Springer Geographical Changes in Vegetation and Plant Functional Types (Geobotany Studies)

Product Description This book presents studies on current vegetation topics, from polar to tropical regions. It is a festschrift to mark the 70th birthday of Prof. Elgene O. Box, who has studied vegetation all over the world, both through fieldwork and modeling. It reflects a number of his interests, including basic ecological plant forms (cf ‘plant functional types’), temperate-zone forests, and evergreen versus seasonal patterns. Section 1 discusses the concept of vegetation series, while Section 2 has two global-scale chapters on plant functional traits and whether they are related more to climate or phylogeny. Section 3 has nine chapters focusing on vegetation history, regional vegetation, and how these have influenced current species organizations and distributions. Regions treated include Russia, China, the USA, Mexico and Mediterranean areas. Lastly, Section 4 addresses aspects of vegetation change and plant ecology. Every chapter in this unique book offers original ideas on the topic of vegetation, as the authors are assembled from a world-wide population of leading vegetational ecologists, whose interests range from local communities to global theoretical questions. From the Back Cover This book presents studies on current vegetation topics, from polar to tropical regions. It is a festschrift to mark the 70th birthday of Prof. Elgene O. Box, who has studied vegetation all over the world, both through fieldwork and modeling. It reflects a number of his interests, including basic ecological plant forms (cf ‘plant functional types’), temperate-zone forests, and evergreen versus seasonal patterns. Section 1 discusses the concept of vegetation series, while Section 2 has two global-scale chapters on plant functional traits and whether they are related more to climate or phylogeny. Section 3 has nine chapters focusing on vegetation history, regional vegetation, and how these have influenced current species organizations and distributions. Regions treated include Russia, China, the USA, Mexico and Mediterranean areas. Lastly, Section 4 addresses aspects of vegetation change and plant ecology. Every chapter in this unique book offers original ideas on the topic of vegetation, as the authors are assembled from a world-wide population of leading vegetational ecologists, whose interests range from local communities to global theoretical questions. About the Author Andrew Greller received the Ph.D. in Botany from Columbia University, in 1967. He is Professor Emeritus of Biology at the City University of New York (CUNY). Greller publishes in a wide variety of scientific journals, on subjects that include conservation ecology, floristics, vegetation geography, bioclimatology, tropical ecology, alpine ecology, eastern North American forest classification, as well as plant morphology and paleobotany. Throughout his 30-year career at Queens College, he taught numerous college and university-level courses on botany, ecology and bioclimatology. He is a Research Associate at the Institute for Systematic Botany of the New York Botanical Garden. Greller was twice past-President of the Torrey Botanical Society, the oldest botanical society in the Americas. He has been honored with citations and certificates from national and local political entities and non-governmental groups. Greller travels widely, leads field trips, and presents lectures on a wide range of botanical and ecological topics. He has served as a consultant and reviewer for many textbook companies.  Kazue Fujiwara is Professor Emerita of Yokohama National University and Research Professor in the Graduate School of Nanobioscience of Yokohama City University since 2010. She received her Doctor of Science from Tohoku University in 1972. Prof. Fujiwara is a vegetation scientist, adhering closely to classical standards and procedures but also able to apply vegetation science to field study and vegetation rehabilitation efforts in Asia, Eur