Global warming and human-driven impacts are changing the World's ecological zones. Ecoregions applies the principles described in Bailey's Ecosystem Geography: From Ecoregions to Sites, 2nd ed. (Springer 2009, 1st ed. 1996) to describe and characterize the major terrestrial and aquatic ecological zones of the Earth. Bailey's system for classifying these zones has been adopted by major organizations such as the U.S. Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy and Ecoregions is a significant contribution to a long tradition of classifying and studying the world's ecological regions or ecoregions. It includes two color maps that show the major ecoregions of the continents and oceans.
Also included are:
– A new chapter on mountains is included
– There are new sections that address concerns about how eco regions are changing under the relentless influence of humans and climate change
– Another new feature is the discussion of using eco regional patterns to transfer research results and select sites for detecting climate change effects on ecosystem distribution
– Use of ecoregional patterns to design monitoring networks and sustainable landscapes
– Fire regimes in different regional ecosystems and their management implications
1. Introduction
2. Oceanic Types and Their Controls
3. The Ecoregions of the Oceans
4. Continental Types and Their Controls
5. Ecoregions of the Continents: The Polar Ecoregions
6. The Humid Temperate Ecoregions
7. The Dry Ecoregions
8. The Humid Tropical Ecoregions
9. Mountain Ecoregions
10. Ecoregion Redistribution under Climate Change
11. Fire Regimes in Different Ecoregions and Their Management Implications
12. Applications of Ecoregional Patterns
13. Summary and Conclusion
Appendix A: Air Masses and Frontal Zones
Appendix B: Common and Scientific Names
Appendix C: Conversion Factors
Robert G. Bailey, born in 1939, received his PhD in Geography from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1971. An ecological geographer with U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, he was leader of the agency's Ecosystem Management Analysis Center for many years. He has four decades of experience working with the theory and practice of ecosystem classification and mapping and its application to management. He is author of numerous publications on this and related subjects, including four books.
"This work remains a necessary resource for basic research in environmental science, management, and program development. It can serve as a textbook or reference for students in relevant programs such as geography, ecology, and resource management. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above."
– J. Chen, Choice, Vol. 52 (4), December, 2014
"Ecosystem Geography is the most clearly written and content-packed book I've ever read. Let me state that again: it is the most clearly written technical book I've ever read. I really admire Bob a lot. The latest edition of his book, Ecoregions, has the simplest, best summary of climate change I've seen."
– David D. Diamond, Director, Missouri Resource Assessment Partnership (MoRAP), University of Missouri