The Boreal Ecosystem
1st Edition
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Description
The Boreal Ecosystem presents an overview of the state of knowledge on the boreal forest region of North America, with extensive reference to the boreal regions of Europe and Asia.
Initial sections of this book deal with aspects of the floristic composition and evolutionary history of the boreal vegetation. These introduce subsequent discussions on the processes at work in vegetation, soils, and the atmosphere—in short, with the boreal forest as an ecosystem, the sum total of the influences of many closely interlaced biotic and physical factors. These include not only plant species that make up the visible vegetation but also nutrients, soil, temperature, rainfall, progression of the seasons, soil microflora, arthropods, insects, and larger animals such as marten, otter, beaver, moose, caribou, bear, and wolf, and man. All are closely linked strands in the web of life, a web apart from, yet dependent on and influencing, the raw physical environment.
This book should serve as an introduction and reference source to its audience: undergraduate and graduate students in the biological and ecological disciplines, research workers in these fields as well as in related areas such as soil science, agronomy, genetics, and climatology; in short, everyone with an interest in boreal ecology.
Table of Contents
Preface
A Note on Nomenclature
1. Introduction: Boreal Ecology and Ecosystems Analysis
North American and Eurasian Similarities
Boreal Ecosystematics
Community Structure: Continuum Theory
Investigating Native Communities
The Basic Elements
Problems of Modeling
Summary
References
2. History of the Boreal Vegetation
Species and Environment
Dispersal
Origins of the Flora
The End of the Tertiary
Survival in Refugia
Postglacial Vegetation
The Palynological Record
Postglacial History
The Southern Boreal Border
The Northern Border
Forest-Tundra Communities
Ecological Significance of Historical Events
References
3. Climate of the Boreal Forest
Boreal Climate: General Discussion
Climatic Parameters
Local Boreal Climates
Forest Systems Climatology
Atmospheric Subsystem
Radiation and Temperature
Local Energy Budget
Climate and Permafrost
Climate and Species Distribution
References
4. The Boreal Soils Subsystem
Genesis of Podzol Soils
The Chemical Processes
The Geography of Podzols
Soil Classification: Boreal Regions
Genetic Variations and Plant Communities
Moisture and Permafrost
Soil Organisms
Soil Microorganisms
Soil Animals
Summary: Climate and Soils
References
5. Boreal Communities and Ecosystems: The Broad View
Plants and Environment
The Circumpolar Boreal Forest
The North American Boreal Continuum
Alaska
The Cordillera
Northwestern Mackenzie-Yukon Region
Southwestern Mackenzie and Northern Alberta
The Canadian Shield Region
Shield Communities; Species Composition
Boreal Forests of Eastern Canada
Gaspé-Maritime Region
The Forests of Balsam Fir
Cape Breton and Newfoundland
Labrador-Ungava
Northern Central Quebec
Black Spruce Communities
Altitudinal Tree Line
The Northern Forest Border
Lichens and Mosses of the Forest Floor
Mosses in the Communities
The Appalachian Extension
Extent of the Eurasian Boreal Forest
Summary
References
6. Relationships of Canadian Boreal Plant Communities
Procedure
Statistical Methods
Results
Discussion
Broad Climatic Relationships
The Study
Species Behavior
Regional Environmental Analysis
Future Possibilities
Summary
References
7. Boreal Communities and Ecosystems: Local Variation
Environmental Gradients
Environmental Gradients: Moisture
Environmental Gradients: Light and Shade
Environmental Gradients: Nutrients
The Dynamics of Competition: Adaptation
Succession
Neoclassic Succession Concepts
Permafrost and Succession
Succession in Peatlands
The Ecology of Fire
Sapling Establishment
Conclusion
References
8. Nutrient Cycling and Productivity
Nutrient Cycling and the Boreal Ecosystem
The Nature of Cycling Processes
Chemical Changes during Decomposition
Nutrient Cycles Through Soil Populations
The Carbon Cycle
The Nitrogen Cycle
The Nitrogen Cycle in Forest Stands
Other Elements
Effects of Fire on Cycling
Productivity: Community Comparisons
The Lichen Associates of the Communities
Ecosystem Nutrients and Management
References
9. The Trophic Pyramid: Animal Populations
Plants and Animals
Wildlife: A Biotic Factor
Biomass of the Avifauna
The Trophic Levels
The Plant-Moose-Wolf Subsystem
The Wolverine and Wolf Compared
Role of Insects
Effects of Fire on Animal Populations
Population Cycles
References
10. Boreal Ecology and the Forest Economy
Regional Variations
Succession
The Forest Border
Soils and Podzolization
Community Structure
The Forest Economy: Resources
Managing the Forest Ecosystem
Exploitation and Management
The Bioregenerative System
Management in Northern Regions
Wildlife Management
Production and Management
Forest Management
The Outlook for the Future
References
11. Epilogue
Text
References
Appendix I Analysis of Boreal Soils
Appendix II Broad Geographical Species Relationships
Appendix III Community Composition
Appendix IV Frequency of Occurrence of Lichens
Appendix V Species Frequently in Black Spruce Communities
Appendix VI Species in Boreal Forest Literature
Appendix VII Special Definitions
Subject Index
Species Index
Details
- No. of pages:
- 516
- Language:
- English
- Copyright:
- © Academic Press 1980
- Published:
- 28th October 1980
- Imprint:
- Academic Press
- eBook ISBN:
- 9781483269870
About the Author
James A. Larsen
About the Editor
T. T. Kozlowski
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