The forest canopy is a largely unexplored scientific frontier whose potential for humankind has barely been scratched. Thousands of canopy species have never been described. Insights into the function and structure of forest ecosystems lurk in the branches of forest canopies. New medicines await discovery. Methods in Forest Canopy Research provides tools for explorers of this astonishing place poised between soil and sky. The authors reviewed methods of accessing the canopy, what to sample after you get there, how the biotic and abiotic conditions are different in canopy structure and function, and the best ways to determine how the canopy and forest floor interact.
Preface
Chapter 1. Setting the Stage – Canopy Research Emerges as a Component of Forest Science
Chapter 2. Forest Types and Site Characteristics
Chapter 3. Canopy Access Methods: Making It Possible to Accurately and Safely Study the Upper Reaches of Forests
Chapter 4. Forest Structure and Sampling Units
Chapter 5. Canopy Conditions, Biota and Processes
Chapter 6. Canopy-Atmosphere Interactions
Chapter 7. Measuring Canopy-Forest Floor Interactions
Chapter 8. Treetops at Risk? Engaging the Canopy Toolkit in Whole-Forest Conservation
Chapter 9. Conclusions and Recommendations
References
Index
Margaret D. Lowman is currently the Director of the Nature Research Center at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Timothy Schowalter is Professor and Department Head in the Department of Entomology at Louisiana State University. He is the author of Insect Ecology. Jerry F. Franklin is Professor of Ecosystem Analysis in the College of Forest Resources at the University of Washington.