Ecology of Mediterranean Evergreen Oak Forests

ISBN-13: 9783642636684 / Angielski / Miękka / 2012 / 377 str.

Ferran Roda;Javier Retana;Carlos A. Gracia

Opis

Broadleaved evergreen forests where holm oak (Quercus ilex 1.) is almost the only canopy tree are a distinctive ecosystem of the Mediterranean Basin. Biogeographically, these forests lie between cool-temperate deciduous forests to the north and drier shrublands to the south. In a more general view, they are ecologically intermediate between these deciduous forests and humid warm-temperate evergreen forests, such as the laurisilva of the Macarone- sian islands or the broadleaved evergreen forests of eastern Asia. Holm oak forests are characterized by small-stature trees (usually 5 to 12 m tall), which are slow growing, cast a deep shade, and have small, evergreen, sclerophyl- lous leaves. Summer drought is the major environmental constraint. Mediterranean broadleaved evergreen forests have been underrepre- sented in the open literature. For example, The Woodlands Data Set of the International Biological Program (IBP) contained data from just one holm oak forest plot, Le Rouquet in southern France (Reichle 1981). Also, some models of European forests consider just two major forest types, broad- leaved deciduous and evergreen conifers, forgeting the extensive forests and woodlands of holm oak and cork oak (Quercus suber 1.), which are the ma- jor evergreen oak tree species in the Mediterranean Basin. The extensive lit- erature on Mediterranean-type ecosystems has also largely neglected these forests, being centred mostly on Mediterranean-type shrublands.

Spis treści

Part 1 Introduction 1 Holm oak and Holm Oak Forests: An Introduction J. Terradas 2 Experimental Areas of Prades and Montseny A. Hereter, J.R. Sánchez Part 2 Stand Structure and Dynamics 3 Stand Structure, Aboveground Biomass and Production J.J. Ibàñez, M.J. Lledó, J.R. Sánchez, F. Rodà 4 Structure and Dynamics of the Root System J. Canadell, A. Djema, B. López, F. Lloret, S. Sabaté, D. Siscart, C.A. Gracia 5 Resprouting Dynamics J.M. Espelta, S. Sabaté, J. Retana 6 Acorn Ecology D. Siscart, V. Diego, F. Lloret 7 Seedling Recruitment J. Retana, J.M. Espelta, M. Gracia, M. Riba 8 A Model of Stand Dynamics For Holm Oak--Aleppo Pine Forests M.A. Zavala Part 3 Light Harvesting and Gas Exchange 9 Leaf Traits and Canopy Organization S. Sabaté, A. Sala, C.A. Gracia 10 Gas Exchange and Water Relations R. Savé, C. Castell, J. Terradas 11 Modelling Canopy Gas Exchange During Summer Drought A. Sala 12 GOTILWA: An Integrated Model of Water Dynamics and Forest Growth C.A. Gracia, E. Tello, S. Sabaté, J. Bellot Part 4 Nutrient Cycling at the Stand Level 13 Water and Nutrient Limitations to Primary Production F. Rod, X. Mayor, S. Sabaté, V. Diego 14 Precipitation Chemistry and Air Pollution A. Escarré, A. Carratal, A. Avila, J. Bellot, J. Piñol, M. Millán 15 Throughfall and Stemflow J. Bellot, A. Avila, A. Rodrigo 16 Soil Nitrogen Dynamics I. Serrasolsas, V. Diego, D. Bonilla 17 Soil Water Chemistry N. Melià, J. Bellot, V.R. Vallejo 18 Nutrient Distribution and Cycling A. Escarré, F. Rodà, J. Terradas, X. Mayor Part 5 Hydrology and Biogeochemistry of Catchments 19 Water Balance in Catchments J. Piñol, A. Avila, A. Escarré 20 Element Budgets in Catchments A. Avila, J. Bellot, J. Piñol 21 Biogeochemical Models A. Avila Part 6 Responses to Disturbances 22 Soil Fertility After Fire and Clear-Cutting I. Serrasolsas, V.R. Vallejo 23 Functional Responses to Thinning C.A. Gracia, S. Sabaté, J.M. Martínez, E. Albeza Part 7 Animals in the Forest: Ecology of Two MainGroups 24 Soil Arthropods P. Andrés, E. Mateos, C. Ascaso 25 Composition and Dynamics of the Bird Community G. López-Iborra, J.A. Gil-Delgado