Perspectives in Grassland Ecology

Perspectives in Grassland Ecology PDF Author: N.R. French
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461261821
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
This volume is a result of the summary and synthesis of data collected in the Grassland Biome Program, which is part of the American contribution to the International Biological Program (IBP). The purpose of this volume is to present a summary of quantitative ecological investigations of North American grass lands and to present a set of broad comparisons of their characteristics and functions as well as the results of some models and experiments that lead to practical considerations of the management of grasslands. Synthesis is a continuing activity in science. Early in the Grassland Biome Program there was a synthesis of literature data on grasslands, edited by R. L. Dix and R. G. Beidleman (1969). Results of the first year of field data collection under this program were synthesized in a volume edited by N. R. French (1971). Development of the large-scale model constructed to depict the processes and the dynamics of state variables in grassland ecosystems was presented by Innis (1978). Soon to appear will be two volumes integrating studies of American grasslands with IBP studies in other grasslands of the world (Coupland, in press) and the application of systems analysis to understanding grassland function and utilization (Breymeyer and Van Dyne, in press). The present volume presents current results and comparisons of field investigations and experimental studies that were conducted under this program.

Perspectives in Grassland Ecology

Perspectives in Grassland Ecology PDF Author: N.R. French
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461261821
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 215

Get Book Here

Book Description
This volume is a result of the summary and synthesis of data collected in the Grassland Biome Program, which is part of the American contribution to the International Biological Program (IBP). The purpose of this volume is to present a summary of quantitative ecological investigations of North American grass lands and to present a set of broad comparisons of their characteristics and functions as well as the results of some models and experiments that lead to practical considerations of the management of grasslands. Synthesis is a continuing activity in science. Early in the Grassland Biome Program there was a synthesis of literature data on grasslands, edited by R. L. Dix and R. G. Beidleman (1969). Results of the first year of field data collection under this program were synthesized in a volume edited by N. R. French (1971). Development of the large-scale model constructed to depict the processes and the dynamics of state variables in grassland ecosystems was presented by Innis (1978). Soon to appear will be two volumes integrating studies of American grasslands with IBP studies in other grasslands of the world (Coupland, in press) and the application of systems analysis to understanding grassland function and utilization (Breymeyer and Van Dyne, in press). The present volume presents current results and comparisons of field investigations and experimental studies that were conducted under this program.

Grasses and Grassland Ecology

Grasses and Grassland Ecology PDF Author: David J. Gibson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019852918X
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 323

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Book Description
This book is the most up to date and thorough account of the natural history of the plants that comprise the most important food crop on Earth, the grasses and grasslands.

Grassland Ecophysiology and Grazing Ecology

Grassland Ecophysiology and Grazing Ecology PDF Author: Gilles Lemaire
Publisher: CABI
ISBN: 9780851999401
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 448

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Book Description
This text presents edited key papers from the International Symposium on Grassland Ecophyisiology and Grazing Ecology held in Curitiba, Brazil in August 1999. It considers how plants within grasslands respond to and are adapted to grazing animals.

Grassland Dynamics

Grassland Dynamics PDF Author: Alan K. Knapp
Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand
ISBN: 9780195114867
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 364

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Book Description
This is the first volume in the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network Series. Established in 1980, the LTER program is exploring a wide variety of biomes characteristic of the United States and developing a baseline for ecosystem dynamics over long time periods and broad spatial scales. The volumes in this series will include both comprehensive reviews of research from particular sites and topical overviews which use data from many sites to examine important questions in ecology. This volume, which focuses on the Konza Prairie in northeastern Kansas, is a synthesis of over 15 years of research in pristine tallgrass prairie. It gives a comprehensive site description and summarizes the key long-term studies that form the basis for the Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research Program. It then presents a synthesis of the many research areas involved and develops a foundation for future ecological studies in tallgrass prairie. With over 150 figures and tables, chapters that encompass microbial through landscape scales, and an emphasis on lessons learned from long-term studies, this volume provides a unique and comprehensive perspective on the structural and functional ecology of the grassland ecosystem that once covered most of central North America.

Ecology and Conservation of Mountaintop grasslands in Brazil

Ecology and Conservation of Mountaintop grasslands in Brazil PDF Author: Geraldo Wilson Fernandes
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319298089
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 574

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Book Description
This book is a pioneer attempt to bring forward the first synthesis on the most diverse and threatened mountain top vegetation of South America, the rupestrian grasslands. It brings to light the state of the art information on this ecosystem geology, soil formation and distribution, environmental filters that lead to biodiversity, species interactions and their fine tuned adaptations to survive the harsh mountain environment. The human dimensions of the rupestrian grassland are also addressed, including the anthropogenic threats that may irreversibly impact biodiversity and ecosystem services. The book also highlights the ongoing studies on ecological restoration and first attempt to model the impacts of climate change on its speciose biota.

