Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology [Paperback]

F. Stuart Chapin III (Author), Harold A. Mooney (Author), Melissa C. Chapin (Author), Pamela Matson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 12, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0387954430 | ISBN-13: 978-0387954431

Features review questions at the end of each chapter; Includes suggestions for recommended reading; Provides a glossary of ecological terms; Has a wide audience as a textbook for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students and as a reference for practicing scientists from a wide array of disciplines

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews: "This textbook includes 16 chapters, each ending with a summary, review questions and references to additional readings. … It is especially characterized by the great importance (250 pp.) which is attributed to abiotic aspects of ecosystem ecology and to production processes as well as nutrient cycling … . All these chapters are structured in an excellent and well organized way. … Altogether, the authors have well succeeded in writing a comprehensive textbook, mainly for graduate students." (Angelika Schwabe, Phytocoenologia, Vol. 34 (3), 2004) "This comprehensive textbook outlines the central processes that characterize terrestrial ecosystems, tracing the flow of water, carbon, and nutrients from their abiotic origins to their cycles through plants, animals, and decomposer organisms. … This book synthesizes current advances in ecology with established theory to offer a complete survey of ecosystem pattern and process in the terrestrial environment. … suitable for use in all courses on ecosystem ecology. Resource managers, land use managers, and researchers will also welcome its thorough presentation of ecosystem essentials." (Ethology, Ecology & Evolution, Vol. 15 (4), 2003)

From the Back Cover

Humans have directly modified half of the ice-free terrestrial surface and use 40% of terrestrial production. We are causing the sixth major extinction event in the history of life on Earth. With the Earth’s climate, flora, and fauna changing rapidly, there is a pressing need to understand terrestrial ecosystem processes and their sensitivity to environmental and biotic changes. This book offers a framework to do just that.   Ecosystem ecology regards living organisms, including people, and the elements of their environment as components of a single integrated system. The comprehensive coverage in this textbook examines the central processes at work in terrestrial ecosystems, including their freshwater components. It traces the flow of energy, water, carbon, and nutrients from their abiotic origins to their cycles through plants, animals, and decomposer organisms. As well as detailing the processes themselves, the book goes further to integrate them at various scales of magnitude—those of the ecosystem, the wider landscape and the globe. It synthesizes recent advances in ecology with established and emerging ecosystem theory to offer a wide-ranging survey of ecosystem patterns and processes in our terrestrial environment.   Featuring review questions at the end of each chapter, suggestions for further reading, and a glossary of ecological terms, Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology is a vitally relevant text suitable for study in all courses in ecosystem ecology. Resource managers and researchers in many fields will welcome its thorough presentation of ecosystem essentials. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 472 pages
• Publisher: Springer (August 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387954430
• ISBN-13: 978-0387954431
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #329,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Chemistry > Geochemistry

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Top Notch., February 20, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology (Paperback)

This is one heck of a book! I'm very, very impressed. I'm certainly going to use for my courses, and I think it will be used by many others teachers and professor. I think it will find itself along side Schlesinger's Biogeochemistry as a standard textbook for ecologists and global change scientists.

The text is written by some of the best ecologists on the planet, and is very complete and up-to-date. Amazingly, it is also very well written and completely understandable to the average biology student.

I especially like the organization of the book into four major sections: context, mechanisms, patterns, and integration. This works very, very well.

Each chapter is about the right length, with the right level of detail. I also like the use of highlighting, and the list of suggested readings. They work very well.

Overall, this is a fantastic book -- destined to become a classic in the field.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crisp and clear !!, October 17, 2003

By 

Oxford_guy "pranabj" (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology (Paperback)

My research is on integration of terrestrial carbon modelling with remote sensing and I was looking for a book which explains different aspects of the terrestrial ecosystem along with latest research results. This book by some of the famous researchers on the subject explains in a very lucid way every aspects of the terrestrial ecosystem while not failing to include the minute yet important details of the same. I found the chapters on carbon input to terrestrial ecosystems, terrestrial production processes and global biogeochemical cycle very stimulating. The book starts with the basic concepts and then go on to dig deeper to help nourish the curiosity with latest findings and reports. Best for begineers in ecosystem ecology or related field to get a crisp and clear idea on complex interlinking of different processes of the earth's terrestrial ecosystem. Additional readings at the end of each chapter would cater the need for the more hungry ones to go deeper. very nicely sequenced and fun to read with excellent drawings/diagrams.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential for ecology, May 7, 2007

By 

D.Stratos - See all my reviews

This review is from: Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology (Paperback)

This textbook is excellent for life science students who want to approach ecology from the point of view of ecosystem functioning. A precise and clear systematic description of ecosystems organisazion is given, from physiology to complex communities organization. It also focuses on the emrgence of new functions and features every time the complexity level increases, which is essential to have a full systematic comprehension of ecosystems. Underlying physical-chemical processes are always taken into considaration, which contributes to easily understand all the general aspects of ecosystem functions. A must read.