Book Description

Decision making in land management involves preferential selection among competing alternatives. Often, such choices are difficult owing to the complexity of the decision context. Because the analytic hierarchy process (AHP, developed by Thomas Saaty in the 1970s) has been successfully applied to many complex planning, resource allocation, and priority setting problems in business, energy, health, marketing, natural resources, and transportation, more applications of the AHP in natural resources and environmental sciences are appearing regularly. This realization has prompted the authors to collect some of the important works in this area and present them as a single volume for managers and scholars. Because land management contains a somewhat unique set of features not found in other AHP application areas, such as site-specific decisions, group participation and collaboration, and incomplete scientific knowledge, this text fills a void in the literature on management science and decision analysis for forest resources. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Exhaustive treatment of the subject
The authors have done a superlative job condensing years of research into a comprehensive encyclopedia of insect pests of palms. With a holistic approach that emphasizes the biological interaction of insects with their palm hosts, and a mix of basic and applied information, this volume is an invaluable reference for anyone who works with the "royalty of plants," from the enthusiastic hobbyist to an agronomist managing extensive palm plantations. Accessible and edifying for both scientists and non-scientists, "Insects on Palms" will remain the acknowledged authority on its subject for years to come.

Por fin disponemos de un buen libro sobre plagas de palmeras
Los amantes de las palmeras y los que trabajamos en este campo echábamos de menos un buen libro sobre las plagas de las palmeras. Desde que Lepesme publicara en 1947, en francés, "Les Insectes des Palmiers", nadie se había atrevido a poner al día, de forma tan profunda, los conocimientos sobre los insectos de las palmeras y las modernas técnicas de control. Por fin, los autores de este libro, que poseen una amplia experiencia en estos insectos, nos ofrecen una herramienta de trabajo indispensable, moderna y llena de conocimientos. ... Read more

Book Description

After nearly 60 years, with descriptions of more than 270 species and almost 200 illustrations, Textbook of Dendrology continues to remain a top resource for taxonomic and silvicultural information on North American trees.In this new edition, material throughout the text has been updated and expanded to provide current information on tree sizes, damaging diseases and insect pest, economic uses, and silvics.Because of growing concern for the environment, it is even more necessary for students to know and understand the importance of conservation.Many of these issues are incorporated throughout the book. ... Read more

Book Description

Considerable emphasis has been placed on the interactions between environmental change and forests in recent years. Reports have been produced detailing scenarios of forest development associated particular changes in climate. Similarly, scnarios have been produced looking at likely trends in air quality. However, many studies have failed to recognize that some of the biggest changes for forests are related to the socio-economic environment rather than the physical environment. This book considers the interactions between forestry and environmental (climate) change, from social and economic perspectives. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Must have!
This book covers everything for prospective Christmas Tree Farm owners from how to know which land is best for your trees to marketing and selling your trees. It is definialy a must have for those with an interest in owning a Christmas tree farm. The author wrote the book in a very easy and whimsical way to make the book very enjoyable to read. ... Read more

Book Description

Oak Forest Ecosystems focuses on the relationship between an oak forest's acorn yield and species of wildlife that depend on it. It begins by treating factors such as oak distribution, forest fires, tree diseases and pests, dynamics of acorn production, and acorn dispersal by birds and mammals. Special consideration is given to the phenomenon of masting -- whereby oaks in a given area will produce huge crops of acorns at irregular intervals -- a key component for wildlife researchers and managers in understanding patterns of scarcity and abundance in the creatures that feed on this crop. Relationships between oaks and animals such as mice, squirrels, turkeys, deer, and bear are discussed, as are the differences between eastern, southern Appalachian, southwestern, and California oak forests.

Contributors: Marc D. Abrams, Pennsylvania State University • Patrick H. Brose, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • John P. Buonaccorsi, University of Massachusetts • Daniel Dey, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Joseph S. Elkinton, University of Massachusetts • George A. Feldhamer, Southern Illinois University • Peter F. Folliott, University of Arizona • Lee E. Frelich, University of Minnesota • Cathryn H. Greenberg, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • William M. Healy, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Roy L. Kirkpatrick, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University • Johannes M. H. Knops, University of Nebraska • Walter D. Koenig, University of California • Nelson W. Lafon, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries • Andrew M. Liebhold, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • William J. McShea, National Zoological Park Conservation and Research Center • William H. McWilliams, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Gary W. Norman, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries • Steven W. Oak, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Renee A. O'Brien, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Richard S. Ostfeld, Institute of Ecosystem Studies • Bernard R. Parresol, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Peter J. Perkins, University of New Hampshire • Gordon C. Reese, Colorado State University • Peter B. Reich, University of Minnesota • Peter D. Smallwood, University of Richmond • Christopher C. Smith, Kansas State University • Richard B. Standiford, University of California--Berkeley • Martin A. Stapanian, Ohio Cooperative Wildlife Unit • Michael A. Steele, Wilkes University • David Steffen, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries • David H. Van Lear, Clemson University • Michael R. Vaughan, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University • Karen L. Waddell, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service

Book Description

This new edition presents a new, updated approach to forest measurement that takes into account all of a forests resources, describes the use of mensuration as a monitoring tool, presents current forest management principles, and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Classic Still Available
First, let's correct an error. The 3rd edition was published in 1982 by John Wiley & Sons so the date of "February 1993" is not when the edition came out (maybe its when Krieger Publ. took over).

