The ecosystem approach to ecology treats organisms and the physical
elements of their environment as components of a single, integrated
system. This comprehensive textbook outlines the central processes that
characterize terrestrial ecosystems, tracing the flow of water, carbon,
and nutrients from their abiotic origins to their cycles through plants,
animals, and decomposer organisms. As human activity becomes an
increasingly dominant factor in natural processes around the globe,
landscape dynamics over time and space have become the focus of recent
attention. This book synthesizes current advances in ecology with
established theory to offer a complete survey of ecosystem pattern and
process in the terrestrial environment. Featuring review questions at
the end of each chapter, suggestions for recommended reading, and a
glossary of ecological terms, Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem
Ecology will be an important text suitable for use in all courses on
ecosystem ecology. Resource managers, land use managers, and researchers
will also welcome its thorough presentation of ecosystem essentials.
About the Authors F. Stuart Chapin, III is Professor of Ecology at the
Institute for Arctic Biology, University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Pamela
Matson is Professor in the Department of Geological and Environmental
Sciences and the Institute of International Studies, Stanford
University; Director of the Earth Systems Degree Program and co-director
of the Center for Environmental Science and Policy, Stanford University;
and currently serves as president of the Ecological Society of America.
Harold A. Mooney is Professor of Environmental Biology at Stanford
University.
