A Theory Of Forest Dynamics: The Ecological Implications Of Forest Succession Models [Paperback]

To the human eye, a forest is a slowly changing ecosystem that, superficially, looks alike from one year to the next. This seeming quiet though is a balance between the tremendous progenerative potential of trees and an equally tremendous mortality rate. The intrinsic nature of the trees that comprise a forest make it all but impossible to collect complete data sets on the dynamics of natural forests and our understanding of the long-term dynamics of forests is based largely on scientific inference. Because of this reliance on inference, mathematical models of forest dynamics offer a valuable formalization of what we believe to be the important mechanisms involved in forest succession. Originally published in 1984, A Theory of Forest Dynamics is intended for scientists and graduate students in ecology and forestry. The book includes: a review of ecologic succession; coverage of forest dynamics models and detailed analysis of several models of forest succession. Mathematic models of forest dynamics are inspected and evaluated. The models are applied to ecologic problems on scales ranging from small forest gaps to entire landscapes and over years to millennia. Almost twenty years after its first publication, this book continues to be a highly valuable resource for forest ecologists, whether they are engaged in dynamic modeling or not. It provides a thorough, mathematically underpinned theory of forest succession with a large array of application examples. I am thrilled that this volume is available again. Dr. Harald Bugmann, Professor of Mountain Forest Ecology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland Since this book was first published in 1984, it has been a seminal publication describing the ecological processes controlling the dynamics of forest ecosystems. The scientific relevance and importance of the book have only increased over time. In particular, as climate modelers now realize that terrestrial ecosystems are an important feedback in the climate system they are inclul£Õ