Scientists tell us that climate change is upon us and the physical world is changing quickly with important implications for biodiversity and human well-being. Forests cover vast regions of the globe and serve as a first line of defense 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 organizations and government agencies looking for a clear overview of basic forest processes and pragmatic suggestions for protecting the health of forests.
Preface Acknowledgements
Chapter 1. Introduction: Looking Back and Into the Future -Forests in Human History -Resilience -Outline of the Rest of the Book -A Look into the Future
Chapter 2. Forest Types around the World -The Main Forest Types -On Being Evergreen or Deciduous -Boreal Forests -Temperate Forests -Tropical Forests -Plantations and Managed Forests -Summary
Chapter 3. Weather and Climate Determine Forest Growth and Type -How Trees Grow -Weather Factors: Temperature -Weather Factors: Solar Radiation -Weather Factors: Air Humidity -Weather Factors: Precipitation and Hydrology -Implications of Forest Clearance for Hydrology and Climate -Summary
Chapter 4. The Causes and Consequences of Rapid Climate Change -The Causes of Global Warming -Fossil Fuel Burning and Land Use Change -How Fast Is the Earth Warming? -A Word about Denialists -On Variation and Uncertainty -Extreme Weather Events -TheImpacts and Implications of Climate Change -Summary
Chapter 5. How We Value and Use Forests -Ecosystem Services and Universal Values of Forests -The Uses of Forests -Abuses of Forests -Summary
Chapter 6. The Economics and Practices of Forest Management -An Outline of Relevant Economic Theory -Microeconomics: Commercial Operations on State Land -Microeconomics: Commercial Operations on Private Land -Forest Growth and Yield Estimates -Fire and Its Management -Summary
Chapter 7. The Future for Forests -Conserve the Forests -Management for the Future: Natural Forests -Management for the Future: Plantations -Concluding Remarks
Endnotes Glossary References
"Two experienced researchers and teachers bring together a deep understanding of how forests work and a sobering look at their status in a rapidly changing world. Landsberg and Waring combine history, science, and clear thinking about the future in a book that will be a valuable addition to introductory classes at the college level."
