Title
Vegetation ecology of Central Europe. Volume I, Ecology of Central European forests / Christoph Leuschner, Heinz Ellenberg ; translated by Laura Sutcliffe.
Uniform Title
Vegetation Mitteleuropas mit den Alpen. English
ISBN
9783319430423 (electronic book)
3319430424 (electronic book)
9783319430409
Published
Cham, Switzerland : Springer, 2017.
Language
English
Description
1 online resource (xxxiv, 1093 pages) : illustrations.
Call Number
QK281
Dewey Decimal Classification
577.30943
Summary
This is a comprehensive handbook in two volumes covering the heart of the continent, including Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Based on a thorough literature review with 5500 cited references and illustrated with nearly 1000 informative figures and tables, all vegetation types of this region are analysed in terms of the climatic and edaphic influences, the structure and dynamics of their communities, the ecophysiological constitution of the main plant species, important aspects of ecosystem functioning, and recent conservation issues. This volume deals with forest and scrub vegetation, be it natural or man-made, whilst Volume II is dedicated to the open habitats containing non-forest vegetation such as mires, grasslands, heaths, alpine habitats and urban vegetation. Chapters 1 and 2 of this volume present the climatic, geological and pedological characteristics of Central Europe and provide a short introduction to its phytogeography. Chapter 3 gives a concise overview of the pervasive impact of man on the ecosystems and landscapes of this region over the last 7000 years, referring to both forests and non-forest vegetation. General aspects of the ecology of Central European tree species and forests are summarised in Chapter 4, which also contains a brief review of recent anthropogenic stressors of forest ecosystems, notably over-use, climate change, and the atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and strong acids. Chapters 5, 6 and 7 deal with the broadleaved and coniferous forest communities not shaped by flooding or high water tables. Forest plantations are the topic of Chapter 8, followed by floodplain and swamp forests (Chapter 9), forest epiphytic vegetation (Chapter 10), and the scrub vegetation of forest edges and hedges (Chapter 11). The summarising chapter (12) gives an overview of the most important plant communities of Central Europe.
Note
Revised and extended version of the 6th German edition.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Access Note
Access limited to authorized users.
Source of Description
Online resource; title from PDF title page (viewed October 23, 2017)
Part I. The natural environment and its history
1. Environmental and historical influences on the vegetation of Central Europe
2. Life forms and growth types of Central European plant species
PART II. THE ROLE OF MAN
3. The Central European vegetation as the result of millennia of human activity
PART III. General ecology of Central European forests
4. Abiotic conditions, flora, ecosystem functions and recent human influence
PART IV. FOREST AND SHRUB FORMATIONS
5. Beech and mixed beech forests
6. Mixed broadleaved forests poor in beech outside of floodplains or mires
7. Pure and mixed coniferous forests
8. Forest plantations and clearings
9. Woody vegetation of floodplains and swamps
10. Epiphyte vegetation
11. Forest edges, scrub, hedges and their herb communities
12. Syntaxonomic overview of the vascular plant communities of Central Europe: Forest and scrub formations.
