Vegetation Dynamics on the Mountains and Plateaus of the American Southwest [Hardcover]

The book provides information essential for anyone interested in the ecology of the American Southwest, including land managers, environmental planners, conservationists, ecologists and students. It is unique in its coverage of the hows and whys of dynamics (changes) in the major types of vegetation occurring on southwestern mountains and plateaus. It explains the drivers and processes of change, describes historical changes and provides conceptual models that diagrammatically illustrate past, present, and potential future changes. All major types of vegetation are covered: spruce-fir, mixed conifer, and ponderosa pine forests, pinyon-juniper vegetation, subalpine-montane grassland, and Gambel oak and interior chaparral shrublands. The focus is on vegetation that is relatively undisturbed, i.e., in natural and near-natural condition, and how it responds to natural disturbances such as fire and drought, as well as to anthropogenic disturbances such as fire exclusion and invasive speciesCovering spruce-fir, mixed conifer and ponderosa pine forests, pinyon-juniper vegetation, subalpine-montane grassland, and Gambel oak and interior chaparral shrublands, this book covers the drivers of vegetation dynamics, describes historical changes and more.

1. Introduction
1.1. Introduction
1.2. Drivers
1.3. Processes
1.4. Paleoecological History
1.5. Land-use History
1.6. Anthropogenic Disturbance
1.7. Conceptual Models
1.8. Conclusions and Challenges
1.9. References

PART I Forests
2. Spruce-Fir Forest
2.1. Introduction
2.2. Drivers
2.3. Processes
2.4. Historical Changes
2.5. Conceptual Models
2.6. Conclusions and Challenges
2.7. References
3. Mixed Conifer Forest
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Drivers
3.3. Processes
3.4. Historical Changes
3.5. Conceptual ModlS+