The Ecological Importance of High-Severity Fires, presents information on the current paradigm shift in the way people think about wildfire and ecosystems. While much of the current forest management in fire-adapted ecosystems, especially forests, is focused on fire prevention and suppression, little has been reported on the ecological role of fire, and nothing has been presented on the importance of high-severity fire with regards to the maintenance of native biodiversity and fire-dependent ecosystems and species. This text fills that void, providing a comprehensive reference for documenting and synthesizing fire's ecological role. - Offers the first reference written on mixed- and high-severity fires and their relevance for biodiversity - Contains a broad synthesis of the ecology of mixed- and high-severity fires covering such topics as vegetation, birds, mammals, insects, aquatics, and management actions - Explores the conservation vs. public controversy issues around megafires in a rapidly warming world

The second edition of Mixed Severity Fires: Nature's Phoenix focuses on wildfire as a keystone ecological process that has shaped plant and animal communities for over 400 million years. The book will describe the renewal process that follows wildfires in forests and chaparral ecosystems as "nature's phoenix" by drawing from examples of wildfire effects in several regions of the world.In addition, the book will describe management and policies that have contributed to wildfire problems, including climate change and land-use practices incompatible with nature's phoenix and what must happen to get to coexistence with wildfires that are not going away no matter how much we try to suppress or alter fire behavior. This second edition of Mixed Severity Fires: Nature's Phoenix provides a comprehensive reference for documenting and synthesizing fire's ecological role. - Comprehensive and complete reference on wildfire ecology that includes the latest science and citations - Debunks debates on wildfire management that can be used by conservation groups and decision-makers to shift egregious wildfire policies - Contains a broad synthesis of the ecology of mixed- and high-severity fires, covering such topics as vegetation, birds, mammals, insects, aquatics, and management actions

Mixed Severity Fires: Nature’s Phoenix, Second Edition focuses on wildfire as a keystone ecological process that has shaped plant and animal communities for over 400 million years. The book describes the renewal process that follows wildfires in forests and chaparral ecosystems as nature’s phoenix by drawing from examples of wildfire effects. In addition, the book describes management and policies that have contributed to wildfire problems, including climate change and land-use practices incompatible with nature’s phoenix and what must happen to get to coexistence with wildfires that are not going away no matter how much we try to suppress or alter fire behavior.

This book presents cascading effects of ecological disturbances on a multitude of ecosystem components. It includes agricultural development, large infrequent disturbances, forest harvesting, non-native grazing in deserts, ground transportation, powerline corridors, fires, urban ecology, disturbance in aquatic ecosystems, land-use dynamics on diversity, habitat fragmentation, sedimentation of wetlands, and contemporary climate change. The book facilitates users in understanding why disturbances are occurring while recommending mitigation and remediation strategies.

Smokescreen cuts through years of misunderstanding and misdirection to make an impassioned, evidence-based argument for a new era of forest management for the sake of the planet and the human race. Natural fires are as essential as sun and rain in fire-adapted forests, but as humans encroach on wild spaces, fear, arrogance, and greed have shaped the way that people view these regenerative events and given rise to misinformation that threatens whole ecosystems as well as humanity's chances of overcoming the climate crisis. Scientist and activist Chad T. Hanson explains how natural alarm over wildfire has been marshaled to advance corporate and political agendas, notably those of the logging industry. He also shows that, in stark contrast to the fear-driven narrative around these events, contemporary research has demonstrated that forests in the United States, North America, and around the world have a significant deficit of fire. Forest fires, including the largest ones, can create extraordinarily important and rich wildlife habitats as long as they are not subjected to postfire logging. Smokescreen confronts the devastating cost of current policies and practices head-on and ultimately offers a hopeful vision and practical suggestions for the future—one in which both communities and the climate are protected and fires are understood as a natural and necessary force.

Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes is a unique, five volume reference that provides a global synthesis of biomes, including the latest science. All of the book's chapters follow a common thematic order that spans biodiversity importance, principal anthropogenic stressors and trends, changing climatic conditions, and conservation strategies for maintaining biomes in an increasingly human-dominated world. This work is a one-stop shop that gives users access to up-to-date, informative articles that go deeper in content than any currently available publication. Offers students and researchers a one-stop shop for information currently only available in scattered or non-technical sources Authored and edited by top scientists in the field Concisely written to guide the reader though the topic Includes meaningful illustrations and suggests further reading for those needing more specific information