Functional Ecology of Woodlands is firmly based on the factors which govern the composition of woodland communities, but goes on to explore the dynamics of interactions between various ecosystem components. This is an authoritative text on the functioning of forest ecosystems, which will also assist readers to reach informed decisions about issues such as the greenhouse effect, acid precipitation, the greening of cities and agroforestry.
Preface. Introduction. Primary production: the autotrophs. Reproductive strategies of woodland plants. Soils, climate and zonation. Forest change. The herbivore subsystem and the exploitation of living autotrophs. Community change and stability. Decomposition and renewal. Energy and nutrients. Working forests. Contemporary problems and the future of forests. Epilogue. Further reading. References. Index.