics, politics, etc. and their effects on tropical forests, it describes the principles of integrated conservation and management that lead to sustainability, identifying the unifying phenomena that regulate the processes within the rainforest and that are fundamental to the ecosystem viability. Features of the natural forest and the socio-cultural ecosystems which can be mimicked in the design of self-sustaining forests are also discussed. A holistic approach to the management and conservation of rainforests is developed throughout the book. The focus on South-East Asian forestry will be widened to include Africa and Latin America. Recent controversial issues such as biofuels and carbon credits with respect to tropical forests and their inhabitants will be discussed. This book is a substantial contribution to the literature, it is a valuable resource for all those concerned with rainforests. Cover Photo: The group of five Iban resting on rocky cliffs in the Ulu Katibas in 1957 were traditional shag (Sect. 2.2, p. 86) farmers from the longhouse of Penguluh Ngali in the steep-hilly Ulu Ai (Ai river headwaters) below the Lanyak Entimau Protected Forest in the PFE (see p. 339). They were part of the native Iban complement in an exploratory survey by F.G. Browne, (Chief) Conservator of Forests Sarawak and Chairman of the Iban Resettlement Board, myself as SFO Kuching and team leader, and my assistant, D. Parson. We had crossed the watershed eastward along a former headhunter trail and got lost for an additional week in the legendary, fascinatingly wild, almost virgin-primary, timber- and biodiversity/species-rich Mixed Dipterocarp Forest (MDF, see pp. xiv and 397) of the Ulu Katibas-Kapuas hill country. Our mission was to assess three alternative land-use options: logging and conversion to production forestry; agriculture; or TPA-NP (pp. xiv-xv). Our conclusion at the end of the crossing was that only TPA - NP was feasible; the Iban farming community had to be resettled on better, more suitable land and soil in Northern Sarawak. Upon returning to Kuching, we recommended the creation of a large, continuous TPA-NP. Iban villagers, tribal leaders and the Government (Governor Sir Anthony Abell) agreed. Strict adherence to the decreed Forest Policy (see pp. 171-173) and the application of the classic phronesis approach (see p. 341) had ensured the establishment and survival of large tracts of MDF and other forest types as TPA, such as the Batang Ai National Park (20,040 ha), Ulu Sebuyau National Park (18,287 ha) and Lanyak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary (182,983 ha), and enabled their inclusion in the current Malaysian (Sarawak and Sabah)-Indonesian transboundary 'Heart of Borneo' programme of biodiversity, species preservation, nature conservation and environmental protection (Photo EFB, 1957).Table of ContentsI: Contents II: Preface III: Acknowledgments IV: Acronyms, Abbreviations and Symbols 1: Tropical Rainforest Ecosystem, Land Cover, Habitat, Resource 1.1: Tropical Rainforest: Myths, Delusions and Reality 1.2: Rainforest Macro- and Mesoclimate 1.3: Rainforest Soils, Soil Types and Vegetation Types, Mosaics and Catenas 1.4: Large- and Medium- Scale Dynamic Changes of MDF at Large and Medium Spatial Scales 1.5: Rooting Sphere 1.6: Tree Crowns and Canopy: Physiognomy/ Structure and Functions 1.7: Hydrology, Nutrients and Pollutants 1.8: Tree Species Richness and Diversity 1.9: Floristic Changes and Distribution Patterns 1.10: Pristine and Manipulated Forest and Animal Life 1.11: Small-scale Dynamics, Regeneration, Sub-Formations and Early Growth 1.12: Forest Biomass, Stocks and Accretion 1.13: Forest Growth, Productivity and Production, Above-Ground and Soil Organic Matter (SOM) 1.14: The Worrying Global to Local Significance of Uncertainties, Risks and Constant Changes 1.15: Forest Diversity and Functions 1.16: Some Afterthoughts: How Much Science, How Much Ecological Insight Do We Still Need to Act and Why is There so Much Talk and Little Action? 2: Rainforest Use: Necessity, Wisdom, Greed, Folly 2.1: Original Inhabitants and Secondary Refugees: Forest-dwellers and the Rainforest 2.2: Shifting Cultivators, Cultural Transition, Agroforestry and NWFP 2.3: Native Customary Rights and Forestry 2.4: The Nightmares of Customary Logging, Illegal Landuse and Timber Mining 2.5: Customary and Conventional Selective Logging and the Community 2.6: Timber Production, Trade and Demands 2.7: Rainforest Abuse or Use: Exploitation or Integrated Harvesting? 2.8: Low-impact Harvesting Systems in the TRF 2.9: Tropical Rainforest and Global Climate Oscillations and Change 2.10: Environmental Change and Forestry 3: Sustainable Forestry in Rainforests: Reality or Dream, Hope or Chimaera? 3.1: The Concept of Sustainable Forestry: Origin and Post-Modern Relevance 3.2: The Holistic Nature of Sustainability in Forestry 3.3: Unpredictability and Uncertainties 3.4: History of Sustainable Forestry in Tropical Rainforests 3.5: Short History of Rainforest Silviculture and Management 3.6: Principles of Silvicultural Management 3.7: Conclusion: Hope or Chimera? 3.8: The “World Forestry” Concept: Glimmer of Hope or just another Dreamy Buzz? 4: Principles and Strategies of Sustainability 4.1: Time Scale and Hierarchy of Sustainability Principles and Strategies 4.2: Principles at National Level 4.3: Principles at Regional and Forest Management Unit Level 4.4: Principles at Forest-stand Level 4.5: Timber Management and Conservation/Preservation: Segregation or Integration? 4.6: Sustainable Alternative: Non-timber or Non-wood Forest Products? 5: The Tortuous Road Towards Forest Sustainability in the TRF: cases from which to learn 5.1: Example: The State of Sarawak 5.2: Africa: Paradigm Change in the Congo Basin blocks satisfactory Progress 5.3: Tropical America: Few could cope with Social Distortions and Political Miscasts 5.4: Conclusion 6: Naturalistic Close-to-Nature-Forestry Management in TRF 6.1: Origin, Goals, Targets and Principles of Close to Nature Forestry (CNF) 6.2: Potential and Actual Economic Production in CNF-TRF 6.3: Growth and Sustained Yield Potential of CNF in MDF 6.4: Systems unsuitable for Perhumid/ Humid Evergreen Tropical Forest (TRF) 6.5: Techniques, Standards and Problems of CNF in TRF 6.6: SMS for Fragile Oligotrophic Upland Soils in Kerangas and Caatinga Forests 6.7: SMS for Fragile Oligotrophic Peatswamp Soils in APR 6.8: Overcoming the Enigma of Uncertainty 6.9: Prospects for CNF in APR, Congo Basin and Amazon Basin-Yukatan 7: How to Avoid Forest Degradation or Upgrade Degraded Forest Ecosystems: a classic World Forestry Problem 7.1: When did the Problems Evolve and what Attempts were Made at Mitigation? 7.2: Restoration or Rehabilitation of Over-logged and timber-mined Upland Rainforests 7.3: Restoration in Secondary Forests on Zonal TRF Sites 7.4: Example: Multiple-purpose Plantations in Semengoh Forest Reserve 7.5: Restoration of Biodiversity in Plots RP 76 and TP 4B , Semengoh Forest Reserve 7.6: The Deramakot Model R&D Project, Role Model of an Integrated Approach 7.7: Silvicultural Conclusions on Restoration on Oxi-and Ultisols and on Podsols 7.8: Conclusion 8: Short-rotation Tree Plantations 8.1: Motivation and Objectives 8.2: Rationale and Risks 8.3: Selection System CNF versus Customary Logging and Conversion to Plantation 9: Forest Management: Doctrine, Muddle or Goal-Orientated System 9.1: What went wrong? 9.2: Do we still Need New Guidelines for Forestry in the Tropics? 9.3: Example: the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) Guidelines 9.4: The ITTO Guidelines for Planted Tropical Forests and Recreating Tropical Forests 9.5: Planning Sustainable Forest Utilisation: Information Needs 10: Certification of Forest Management and Timber Origin 10.1: Roots: Forest Resource Rape ; Offshoots: Boycott of Tropical Forestry and Timber 10.2: Principles, Criteria and Indicators of Sustainability 10.3: Objective Certification in TRF: Practicable or Virtually Impossible 10.4: Trade Policies and Tree-species Conservation 10.5: Why so far so little success and effect for so much fuss? 11: Where are We and the TRF in 2013? 11.1: Some Fundamentals 11.2: Management and Conservation 11.3: Economics 11.4: Information 11.5: Politics 12: Quo Vadis Silva Tropikos? 12.1: Classic Rome and Athens Teach a Lesson on the Roots of the Dilemma 12.2: Action Priorities 12.3: Where Should the TRF Go, where Can it Go Appendix 1: Glossary Appendix 2: Biocybernetic Principles of System Design V: References and Further Reading VI: Index of Species and Major Non- timber Forest Products VII: Subject Index

