Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology

by Chapin, F. Stuart, III; Matson, P. A.; Mooney, Harold A.

• ISBN13: 9780387954394
• ISBN10: 0387954392
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-09-01
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

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.

Author Biography

F. Stuart Chapin III is Professor of Ecology at the Institute for Arctic Biology, University of Alaska at Fairbanks.

Table of Contents

Preface	v
Part I Context
The Ecosystem Concept
Introduction	3	(1)
Overview of Ecosystem Ecology	3	(4)
History of Ecosystem Ecology	7	(3)
Ecosystem Structure	10	(1)
Controls over Ecosystem Processes	11	(2)
Human-Caused Changes in Earth's Ecosystems	13	(3)
Summary	16	(1)
Review Questions	17	(1)
Additional Reading	17	(1)
Earth's Climate System
Introduction	18	(1)
Earth's Energy Budget	18	(3)
The Atmospheric System	21	(7)
Atmospheric Composition and Chemistry	21	(1)
Atmospheric Structure	22	(2)
Atmospheric Circulation	24	(4)
The Oceans	28	(3)
Ocean Structure	28	(1)
Ocean Circulation	29	(2)
Landform Effects on Climate	31	(1)
Vegetation Influences on Climate	32	(2)
Temporal Variability in Climate	34	(7)
Long-Term Changes	34	(4)
Interannual Climate Variability	38	(2)
Seasonal and Daily Variations	40	(1)
Relationship of Climate to Ecosystem Distribution and Structure	41	(3)
Summary	44	(1)
Review Questions	44	(1)
Additional Reading	45	(1)
Geology and Soils
Introduction	46	(1)
Controls over Soil Formation	46	(4)
Parent Material	47	(1)
Climate	48	(1)
Topography	48	(1)
Time	49	(1)
Potential Biota	50	(1)
Human Activities	50	(1)
Controls over Soil Loss	50	(3)
Development of Soil Profiles	53	(5)
Additions to Soils	54	(1)
Soil Transformations	54	(2)
Soil Transfers	56	(1)
Losses from Soils	57	(1)
Soil Horizons and Soil Classification	58	(3)
Soil Properties and Ecosystem Functioning	61	(5)
Summary	66	(1)
Review Questions	67	(1)
Additional Reading	67	(4)
Part II Mechanisms
Terrestrial Water and Energy Balance
Introduction	71	(2)
Surface Energy Balance	73	(4)
Solar Radiation Budget	73	(1)
Ecosystem Radiation Budget	74	(1)
Energy Partitioning	75	(2)
Seasonal Energy Exchange	77	(1)
Water Inputs to Ecosystems	77	(1)
Water Movements Within Ecosystems	78	(11)
Basic Principles of Water Movement	78	(1)
Water Movement from the Canopy to the Soil	79	(1)
Water Movement Within the Soil	80	(1)
Water Movement from Soil to Roots	81	(2)
Water Movement Through Plants	83	(6)
Water Losses from Ecosystems	89	(6)
Evaporation from Wet Canopies	89	(1)
Evapotranspiration from Dry Canopies	90	(2)
Changes in Storage	92	(1)
Runoff	93	(2)
Summary	95	(1)
Review Questions	96	(1)
Additional Reading	96	(1)
Carbon Input to Terrestrial Ecosystems
Introduction	97	(1)
Overview	97	(1)
Photosynthetic Pathways	98	(7)
C3 Photosynthesis	98	(4)
C4 Photosynthesis	102	(1)
Crassulacean Acid Metabolism Photosynthesis	103	(2)
Net Photosynthesis by Individual Leaves	105	(10)
Basic Principle of Environmental Control	105	(1)
Light Limitation	105	(4)
CO2 Limitation	109	(1)
Nitrogen Limitation and Photosynthetic Capacity	110	(3)
Water Limitation	113	(1)
Temperature Effects	114	(1)
Pollutants	115	(1)
Gross Primary Production	115	(6)
Canopy Processes	115	(2)
Satellite Estimates of GPP	117	(2)
Controls over GPP	119	(2)
Summary	121	(1)
Review Questions	121	(1)
Additional Reading	122	(1)
Terrestrial Production Processes
Introduction	123	(1)
Overview	123	(2)
