Representing the work of an interdisciplinary team of 20 specialists, this text consolidates, for the first time, the information available on forest vegetation management and integrates this practice with other silvicultural considerations. It provides a conceptual framework as well as a database for improving forest vegetation management decisions. In an accurate and complete mannner, it quantifies opportunities for enhancing forest productivity, illustrates the value of vegetation management treatments in protecting forest resources and investments, outlines the concept of economic thresholds, highlights progress in establishing such limits and consolidates the information on treatment efficacy, advantages and disadvantages and tradeoffs involved. Forest managers will find it useful to evaluate silvicultural prescriptions and investment decisions; forest planners and resource specialists can use it as a reference source for preparing environmental impact assessments; and regulatory officials can use it to train and upgrade the skills of professionals.

Natural grasslands, pastures and meadows are among the vegetation types most frequently investigated with phytosociological methods. This was one of the reasons why volume 13, Application of vegetation science to grassland husbandry and agriculture, edited by W. Krause, appeared as one of the first volumes of this handbook. It appeared under the chief editorship of Prof. R. Tiixen and in his time main emphasis of the handbook was placed on Ziirich-Montpellier methods and the European vegetation. When we redesigned the handbook we felt the need to include other methods and aims of grassland analyses as well as a more global coverage of grasslands. Especially the natural dry and semidry areas of the world needed to be covered. was very fortunate in getting Prof. Tueller of the University of Reno I Nevada as an editor for this volume. He and the colleagues he motivated to compile volume 14 on Application of vegetation science to rangeland analysis and management have created a truly global coverage of the topics interesting for vegetation analyses in natural grasslands. Since volume 13 covered the problems of anthropogenically created grasslands, this topic was not expressly treated in order to avoid duplication. For the same reason no specific attempt was made to get more papers from Europe and the temperate forest region in general. The cooperation with Dr. Tueller has been very rewarding for me.

Identification and review of research directions in forest management to advance the practice of forest vegetation management in North America. The review describes both applied and fundamental research needs.