Forests In Our Changing World: New Principles For Conservation And Management

Description

Scientists 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.

Reviews

"Based on a deep knowledge of the physiology and ecology of forests, with a focus on the tensions between managing for their ecosystem service values and immediate economic values, this is an excellent, authoritative book on what is needed to maintain and use forests in a rapidly changing world."--Brian Walker "CSIRO, Australia "

Author description

Joe Landsberg is a forest scientist and consultant with a long history of active international scientific collaboration studying the role of climate and weather on global forests. During his illustrious career, he has served as chief of the CSIRO Division of Forest Research, worked for NASA in its Terrestrial Ecology Program, and, together with Richard Waring, developed a landmark computer model for CSIRO to assess the influence of climate on the growth and yield of forests. Richard Waring is emeritus distinguished professor of forest science at Oregon State University. In his long career, he has held guest and visiting professorships at leading institutions around the world, and has served as administrator of a NASA program exploring land-atmosphere interactions and as a long-term consultant to NASA on forest modelling projects.