Synopses & Reviews
The challenges in ecosystem science encompass a broadening and strengthening of interdisciplinary ties, the transfer of knowledge of the ecosystem across scales, and the inclusion of anthropogenic impacts and human behavior into ecosystem, landscape, and regional models. The volume addresses these points within the context of studies in major ecosystem types viewed as the building blocks of central European landscapes. The research is evaluated to increase the understanding of the processes in order to unite ecosystem science with resource management. The comparison embraces coastal lowland forests, associated wetlands and lakes, agricultural land use, and montane and alpine forests. Techniques for upscaling focus on process modelling at stand and landscape scales and the use of remote sensing for landscape-level model parameterization and testing. The case studies demonstrate ways for ecosystem scientists, managers, and social scientists to cooperate.
Review
"... a highly valuable book, teaching us more about the ecological functioning of ecosystems in the landscape framework." (Folia Geobotanica, Journal of Plant Ecology and Systematics)A source of comparison of important fluxes of carbon, nitrogen, and water through different types of ecosystems which make up central European landscapes
Demonstrates alternative field research designs that have been employed in ecosystem studies
Synopsis
Stimulated by the concern for environmental problems that arose during the 1970s and 1980s, related both to global and national questions of sustain ability, the German government committed itself to advancing ecosystem research as a central component of planning for environment ally, economically, and socially sound policies and for resource manage ment during the 21 st century. Ecosystem research has been promoted at institutions spread throughout the country and that are favorably struc tured to conduct interdisciplinary studies. Research funding is derived from both the federal union and state governments. Results from the research programme at several of these institutions are summarized in this volume: 1. to provide a status report on process understanding within ecosystem types that are viewed as building blocks of complex, highly-modified Central European landscapes, 2. to document progress at institutions pursuing ecosystem science and promoting interdisciplinary approaches, 3. to support the next steps in generalizing the research results, e. g., to obtain a picture of ecosystem function in time and space or oflandscape function, and 4. to examine how the results may be applied to better manage natural resources and achieve sustainability.
Table of Contents
The volume comprises 32 chapters and is divided into the following parts: Part I: Introduction.- Part II: Investigations in a Catchment and a Chain of Lakes on the Northern Coastal Plain of Germany.- Part III: Investigations in an Agricultural Catchment in the Tertiary Hills of Southern Germany.- Part IV: Investigations in Coastal Lowland Agro-landscapes of Northeast Germany.- Part V: Investigations in a Montane Forest Catchment in Central Germany. Part VI: Temporal Changes in Forest Ecosystem Function.- Part VII: Future Perspectives.