Plant Ecology, Herbivory, and Human Impact in Nordic Mountain Birch Forests (Ecological Studies Book 180)

From the reviews: "Springer's Ecological Studies series provides an invaluable database and synthesis in ecology that students and researchers alike should be aware of. The series provides very useful insights into ecosystems, providing background and up-to-date information on whole ecosystems and how they function in relation to their environment. This book is no exception. ... I would recommend this book to researchers and students alike, as the data are presented in a very accessible, clear fashion and the content can be extrapolated to many upland ecosystems in the United Kingdom." (Mountain Research and Development) "The book is well structured and consists of 25 well-written concise chapters mostly by groups of authors ... all being specialists in the field. ... We have to congratulate all authors in particular the editor on this versatile, highly informative, well organized and concisely written book. ... This fascinating book is strongly recommended ... . It is a must for libraries of universities, high schools and other institutes and organisations of fundamental and applied research in bio- and geosciences ... ." (Fred J. A. Daniëls, Phytocoenologia, Vol. 37 (2), 2007) History and Environment of the Nordic Mountain Birch....Pages 3-18 Soils and Nutrients in Northern Mountain Birch Forests: A Case Study from Finnmarksvidda, Northern Norway....Pages 19-33 Vegetation of the Mountain Birch Forest in Northern Fennoscandia....Pages 35-52 Biomass and Production on a Landscape Level in the Mountain Birch Forests....Pages 53-70 Mountain Birch Growth in Relation to Climate and Herbivores....Pages 71-86 Effects of Temperature Changes on Survival and Growth in Mountain Birch Populations....Pages 87-98 Phenology and Performance of Mountain Birch Provenances in Transplant Gardens: Latitudinal, Altitudinal and Oceanity-Continentality Gradients....Pages 99-115 Synthesis Section 1: A Dynamic Forest in a Changing Environment....Pages 117-122 Forest Defoliation Risks in Birch Forest by Insects Under Different Climate and Land Use Scenarios in Northern Europe....Pages 125-138 Birch Sapling Responses to Severity and Timing of Domestic Herbivore Browsing — Implications for Management....Pages 139-155 Effects of Reindeer Grazing on Pastures - A Necessary Basis for Sustainable Reindeer Herding....Pages 157-164 Long-Term Influence of Herbivores on Northern Birch Forests....Pages 165-181 Synthesis Section 2: Herbivory in Northern Birch Forests....Pages 183-189 Rates and Processes of Natural Regeneration in Disturbed Habitats....Pages 193-202 Recreation at Tree Line and Interactions with Other Land-Use Activities....Pages 203-217 Economic Limits and Possibilities for Sustainable Utilization of Northern Birch Forests....Pages 219-233 The Vegetation Changes and Recent Impact on the Mountain Birch Forest During the Last 40 Years....Pages 235-253 Sámi Approaches to Mountain Birch Utilization in Northern Sápmi (Finland and Norway)....Pages 255-268 Sustainable Reindeer Herding in Mountain Birch Ecosystem....Pages 269-273 Competition Over Nature, Space, Resources and Management in the Mountain Birch Forest Ecosystem in Northernmost Fennoscandia: A Synthesis....Pages 275-280 Landscape-Scale Model Relating the Nordic Mountain Birch Forest Spatio-Temporal Dynamics to Various Anthropogenic Influences, Herbivory and Climate Change....Pages 283-300 Scenarios for Future Development of the Mountain Birch Ecosystem....Pages 301-311 Managing the Nordic Mountain Birch Ecosystem: Local Communities and the State in Finland’s Forestry....Pages 313-326 Policies and Developing Plans Towards Sustainability of Mountain Birch Ecosystems in Scandinavia....Pages 327-340 The Nordic Mountain Birch Ecosystem - Challenges to Sustainable Management....Pages 343-356 The successful long-term sustainable management of forests is dependent on our knowledge of their history, present state, and responses to changing environmental conditions. In this light, the text evaluates the Nordic mountain birch ecosystem with examples from different sites in the Nordic countries and Scotland. The authors analyse vegetation, soils and nutrients, and investigate the influence of climate change, insect pests, grazing pressure by sheep and reindeer, construction of roads and other consequences of increasing tourism. The possibilities for a sustainable use of the Nordic mountain birch forests are discussed in various models. An accompanying CD-ROM contains additional material, including tables, illustrations, and model presentations. TOC:History and environment of the Nordic mountain birch (NMB). Soils and nutrients in NMB forests (F). Vegetation of the NMBF in northern Fennoscandia. Biomass and production on a landscape level in the NMBF. NMB growth in relation to climate and herbivores. Responses of temperature changes on survival and growth in NMB populations. Phenology and performance of NMB provenances in transplant gardens. Forest defoliation risks in NMB by insects under different climate and land use scenarios in northern Europe. Birch sapling responses to severity and timing of domestic herbivore browsing - implications for management. Effects of reindeer grazing on pastures in a NMB ecosystem. Long-term influence of herbivores on NMBF. Rates and processes of natural regeneration in disturbed habitats. Recreation at treeline and interactions with other land use activities. Economic limits and possibilities for sustainable utilization of NMBF. The vegetation changes and recent impact on the NMBF during the last 40 years. Sami approaches to NMB utilization in northern Sapmi. Sustainable reindeer herding in the NMB ecosystem. Landscape-scale model relating the NMBF spatiotemporal dynamics to various anthropogenic influences, herbivory and climate change. Scenarios for future development of the NMB ecosystem. Managing the NMB ecosystem. Local communities and the state in Finlands forestry. Policies and developing plans towards sustainability of NMB ecosystems in Scandinavia. The NMB ecosystem-challenges to sustainable management This Volume Contains Results From The Eu Hibeco Project. It Was Performed From 2000 To 2003 To Investigate The Mountain Birch Ecosystem In Northern Fennoscandia. The Accompanying Cd-rom Contains Additional Material To A Number Of Chapters, Including Tables, Illustrations, And Model Presentations. F.e. Wielgolaski (ed.) ; P.s. Karlsson, S. Neuvonen, D. Thannheiser (ed. Board). Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This work analyzes vegetation and soils, and investigates the influence of climate change, insect pests, grazing pressure by sheep and reindeer, construction of roads and other consequences of increasing tourism in the Nordic mountain birch forests.