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Book SynopsisForest fragmentation will inevitably continue over the coming years, especially in developing economies. This book provides a cutting edge review of the multi-disciplinary sciences related to studies of global forest fragmentation. It specifically addresses cross-cutting themes from both an ecological and a social sciences perspective. The ultimate goal of Global Forest Fragmentation is to provide a detailed scientific base to support future forest landscape management and planning to meet global environmental and societal needs.Table of Contentsa: Acknowledgements b: Preface Chapter 1: Global Forest Fragmentation: Introduction Chapter 2: The history of deforestation and forest fragmentation: a global perspective Chapter 3: Contemporary drivers of habitat fragmentation Chapter 4: Forest fragmentation and biodiversity conservation in human-dominated landscapes Chapter 5: Forest Fragmentation Genetics: What can genetics tell us about forest fragmentation? Chapter 6: Forest Fragmentation and Climate Change Chapter 7: Forest islands in an agricultural sea Chapter 8: Forest fragmentation and ecosystem function Chapter 9: Beyond the mirror: Tropical forest fragmentation and its impact on rural livelihoods. Chapter 10: Governance Failures and the Fragmentation of Tropical Forests Chapter 11: Future Forests, Fantasy or Façade

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Book SynopsisIn litter-strewn Epping Forest on the edge of London, might a writer find that magical moment of transcendence? He will certainly discover filthy graffiti and frightening dogs, as well as world-renowned artists and fading celebrities, robbers, lovers, ghosts and poets. But will he find himself? Or a version of himself he might learn something from? Strange Labyrinth is a quest narrative arguing that we shouldn't get lost in order to find ourselves, but solely to accept that we are lost in the first place. It is a singular blend of landscape writing, political indignation, cultural history and wit from a startling new voice in non-fiction.

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