This is a classic text dealing with all aspects of forest measurements - from individual trees to rather sophisticated forest inventory techniques. It is the ONLY text that contains associated mathematics beyond the basics. It is the ONLY text that deals with metric scale of measurements, especially with point sampling. ... Read more

Book Description

The storage of carbon in forest ecosystems has received special attention in the Kyoto protocol of the Climate Convention, which attempts to equilibrate fossil fuel emissions with biological sinks. This volume quantifies carbon storage in managed forest ecosystems not only in biomass, but also in all soil compartments. It investigates the interaction between the carbon and nitrogen cycles by working along a north-south transect through Europe which starts in northern Sweden, passes through a N-deposition maximum in central Europe and ends in Italy. Surprisingly, C storage in soils increases with N deposition; in addition, not young reforestations, but old growth forests have the highest rate of carbon sequestration. For the first time biogeochemical processes are linked to biodiversity on a large geographic scale and with special focus on soil organisms. The enclosed CD-ROM provides a complete database of all flux, storage and species observations for modellers. ... Read more

Book Description

On July 10, 2001, in northern Washington state, a rain of burning embers trapped two civilians and thirteen firefighters in a steeply walled canyon. With a roar heard thirty miles away, flames and black smoke swept overhead-leaving four firefighters dead.

This tragic story lies at the heart of A Season of Fire, a compelling narrative that begins in mid-May 2001 with dire early weather predictions, follows the training of thousands of new firefighters, and culminates in mid-September as the year's final blazes are extinguished and controversy erupts over the July deaths.

Journalist Douglas Gantenbein takes readers behind the scenes of smokejumpers' training and travels to the locations of the summer's most dramatic fires: Wyoming's Jackson Fire, in which millions of dollars were spent in an attempt to save a group of million-dollar homes; the Arthur Fire, which closed Yellowstone Park's eastern entrance for two weeks; and the Fridley Fire, which torched 50,000 acres of Montana woodlands in less than six hours.

In a fascinating exploration of the science and economics of firefighting, Gantenbein dramatically depicts the tinderbox that is the American West. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

A Wonderful, Thought Provoking Wildfire Book
Years ago I read and greatly enjoyed Norman Maclean's book, Young Men and Fire, about the Mann Gulch fire of 1949. It is a classic work on the study of wildfires and I have re-read it many times. Recently a new book on forest fires was released and based on reviews I purchased it. After reading A Season of Fire by Douglas Gantenbein in one sitting, it is my opinion that a new standard text has been added to the literature. I learned more from this book about the inner workings of the fire fighting teams and what it is like to be on the front line of an inferno than almost any other book. Mr. Gantenbein also covers in great detail the political considerations of fighting wildfires and the many special interests involved. I heartily recommend A Season of Fire to any reader interested in the outdoors. It will challenge you and you will learn from it.

A fascinating read.
I read this book because I wanted to learn more about fires in the Pacific Northwest and the people who fight them. I expected to be most interested in the human aspect of fire-fighting but what surprised me is how interesting the science of fires can be. The author makes even the most complex information easy to understand, and therefore I was fascinated by how fire actually starts and moves. I also enjoyed learning detailed information about the trees and forests surrounding where I live. Perhaps most importantly, reading this book showed me compelling arguments for both sides of the "fight it" or "let it burn" issue, and I have great respect for those who have to make these decisions.

Superb and balanced
The author, whose writing style is smart yet easy to follow, gives a balanced and thoughtful examination of fires in the West. His descriptions of the fires puts the reader in the forest with the fire fighters and at the same time gives the perspectives of all involved. With no pat or political answers, Gantenbein shows real depth and understanding for such a complex and fascinating issue. Great summer read.

Great read!
This book is an entertaining read as well as being quite informative. It grabs your attention in its personal detail about various forest fires in the West, putting it in a different perspective than the sound bites of television news. You feel like you're really there, and what the firefighters may have been feeling. The explanation of the logistics and costs of firefighting were eye-opening. It also gives a good discussion about policy and how we got where we are today, with bigger and hotter fires. I highly recommend this book to anyone who lives in the West, in particular, to discover how our forests have evolved with human intervention and how different they are from area to area, which requires different firefighting efforts. A must-read!