Plant Respiration	125	(2)
Physiological Basis of Respiration	125	(2)
Net Primary Production	127	(5)
What Is NPP?	127	(1)
Physiological Controls over NPP	128	(1)
Environmental Controls over NPP	129	(3)
Allocation	132	(4)
Allocation of NPP	132	(1)
Allocation Response to Multiple Resources	133	(1)
Diurnal and Seasonal Cycles of Allocation	134	(2)
Tissue Turnover	136	(1)
Global Distribution of Biomass and NPP	137	(3)
Biome Differences in Biomass	137	(1)
Biome Differences in NPP	138	(2)
Net Ecosystem Production	140	(8)
Ecosystem Carbon Storage	140	(1)
Leaching	141	(4)
Lateral Transfers	145	(1)
Disturbance	145	(1)
Controls over Net Ecosystem Production	145	(1)
Net Ecosystem Exchange	146	(1)
Global Patterns of NEE	147	(1)
Summary	148	(1)
Review Questions	149	(1)
Additional Reading	149	(2)
Terrestrial Decomposition
Introduction	151	(1)
Overview	151	(1)
Leaching of Litter	152	(1)
Litter Fragmentation	152	(1)
Chemical Alteration	153	(4)
Fungi	153	(1)
Bacteria	154	(1)
Soil Animals	155	(2)
Temporal and Spatial Heterogeneity of Decomposition	157	(2)
Temporal Pattern	157	(1)
Spatial Pattern	158	(1)
Factors Controlling Decomposition	159	(10)
The Physical Environment	159	(4)
Substrate Quality and Quantity	163	(5)
Microbial Community Composition and Enzymatic Capacity	168	(1)
Long-Term Storage of Soil Organic Matter	169	(1)
Decomposition at the Ecosystem Scale	170	(4)
Aerobic Heterotrophic Respiration	170	(3)
Anaerobic Heterotrophic Respiration	173	(1)
Summary	174	(1)
Review Questions	174	(1)
Additional Reading	175	(1)
Terrestrial Plant Nutrient Use
Introduction	176	(1)
Overview	176	(1)
Nutrient Movement to the Root	177	(3)
Diffusion	178	(1)
Mass Flow	178	(2)
Root Interception	180	(1)
Nutrient Uptake	180	(9)
Nutrient Supply	180	(1)
Development of Root Length	181	(1)
Mycorrhizae	182	(2)
Root Uptake Properties	184	(5)
Nutrient Use	189	(2)
Nutrient Loss from Plants	191	(3)
Senescence	192	(1)
Leaching Loss from Plants	193	(1)
Herbivory	193	(1)
Other Avenues of Nutrient Loss from Plants	194	(1)
Summary	194	(1)
Review Questions	195	(1)
Additional Reading	195	(2)
Terrestrial Nutrient Cycling
Introduction	197	(1)
Overview	197	(1)
Nitrogen Inputs to Ecosystems	198	(4)
Biological Nitrogen Fixation	198	(3)
Nitrogen Deposition	201	(1)
Internal Cycling of Nitrogen	202	(9)
Overview of Mineralization	202	(1)
Production and Fate of Dissolved Organic Nitrogen	203	(1)
Production and Fate of Ammonium	204	(3)
Production and Fate of Nitrate	207	(3)
Temporal and Spatial Variability	210	(1)
Pathways of Nitrogen Loss	211	(4)
Gaseous Losses of Nitrogen	211	(1)
Ecological Controls	211	(3)
Solution Losses	214	(1)
Erosional Losses	215	(1)
Other Element Cycles	215	(7)
Phosphorus	215	(4)
Sulfur	219	(1)
Essential Cations	219	(1)
Nonessential Elements	220	(1)
Interactions Among Element Cycles	220	(2)
Summary	222	(1)
Review Questions	222	(1)
Additional Reading	223	(1)
Aquatic Carbon and Nutrient Cycling
Introduction	224	(1)
Ecosystem Properties	224	(4)
Oceans	228	(8)
Carbon and Light Availability	228	(3)
Nutrient Availability	231	(2)
Carbon and Nutrient Cycling	233	(3)
Lakes	236	(2)
Controls over NPP	236	(2)
Carbon and Nutrient Cycling	238	(1)
Streams and Rivers	238	(4)
Carbon and Nutrient Cycling	240	(2)
Summary	242	(1)
Review Questions	242	(1)
Additional Reading	243	(1)
Trophic Dynamics
Introduction	244	(1)
Overview	244	(2)
Plant-Based Trophic Systems	246	(15)
Controls over Energy Flow Through Ecosystems	246	(4)
