Forest Canopies, Second Edition (Physiological Ecology) [Hardcover]

Margaret D. Lowman (Author), H. Bruce Rinker (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0124575536 | ISBN-13: 978-0124575530 | Publication Date: September 15, 2004 | Edition: 2

The treetops of the world's forests are where discovery and opportunity abound, however they have been relatively inaccessible until recently. This book represents an authoritative synthesis of data, anecdotes, case studies, observations, and recommendations from researchers and educators who have risked life and limb in their advocacy of the High Frontier. With innovative rope techniques, cranes, walkways, dirigibles, and towers, they finally gained access to the rich biodiversity that lives far above the forest floor and the emerging science of canopy ecology. In this new edition of Forest Canopies, nearly 60 scientists and educators from around the world look at the biodiversity, ecology, evolution, and conservation of forest canopy ecosystems.

-Comprehensive literature list
-State-of-the-art results and data sets from current field work
-Foremost scientists in the field of canopy ecology
-Expanded collaboration of researchers and international projects
-User-friendly format with sidebars and case studies
-Keywords and outlines for each chapter

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An unequaled panorama of the rapidly developing insights of the once unobtainable canopy frontier...where exploration and discovery are at their most exciting...anyone interested in understanding forests can only do so with this valuable book."
- Thomas E. Lovejoy, President, The Heinz Center for Science Economics and the Environment

"A better understanding of forest canopies, their biodiversity and canopy processes is crucial to understanding and addressing many of today's environmental issues..[this volume] is a must-read for all those interested in forest canopies."
-Nigel E. Stork, Rainforest CRC, James Cook University, TRENDS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, June 2005

"Each chapter is extensively referenced and accompanied by numerous figures and tables...This text is suitable for scientists, students, policy makers, conservationists, and educators."
- SOUTHEASTERN NATURALIST

Book Description

This book is an authoritative synthesis of studies in ecology and evolution that promotes a whole-system viewpoint of the world's forests.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 544 pages
• Publisher: Academic Press; 2 edition (September 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0124575536
• ISBN-13: 978-0124575530
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,698,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Canopies of tropical rainforest trees and giant conifers, January 3, 2012

By 

Kouta Räsänen (Germany) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Forest Canopies, Second Edition (Physiological Ecology) (Hardcover)

I do not know if I am right, but I get the impression that there is a core group of canopy scientist (Dial, Lowman, Nadkarni, Rinker, Sillett, Van Pelt, etc.) whose articles are interesting and of high quality, but there are also others invited to write, who have not exactly known, what they should write. For example, chapter 19 "Nutrient Cycling" artificially restricts the discussion on canopies. I think trees are entities and their nutrient uptake cannot be ignored. The authors of chapter 21 "Decomposition in Forest Canopies" seem to have had difficulties to find, what to write for their short article. Some chapters require certain background knowledge, e.g. 17 "Photosynthesis in Forest Canopies".

As forest canopies are hard to reach, it would be nice to see beautiful photos of different canopies. Unfortunately, there are not much photos, they are small, many of them black and white and often unsharp.

Many chapters include extensive praise to the new canopy access techniques. Forest canopies are "final frontiers", like nobody would have seen them before. New rope based techniques have certainly vastly improved data gathering from canopies, but they have been entered from pre-historic times for gathering fruits, honey etc. Actually, not more than a ladder is needed to access canopy, and many ordinary people are also able to climb trees without any aid. Of course, not the canopies of the giant trees of western North America, and the trees of tropical rainforest may also pose great difficulties. This brings me to the fact that the discussion is concentrated in very tall forests and tropical rainforests so much that one could think other forests do not have canopies. Some writers almost equate canopy = tropical rainforest canopy.

Despite my cricism, I find this book very interesting, but I would like less praise, and instead one chapter on the canopies of temperate deciduous forest.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent review, November 26, 2011

By 

D. Reynolds "Capnodium" (California USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Forest Canopies, Second Edition (Physiological Ecology) (Hardcover)

This review of the tropical forest canopy is thorough and provocative. The contributing authors bring a wide experience to the topic.