Grassland Restoration and Management

Grassland Restoration and Management PDF Author: David Blakesley
Publisher: Pelagic Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 1784270717
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 311

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Book Description
Following the destruction of 95% of meadows during the twentieth century, there is an urgent need to understand what little unspoiled habitat remains in order to plan the management and restoration of existing sites, as well as re-creating future grassland habitats. This book is a much-needed guide to grassland restoration and management. Providing a thorough overview of recent research on grassland restoration and its implications for practical grassland restoration and management, it introduces grassland communities and the wildlife they support, including examples of species of conservation concern, and considers the management of semi-natural grassland habitats with particular emphasis on drier grassland habitats. Chapters cover: - Grassland character and communities - Introduction to grassland wildlife - Managing semi-natural grassland - Grassland restoration – threats and challenges - Opportunities in grassland restoration - Plant material for grassland restoration - Defining success in grassland restoration. A variety of management techniques are examined, including soil amendment, cultivation, harvesting and maintenance in creating suitable conditions for the successful restoration of species-rich grasslands. It is essential reading for conservationists, site owners or managers, practitioners, conservation organizations and students of ecological restoration with an interest in the creation of new grassland habitats, the restoration of semi-natural grassland, as well as the continuing management of semi-natural (unimproved) grassland communities.

The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States

The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States PDF Author: Chris Helzer
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
ISBN: 1587299313
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
Most prairies exist today as fragmented landscapes, making thoughtful and vigilant management ever more important. Intended for landowners and managers dedicated to understanding and nurturing their prairies as well as farmers, ranchers, conservationists, and all those with a strong interest in grasslands, ecologist Chris Helzer’s readable and practical manual educates prairie owners and managers about grassland ecology and gives them guidelines for keeping prairies diverse, vigorous, and viable. Chapters in the first section, "Prairie Ecology," describe prairie plants and the communities they live in, the ways in which disturbance modifies plant communities, the animal and plant inhabitants that are key to prairie survival, and the importance of diversity within plant and animal communities. Chapters in the second section, "Prairie Management," explore the adaptive management process as well as guiding principles for designing management strategies, examples of successful management systems such as fire and grazing, guidance for dealing with birds and other species that have particular habitat requirements and with the invasive species that have become the most serious threat that prairie managers have to deal with, and general techniques for prairie restoration. Following the conclusion and a forward-thinking note on climate change, eight appendixes provide more information on grazing, prescribed fire, and invasive species as well as bibliographic notes, references, and national and state organizations with expertise in prairie management. Grasslands can be found throughout much of North America, and the ideas and strategies in this book apply to most of them, particularly tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies in eastern North Dakota, eastern South Dakota, eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, northwestern Missouri, northern Illinois, northwestern Indiana, Iowa, southwestern Wisconsin, and southwestern Minnesota. By presenting all the factors that promote biological diversity and thus enhance prairie communities, then incorporating these factors into a set of clear-sighted management practices, The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States presents the tools necessary to ensure that grasslands are managed in the purposeful ways essential to the continued health and survival of prairie communities.

Grasslands and Climate Change

Grasslands and Climate Change PDF Author: David J. Gibson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107195268
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 363

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Book Description
A comprehensive assessment of the effects of climate change on global grasslands and the mitigating role that ecologists can play.

Grassland Productivity and Ecosystem Services

Grassland Productivity and Ecosystem Services PDF Author: Gilles Lemaire
Publisher: CABI
ISBN: 1845938097
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
This book contains 28 chapters with emphasis on the interactive nature of the relationships between the soil, plant, animal and environmental components of grassland systems, both natural and managed. It analyses the present knowledge and the future trends of research for combining the classical view of grasslands, as a resource for secure feeding of an increasing human population, with the more recent perspective of the contribution of grasslands to the mitigation of environmental impacts and biodiversity erosion as consequences of human society activities. The chapters are organized within five sections dealing with the different functions and the main ecosystem services expected from grasslands: (i) domestic herbivore feeding and animal production; (ii) the regulation of biogeochemical cycles and its consequences for the environment; (iii) dynamics of biodiversity hosted by grasslands; (iv) integration of grasslands within sustainable animal production systems; and (v) interactions of grassland areas with other land use systems at the landscape level.

Disturbance in Grasslands

Disturbance in Grasslands PDF Author: J. van Andel
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400940556
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
This volume is the result of a Symposium, held in October, 1985, to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the De partment of Plant Ecology of the University of Groningen. The Department of Plant Ecology was founded by Professor Dingeman Bakker and has, since its incep tion, been involved with studies of grasslands, and especially with the effects of human interference on grassland communities. It has been especially involved in an almost unique enterprise to convert areas of grassland from intensive agricultural production to nature reserves. With over-production of most food commodities in the EEC, and increasing interest in various types of 'set aside' schemes, this initiative now seems to be remarkably prescient. The Netherlands have a long history of human manipulation of the environment. Indeed, the Dutch en vironment is probably more man-made than that of any other country. In view of this, and the Laborato ry's interest in managed grasslands, it is not surprising that 'Disturbance in Grasslands' was selected as the topic for the Laboratory's Jubilee Symposium. Although both the Symposium and the resulting vo lume, have a strong Dutch component, the organisers invited a number of contributors from Europe and elsewhere to provide key chapters. The result is a volume which covers many aspects of disturbance in a variety of grasslands. Disturbance is considered at both the community and the population level, and the principles and processes underlying those responses are explored.