New models for ecosystem dynamics and restoration [electronic resource] / edited by Richard J. Hobbs and Katharine N. Suding.

ISBN:

9781610911382

Title:

Author:

Hobbs, R. J. (Richard J.)

Publication Information:

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xii, 352 pages) : illustrations, maps.

Series:

The science and practice of ecological restoration

General Note:

"Society for Ecological Restoration International."

Contents:

Models of ecosystem dynamics as frameworks for restoration ecology / Critical transitions and regime shifts in ecosystems : consolidating recent advances / Transition dynamics in succession : implications for rates, trajectories, and restoration / Inference about complex ecosystem dynamics in ecological research and restoration practice / Thresholds in ecological and linked social-ecological systems : application to restoration / Resilience theory in models of rangeland ecology and restoration : the evolution and application of a paradigm / Long-term dynamics and rehabilitation of woody ecosystems in Dryland South Island, New Zealand / Dryland dynamics and restoration : perspectives for the use of climatic swings / Developing data-driven descriptive models for Californian grasslands / Management and restoration in African Savannas : interactions and feedbacks / Rapid internal plant-soil feedbacks lead to alternative stable states in temperate Australian grassy woodlands / Revised state-and-transistion model for the restoration of woodlands in Western Australia / State-and-transition model for the recovery of abandoned farmland in New Zealand / Dynamics and restoration of Australian tropical and subtropical rainforests / Interactions between lesser snow geese and Arctic coastal vegetation leading to alternative stable states / Feedbacks that might sustain natural, invaded, and restored states in herbaceous wetlands / Development of conceptual models for ecological regime change in temporary Australian wetlands / State-and-transition models for mining restoration in Australia / Alternative stable state model for landscape-scale restoration in South Australia / Alternative stable states for planning and implementing restoration of production systems in Michoacán, Mexico / Synthesis : are new models for ecosystem dynamics scientifically robust and helpful in guiding restoration projects?

Local Note:

eBooks on EBSCOhost

Subject Term:

Restoration ecology.

Ecological succession.

Ecosystem management.

Added Author:

Hobbs, R. J. (Richard J.)

Suding, Katharine N. (Katharine Nash)

Added Corporate Author:

Society for Ecological Restoration International.

Format:

Electronic Resources

Electronic Access:

Click here to view

Publication Date:

2009

Publication Information:

Available:*

Shelf Number	Material Type	Copy	Shelf Location	Status
333.73153 22	1:E-BOOK	1	1:ONLINE	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

As scientific understanding about ecological processes has grown, the idea that ecosystem dynamics are complex, nonlinear, and often unpredictable has gained prominence. Of particular importance is the idea that rather than following an inevitable progression toward an ultimate endpoint, some ecosystems may occur in a number of states depending on past and present ecological conditions. The emerging idea of "restoration thresholds" also enables scientists to recognize when ecological systems are likely to recover on their own and when active restoration efforts are needed.

Conceptual models based on alternative stable states and restoration thresholds can help inform restoration efforts. New Models for Ecosystem Dynamics and Restoration brings together leading experts from around the world to explore how conceptual models of ecosystem dynamics can be applied to the recovery of degraded systems and how recent advances in our understanding of ecosystem and landscape dynamics can be translated into conceptual and practical frameworks for restoration.

In the first part of the book, background chapters present and discuss the basic concepts and models and explore the implications of new scientific research on restoration practice. The second part considers the dynamics and restoration of different ecosystems, ranging from arid lands to grasslands, woodlands, and savannahs, to forests and wetlands, to production landscapes. A summary chapter by the editors discusses the implications of theory and practice of the ideas described in preceding chapters.

New Models for Ecosystem Dynamics and Restoration aims to widen the scope and increase the application of threshold models by critiquing their application in a wide range of ecosystem types. It will also help scientists and restorationists correctly diagnose ecosystem damage, identify restoration thresholds, and develop corrective methodologies that can overcome such thresholds.

Author Notes

Richard J. Hobbs is an Australian Professorial Fellow at Murdoch University in Western Australia. Katharine N. Suding is an assistant professor at the University of California, Irvine.

Reviews (1)

Choice Review

This book, sponsored by the Society for Ecological Restoration International, is a compilation of both concepts and case studies. The editors have assembled a varied group of authors who have successfully approached the issue of ecosystem dynamics and restoration. The aim of the work was to bring together the conceptual models and the practitioners in a critical and analytical fashion. Framed with an introduction to the concepts and a final synthesis, the book largely focuses on five broadly defined ecosystems types: arid ecosystems; grassland, woodland, and savannas; forest ecosystems; wetland ecosystems; and production landscapes. Though the case studies are gathered from Mexico, New Zealand, California, and beyond, the majority of the practical applications are Australian examples. The first part of the book, dedicated to concepts and models, focuses on the threshold modeling approaches as applied to ecosystem restoration. Overall, this is a very thorough, extensively researched, and well-written book whose scope is not hindered by the abundance of case studies from Australian systems. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, researchers, and conservation practitioners. L. S. Rigg Northern Illinois University