Emulating Natural Forest Landscape Disturbances: Concepts and Applications

An editorial team from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources' Ontario Forest Research Institute and the Canadian Forest Service's Great Lakes Forestry Centre bring together North American forestry and ecology researchers to address questions arising from the debate over the emulation of natural forest disturbances. Twenty-two contributions address conceptual questions such as what emulation involves and the ecological reasons for engaging in emulation; case studies from across North America that detail the characterization of natural disturbances and the development of templates for their emulation through forest management (with a greater focus on fire regimes); and the expectations of stakeholders and economic, planning, and policy feasibility of emulation. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This comprehensive collection of provocative papers provides a scientific foundation for justifying the use of and a solid framework for examining the ambiguities inherent in emulating natural forest landscape disturbance. Contributors range from policymakers and forestry professionals to academics and conservationists, offering a balanced view of the promises and challenges of the forest management paradigm in sustaining forest landscapes.

The book opens with an overview of foundational concepts, a detailed discussion of emerging forest management paradigms and their global context, and an examination of the ecological premise for emulating natural disturbance. This section also explores the current understanding of natural disturbance regimes, including the two most prevalent in North America: fire and insects. The volume then uses several geographically diverse case studies to address the characterization of natural disturbances and the development of applied templates for their emulation through forest management. The emphasis on fire regimes reflects the greater focus that has traditionally been placed on understanding and managing fire, compared with other forms of disturbance, and utilizes several viewpoints to address the lessons learned from historical disturbance patterns. Reflecting current developments in the field, immediate challenges, and potential directions, this collection concludes with a penetrating look at practical applications, exploring the expectations for and feasibility of emulating natural disturbance through forest management.