Synopses & Reviews
This book provides a global context for what is happening in the Pacific Northwest, analyzing the remaining ancient forest and the threats to it from atmospheric changes and logging. It shows how human tampering affects an ecosystem, and how the Pacific Northwest could become a model for sustainable forestry worldwide.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 293-314) and index.
About the Author
In 1986, as Public Policy Director of the Ecological Society of America, Elliot Norse had worked with The Wilderness Society (which sponsored this book) to write "Conserving Biological Diversity in Our National Forests".
Elliott Norse has had a fascination with marine biota since preschool which continues today, leading to doctoral and post-doctoral research on the distribution ecology of crabs in tropical marine ecosystems. He has lived many years in the Pacific Northwest, where he learned that constructive changes need to occur to prevent the ancient forests from disappearing.
Table of Contents
List of Contributed Essays
List of Photographs
Preface
Foreword
Chapter 1. Ancient Forests: Global Resource, Global Concern
-The Problem
-The Focus
-A Note to the Reader
Chapter 2. The Forests of the Pacific Northwest
-Biological Uniqueness
-Human Impacts: A Historical Perspective
Chapter 3. The Keys to Understanding
-Succession: Forest Birth and Rebirth
-Dead Trees: The Life of the Forest
-The Definition of Old-Growth
Chapter 4. The Biological Values of Ancient Forests, Part 1
-Biological Diversity
-Species Diversity
Chapter 5. The Biological Values of Ancient Forests, Part 2
-Genetic Diversity
-Ecosystem Diversity
-Scientific Research
-Tree Plantations and Ancient Forests
-Re-creating Ancient Forests
Chapter 6. Effects of Timber Operations
-Destruction, Fragmentation, and Simplification
-Phases of Timber Operations
-Cumulative Effects of Timber Operations
Chapter 7. External Threats to Ancient Forests
-Acidic Deposition and Tropospheric Ozone
-Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
-The Greenhouse Effect: Global Climatic Change
-Climatic Change and Ancient Forests
-Direct Carbon Dioxide Effects
-When Trends Collide: Timber Operations and External Threats
Chapter 8. Sustainable Forestry for the
-Pacific Northwest
-How Much Old-Growth Remains?
-Maintaining Our Options
-Prospects for Maintaining Nontimber Values
-The Two-Track Strategy for Sustainable Forestry
-Preserving Ancient Forests Is Not Enough
-Maintaining Biologocal Diversity in Managed Forests
-Attaining Environmental Maturity
Chapter 9. Conclusions and Recommendations
Glossary
Suggested Readings
Index