Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Chaparral shrubland ecosystems are an iconic feature of the California landscape, and a highly biodiverse yet highly flammable backdrop to some of the fastest growing urban areas in the United States. Chaparral-type ecosystems are a common element of all of the world's Mediterranean-type climate regions - of which California is one - yet there is little public appreciation of the intrinsic value and the ecosystem services that these landscapes provide. Valuing Chaparral is a compendium of contributions from experts in chaparral ecology and management, with a focus on the human relationship with chaparral ecosystems. Chapters cover a wide variety of subjects, ranging from biodiversity to ecosystem services like water provision, erosion control, carbon sequestration and recreation; from the history of human interactions with chaparral to current education and conservation efforts; and from chaparral restoration and management to scenarios of the future under changing climate, land use, and human population. Valuing Chaparral will be of interest to resource managers, the research community, policy makers, and the public who live and work in the chaparral dominated landscapes of California and other Mediterranean-type climate regions.
Synopsis
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1 California Chaparral and its Global Significance
Chapter 2 Drivers of Chaparral Plant Diversity
Chapter 3 Faunal Diversity in Chaparral Ecosystems
Chapter 4 Native Peoples' Relationship to the California Chaparral
Chapter 5. Essential Landscape: An Environmental History of Chaparral Ecosystems in California
Chapter 6 Biogeochemical Cycling of Carbon and Nitrogen in Chaparral Dominated Ecosystems
Chapter 7 Sediment Delivery, Flood Control, and Physical Ecosystem Services in Southern California Chaparral Landscapes
Chapter 8 Water Provision in Chaparral Landscapes - Water Quality and Water Quantity
Chapter 9 Mapping the Value of National Forest Landscapes for Ecosystem Service Provision
Chapter 10 Recreation Ecosystem Services from Chaparral Dominated Landscapes: A Baseline Assessment from Nationa
l Forests in Southern California
Chapter 11 Connecting Californians with the Chaparral
Chapter 12 Chaparral Landscape Conversion in Southern California
Chapter 13 Chaparral Restoration
Chapter 14 Climate Change Trends for Chaparral
Chapter 15 Managing Chaparral Resources on Public Lands
Summary Chapter: The Past, Present, and Future of California Chaparral
Contributors
Synopsis
Describes ecosystem services and other values provided by chaparral and similar shrubland ecosystems
Details challenges of fire, climate change, and land conversion for chaparral conservation and management
Provides practical information for managers and policy makers relating to conservation and restoration of chaparral