United States
£ GBP
Grasslands are one of California's most important ecosystems in terms of both biodiversity and economic value. Bringing together the large amount of research conducted in recent years on California's grasslands, this comprehensive, state-of-the-art sourcebook addresses the pressing need to understand this unique habitat. Providing an authoritative summary of current grassland science and management, leading scholars examine the history of grasslands from the Pleistocene through European settlement; describe resources that influence grassland structure and productivity focusing on water, nutrient dynamics, global environmental change, and soil biology; explore genetics, ecological interactions, grazing systems, and fire; and discuss grassland management, restoration, and public policy.
1. Introduction
OVERVIEW
2. Systematics Of California Grasses (Poaceae)
3. Community Classification and Nomenclature
HISTORY
4. Pleistocene and Pre-European Grassland Ecosystems
Late Quaternary Paleoecology of Grasslands and other Grassy Habitats
5. Native American Uses and Management of California's Grasslands
6. Ecology of Invasive Non-native Species in California Grassland
RESOURCES
7. Water Relations
8. Mechanisms determining patterns of nutrient dynamics
9. Soil Biology and Carbon Sequestration in Grasslands
10. Resource limitation
ECOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS
11. Genes on the Range: Population Genetics
12. Serpentine Grasslands
13. Competitive Interactions
14. Dynamics of Woody Species in the California Grassland
15. Ecology of Native Animals in California Grasslands
16. History and Ecology of Feral Pig Invasions in California Grasslands
17. Grazing ecology of California grasslands
18. Fire in California Grasslands
19. Response to Changing Atmosphere and Climate
POLICY AND MANAGEMENT
20. Grazing Management on California's Mediterranean Grasslands
21. California Grassland Restoration
22. Exotic Plant Management in California Annual Grasslands
23. Regulatory Protection and Conservation
24. Epilogue: Future Directions
Mark R. Stromberg is Resident Reserve Director, Hastings Natural History Reserve, University of California, Berkeley. Jeffrey D. Corbin is Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Union College. Carla M. D'Antonio is Professor in the Environmental Studies and the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
"Detailed, scholarly, multifaceted synthesis of California's grasslands [...] not only will cause appreciation of their diversity but also will stimulate further research."
– Choice
"A thorough and easy-to-use resource."
– Michael Bowen, California Coast & Ocean
"A marvelous contribution to a holistic understanding of the California grassland ecosystem."
– Trends In Ecology & Evolution
"Comprehensive [...] comes at a critical time."
– Transect Newsletter (Nrs)
"This highly synthetic and scholarly work brings together new and important scientific contributions by leading experts on a rich diversity of topics concerning the history, ecology, and conservation of California's endangered grasslands. The editors and authors have succeeded admirably in drawing from a great wealth of recent research to produce a widely accessible and compelling, state-of-the-art treatment of this fascinating subject. Anyone interested in Californian biodiversity or grassland ecosystems in general will find this book to be an invaluable resource and a major inspiration for further research, management, and restoration efforts."
– Bruce G. Baldwin, W. L. Jepson Professor and Curator, UC Berkeley
"Grasses and grasslands are among the most important elements of the California landscape. This is their book, embodying the kind of integrated view needed for all ecological communities in California. Approaches ranging across an incredibly broad spectrum – paleontology and human history; basic science and practical management techniques; systematics, community ecology, physiology, and genetics; physical factors such as water, soil nutrients, atmospherics, and fire; biological factors such as competition, symbiosis, and grazing – are nicely tied together due to careful editorial work. This is an indispensable reference for everyone interested in the California environment."
– Brent Mishler, Director of the University & Jepson Herbaria and Professor of Integrative Biology, UC Berkeley
"The structure and function of California grasslands have intrigued ecologists for decades. The editors of this volume have assembled a comprehensive set of reviews by a group of outstanding authors on the natural history, structure, management, and restoration of this economically and ecologically important ecosystem."
– Scott L. Collins, Professor of Biology, University of New Mexico