1 star is far to generous
I was shocked at the simple inaccuracies (such as which interestate runs through Montana) and agast at how the author considers himself a pro after a whopping 4 months of hanging around fire camp. Gantenbeins research is shallow, philosophy limited, and understanding of natural resource policy thin. Don't waste your money, read Dave Strohmier's book instaed. As for me, I spent 5 years intial attack and helitack, worked for Krikendall (portrayal was limited but accurate) and Kevin Ryan funded by Masters degree. Too bad their credibility takes hits shot by being included in such a poor book. They, along with many others, deserve much better. Don't waste your time. ... Read more

Book Description

The reissue of this classic history allows us to once again journey into the past and rediscover for the first time the forgotten men and methods of logging history in the Northwest United States and Canada. This book contain the best photographs of a dozen famous collections: Davis and Benson rafts, river drives, hand logging spar topping big wheels in the pine, saw mills of 1890 to 1915, historical ox teams, tractors, blumes. In this chronicle of the Big Woods, bunk house ballads, humorous sketches and eyewitness accounts of work and life in the tall uncut as well as the rich photographs help the reader to actually feel the old logging atmosphere. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Photos & Stories From When Timber Was King
This is a classic for anyone interested in the history of logging in the Pacific Northwest. Together with Andrews other companion book, "This Was Sawmilling" the reader will gain a great understanding how trees were harvest, transported to mills and converted into the resources which built this Country. There's hundreds of wonderful photos from the woods along with many contraptions which loggers created to make their tasks either easier or more likely, more productive. Can you imagine a raft 1000 feet long and 30 feet wide and deep made out of logs laced together with huge chains? These structures containing millions of board feet of trees would be created in the far Northwest and floated down the coast to San Diego, CA and further. There's photos in the book. There's a great photo of a logger standing on the top of a tree hundreds of feet in the air just after he has completed preparation for high-lead logging. The book is separated into geographic regions from British Columbia and each of the States of the Northwest. It has numerous poems written about loggers. (Please don't call them lumber-jacks. I never heard a man who works in the woods called a lumber-jack all my years going up in Oregon. Yet a recent TV show about the worlds most dangerous jobs constantly referred to them a lumber-jacks.) Distraction of this classic includes the lack of a table of contents, index, and the disconnect between the photos and the stories. Which is to be expected. Andrews rarely had photos of the people in the stories and vice versa. Why this short-comings. Superior Publishing printed many of these books by folks who simply wanted to document the hard work of others. Regardless whether it was logging, railroading, or shipping they were willing to publish the books. Thank goodness they did or we'd never have had these classics. If you have an interest in the history of logging this book will be a great addition to your collection. ... Read more

Book Description

This provocative book documents how national and global politics intersected to bring about changes in Brazil's environmental preservation laws. Luiz Barbosa argues that global forces coupled with two decades of military rule in Brazil led to policies that promoted deforestation for the sake of development, ultimately having devastating consequences for Amaz(tm)nia's ecosystem and its native populations. By the mid-1980s, changes in global ecopolitics and the onset of democracy in Brazil paved the way for new environmental preservation laws. Barbosa's study is unique in showing the impact of global processes on third-world environmental degradation and in its claim that democracy can facilitate preservation. The latter point is further emphasized in a comparative chapter in which Barbosa demonstrates the importance of democracy for environmental preservation in Costa Rica, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Sociologists and anthropologists interested in issues surrounding economic development as well as environmental activists will find much to their liking in this work. ... Read more

Book Description

America's 754 million acres of forest constitute more than a major geographical feature. They are intricately woven into the national economy and culture-providing a fifth of the nation's industrial raw material, protecting and regulating its watersheds, providing grazing range for a sizeable portion of livestock, producing most of its game and much of its nonsport wildlife, and attracting millions of tourists annually.The Southern Forest: Geography, Ecology, and Silviculture examines in-depth the forests of the South, providing a comprehensive description of the region from which most of the nation's wood for housing and paper will be grown and harvested in the future. Closing the old-growth forests of the Northwest and reduction of harvests in the tropics necessitate the U.S. South intensifying tree growth to accommodate society's requirements. This book provides the information for practicing foresters, researchers, and students to increase forest growth dramatically for the many forest types and in the various subregions without detrimentally affecting soil, species diversity, or long-term aesthetics.The four factors of site-edaphic, biotic, climatic, and physiographic-are given special attention. Over 200 photographs; an extensive listing of literature citations; and appendixes of tree, insect, and disease agents are included. With files of field notes and photographs, Walker and Oswald revisit-and take the reader along to grasp-the South's rich forests. A land manager will need no other reference to the soils, biotic components, climate or physiology of the region. ... Read more

