Ecology at the ecosystem level has both necessitated and benefited from new methods and technologies as well as those adapted from other disciplines. With the ascendancy of ecosystem science and management, the need has arisen for a comprehensive treatment of techniques used in this rapidly-growing field. Methods in Ecosystem Science answers that need by synthesizing the advantages, disadvantages and tradeoffs associated with the most commonly used techniques in both aquatic and terrestrial research.The book is divided into sections addressing carbon and energy dynamics, nutrient and water dynamics, manipulative ecosystem experiements and tools to synthesize our understanding of ecosystems. Detailed information about various methods will help researchers choose the most appropriate methods for their particular studies. Prominent scientists discuss how tools from a variety of disciplines can be used in ecosystem science at different scales.

Stand Structure in Terrestrial Ecosystems * Stoichiometric Analysis of Pelagic Ecosystems * Aboveground Net Primary Productivity * Global Net Photosynthesis and Terrestrial Net Primary Productivity from the Earth Observing System * Methods of Estimating Belowground Net Primary Production * The Measurement of Primary Production in Aquatic Ecosystems * Benthic Respiration in Aquatic Sediments * Decomposition and Soil Organic Matter Dynamics * Stable Isotope Tracers in Soil Organic Matter Studies * Microbial Carbon Cycling in Pelagic Ecosystems * Herbivory in Terrestrial Ecosystems * Canopy Fluxes * Micrometeorological Techniques for Studying Canopy Fluxes * Assessing Ecosystem-Level Water Relations Through Stable Isotope Ratio Analyses * Measuring Water Availability and Uptake in Ecosystem Studies * Nutrient Transformation * Biogenic Trace Gas Exchanges * Ecosystem Nutrient Balance and Dynamics * Nutrient Deposition to Ecosystems * Landscape and Regional Biogeochemistry * Elevated CO2 Experiments * Nutrient Manipulations in Terrestrial Ecosystems * Nutrient Manipulations in Aquatic Ecosystems * Biotic Manipulation of Aquatic Ecosystems * Biotic Manipulations Involving Belowground Animals.