Forest Biodiversity: Lessons from History for Conservation

by Olivier Honnay, Kris Verheyen, Beatrijs Bossuyt, Martin Hermy

Overview

This book focuses on the diverse impact of forest history in general, and of forest continuity, fragmentation and past management in particular, on the diversity and distribution of species. The implications for the conservation of biodiversity in forests are also addressed. Chapters have been developed from papers presented at a conference held in Leuven in January 2003. The emphasis is on temperate forests in Europe and North America, but the information may also be applicable to other regions or biomes. The book will be of significant interest to researchers working within the areas of forestry, ecology, conservation and environmental history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780851998022
Publisher:	CABI
Publication date:	03/22/2004
Series:	IUFRO Research Series , #10
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.75(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

* What history can teach us about present and future forest biodiversity
* The Holocene structure of north-west European temperate forest induced from palaeoecological data
* Landscape changes in the history of the Austrian alpine regions: Ecological development and the perception of human responsibility
* Natural tree colonization of former agricultural lands in the French Massif Central: Impact of past land use on stand structure, soil characteristics and understorey vegetation
* Fire, death and disorder in the forest: 150 years of change in critical ecological structures and processes in boreal Scandinavia
* Relative importance of habitat quality and forest continuity for the floristic composition of ancient, old and recent woodland
* Land-use history and forest herb diversity in Tompkins County, New York, USA,
* Ancient forests in Denmark and the importance of Tilia
* Ecology and population genetics of Carabus problematicus in Flanders, Belgium: is forest history important?
* Colonization of oak plantations by forest plants: effects of regional abundance and habitat fragmentation
* Multiple-scale factors affecting the development of biodiversity in UK plantations
* Metapopulation dynamics following habitat loss and recovery: forest herbs in ancient and recent forests
* Short-term and mid-term response of ground beetle communities (Coleoptera, Carabidae) to disturbance by regeneration felling
* Changes in the composition of Wytham Woods (southern England) 1974-2002, in stands of different origins and past treatment
* Forest history, continuity and dynamic naturalness
* Integrating historical ecology to restore a transitional Pinus palustris community
* Is the US concept of "old growth" relevant to the cultural landscapes of Europe? a UK perspective
* The use of dendrochronology to evaluate dead wood habitats and management priorities for the ancient oaks of Sherwood Forest
* Forest regulations in the USA: evolving standards for conserving forest biodiversity in the past 300 years

Editorial Reviews

"It represents an excellent addition to IUFRO's high quality research series.... For someone wanting a nice, succinct summary of the state of knowledge of ecological history and biodiversity, this volume serves the purpose very well."

International Forestry Review

"The great quality of the various chapters as well as the quoted literature should make this book a reference book for a large part of the scientific community."

Annals of Forest Science

"The great quality of the various chapters as well as the quoted literature should make this book a reference book for a large part of the scientific community."

"It represents an excellent addition to IUFRO's high quality research series.... For someone wanting a nice, succinct summary of the state of knowledge of ecological history and biodiversity, this volume serves the purpose very well."

From the Publisher