Ecological Efficiencies	250	(7)
Food Chain Length and Trophic Cascades	257	(1)
Seasonal Patterns	258	(1)
Nutrient Transfers	259	(2)
Detritus-Based Trophic Systems	261	(1)
Integrated Food Webs	261	(2)
Mixing of Plant-Based and Detritus-Based Food Chains	261	(2)
Food Web Complexities	263	(1)
Summary	263	(1)
Review Questions	263	(1)
Additional Reading	264	(1)
Community Effects on Ecosystem Processes
Introduction	265	(1)
Overview	266	(2)
Species Effects on Ecosystem Processes	268	(5)
Species Effects on Resources	268	(3)
Species Effects on Climate	271	(1)
Species Effects on Disturbance Regime	272	(1)
Species Interactions and Ecosystem Processes	273	(1)
Diversity Effects on Ecosystem Processes	274	(3)
Summary	277	(1)
Review Questions	277	(1)
Additional Reading	278	(3)
Part III Patterns
Temporal Dynamics
Introduction	281	(1)
Fluctuations in Ecosystem Processes	281	(4)
Interannual Variability	281	(2)
Long-Term Change	283	(2)
Disturbance	285	(3)
Conceptual Framework	285	(1)
Disturbance Properties	285	(3)
Succession	288	(13)
Ecosystem Structure and Composition	288	(4)
Carbon Balance	292	(4)
Nutrient Cycling	296	(2)
Trophic Dynamics	298	(1)
Water and Energy Exchange	299	(2)
Temporal Scaling of Ecological Processes	301	(2)
Summary	303	(1)
Review Questions	303	(1)
Additional Reading	304	(1)
Landscape Heterogeneity and Ecosystem Dynamics
Introduction	305	(1)
Concepts of Landscape Heterogeneity	305	(2)
Causes of Spatial Heterogeneity	307	(7)
State Factors and Interactive Controls	307	(1)
Community Processes and Legacies	307	(2)
Disturbance	309	(2)
Interactions Among Sources of Heterogeneity	311	(3)
Patch Interactions on the Landscape	314	(7)
Topographic and Land-Water Interactions	314	(3)
Atmospheric Transfers	317	(3)
Movement of Plants and Animals on the Landscape	320	(1)
Disturbance Spread	320	(1)
Human Land Use Change and Landscape Heterogeneity	321	(4)
Extensification	321	(2)
Intensification	323	(2)
Spatial Heterogeneity and Scaling	325	(5)
Summary	330	(1)
Review Questions	330	(1)
Additional Reading	331	(4)
Part IV Integration
Global Biogeochemical Cycles
Introduction	335	(1)
The Global Carbon Cycle	335	(7)
Long-Term Change in Atmospheric CO2	337	(2)
Anthropogenic Changes in the Carbon Cycle	339	(1)
Terrestrial Sinks for CO2	340	(2)
The Global Methane Budget	342	(1)
The Global Nitrogen Cycle	343	(4)
Anthropogenic Changes in the Nitrogen Cycle	344	(3)
The Global Phosphorus Cycle	347	(1)
Anthropogenic Changes in the Phosphorus Cycle	347	(1)
The Global Sulfur Cycle	348	(2)
The Global Water Cycle	350	(4)
Anthropogenic Changes in the Water Cycle	351	(1)
Consequences of Changes in the Water Cycle	352	(2)
Summary	354	(1)
Review Questions	354	(1)
Additional Reading	355	(1)
Managing and Sustaining Ecosystems
Introduction	356	(1)
Ecosystem Concepts in Management	357	(2)
Natural Variability	357	(1)
Resilience and Stability	357	(1)
State Factors and Interactive Controls	358	(1)
Application of Ecosystem Knowledge in Management	359	(3)
Forest Management	359	(1)
Fisheries Management	359	(1)
Ecosystem Restoration	360	(1)
Management for Endangered Species	360	(2)
Integrative Approaches to Ecosystem Management	362	(6)
Ecosystem Management	362	(3)
Integrated Conservation and Development Projects	365	(1)
Valuation of Ecosystem Goods and Services	366	(2)
Summary	368	(1)
Review Questions	369	(1)
Additional Reading	369	(2)
Abbreviations	371	(4)
Glossary	375	(18)
References	393	(30)
Index	423