Book Description

Nontarget Effects of Biological Control is the first book of its kind. The environmental safety of biological control has come under scrutiny due to several areas of concerns: the irreversibility of alien introductions, the prevalence of host switching to innocuous native or beneficial species, dispersal of the biocontrol agent to new habitats away from croplands, and the lack of research on the efficacy and impact of biocontrol attempts. The debate has been strongly polarized between conservationists and biological control practitioners. Nontarget Effects of Biological Control proposes that retrospective analyses of systems in place in which nontarget effects are now documented or suspected provide the necessary information for planning and evaluating future releases to reduce risk. The book presents case histories of past biological control introductions from island and continental ecosystems. ... Read more

Book Description

This revised and reorganized text is designed for a standard forest ecology course for undergraduates in forestry, natural resources, environmental science, environmental ecology, and field ecology programs. Provides an eminently current perspective on the material by emphasizing forest ecosystems using a landscape-ecosystem or geo-ecosystem approach. Written by both field teachers and researchers of forest ecology and practitioners of forest ecology in both public and private arenas. Treats traditional plant ecology topics of community, succession, biota from a landscape ecosystem perspective, also emphasizes earth science. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Not a good book for students of forest ecology
This book is the required text for a class on trees and forests that I am currently taking at UC Davis. It is an imposing text and reads much like a journal of ecology. It is far from a good study aid for undergrads and grad students in forest ecology. However, given its copious literature citations, it could easily serve as a reference text for an advanced undergraduate course or graduate seminar.

The book comes full of graphs, charts and pictures, but much of it is superfluous. Key terms and concepts are not fully explained for initiates, a glossary of terms is non-existent for quick reference, and brief, detailed summaries of each chapter are not provided at the end of each chapter for time-pressed students. The book also contains numerous photographs of forest stands, maps, diagrams, and charts; however, because none of these are in color, they lose much of their visual impact, detail and valuable utility. Furthermore, there are no study questions at the end of each chapter for exam preparation. As such, initiates to forestry or landscape ecology looking for a good introduction to the field are pretty much out of luck.

Although the book has gone through four editions, it is still quite far from being a good textbook. In addition to the above mentioned comments, the writing style needs to be tighter. However, negatives aside, teachers and educators looking for examples of many of the concepts in forest ecology for use in class discussions will find this an invaluable text. ... Read more

Book Description

This new, well-illustrated text describes in detail all aspects of wildland firefighting.Written in a clear, "how to" style by a seasoned fire officer, it provides a comprehensive explanation of all the skills a firefighter needs to operate effectively against any type of wildland blaze.Step-by-step photographs of actual operations make it easy for the student to understand the material; illustrations and graphs reinforce the learning process.This text leaves students with a complete understanding of the challenges they will face - and with the skills and confidence to meet the challenges of being a wildland firefighter.(Keywords: Firefighting) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

great book
good book. you must read it, you'al will love it ... Read more

Book Description

In the face of all-too-frequent wildfires, this book offers a primer for understanding how diverse land-use histories have impacted the health of pine-dominated ecosystems in the West. It draws on a systematic review of the historic effects of land use and climate on ecosystem health, biodiversity, and non-timber forest products in Colorado Plateau landscapes that have long histories of human occupation and use of forest products. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Once upon a time, the Pacific Northwest was dominated by old-growth forest--a never-been-cut complex of giant conifers, ferns, mosses, wildflowers, and critters large and small. Today, more than 90 percent of Washington's seemingly endless expanse of big trees (mainly firs, pines, hemlocks, and cedars) and accompanying understory plants and animals have fallen victim to the world's ever-increasing need for timber products. From the get-go, the author lays down the sad truth: "If past patterns of timber sales and clearcuts continue, ancient forest may disappear except within official wilderness and parks [and] the woods protected could be little more than tree museums." But rather than dwell on this discouraging possibility, Ancient Forests of Washington starts off with an easy-to-follow identification guide to the dominant old-growth forest tree species, then invites the reader to enjoy what's left of "one of the greatest natural ecosystems that ever evolved on our planet." After providing 37 possibilities for visiting towering trees in such unlikely places as smack-dab in the middle of West Seattle (Schmitz Park, to be exact) or the untrammeled Grove of the Patriarchs (located on an island in the Ohanapecosh River in Mount Rainier National Park), the author's modus operandi becomes quite clear: you can't save/care about what you haven't experienced yourself. That fact established, the remainder of this guide provides contact information for getting involved in saving what little old-growth forest is left. But rather than being a means to an end, trail descriptions brim with interesting and practical tidbits above and beyond things arboreal (Bumping Lake is "great for kids as it is nearly flat" and "goshawks and spotted owls" may be glimpsed at the West Fork Teanaway River, for instance). Maps and photos along with a suggested reading list round out the guide. --Martha Silano ... Read more