Old Fields

Land abandonment is increasing as human influence on the globe intensifies and various ecological, social, and economic factors conspire to force the cessation of agriculture and other forms of land management. The "old fields" that result from abandonment have been the subject of much study, yet few attempts have been made to examine the larger questions raised by old field dynamics."Old Fields" brings together leading experts from around the world to synthesize past and current work on old fields, providing an up-to-date perspective on the ecological dynamics of abandoned land. The book gives readers a broad understanding of why agricultural land is abandoned, the factors that determine the ecological recovery of old fields, and how this understanding contributes to theoretical and applied ecology.Twelve case studies from diverse geographical and climatic areas - including Australian rainforest, Brazilian Amazonia, New Jersey piedmont, and South African renosterveld - offer a global perspective on the causes and results of land abandonment. Concluding chapters consider the similarities and differences among the case studies, examine them in the context of ecological concepts, and discuss their relevance to the growing field of restoration ecology."Old Fields" is the first book to draw together studies on old fields from both a theoretical and practical perspective. It represents an important contribution to the development of theory on old field dynamics and the practice of ecological restoration on abandoned farmland, and the broader implications of old field dynamics to ecology and restoration.

ISBN 1597260754   Pages 352 ISBN13 9781597260756 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Island Press   Weight (grammes) 481 Imprint Island Press   Published in Washington Format Paperback   Series title Science & Practice of Ecological Restoration Publication date 12 Oct 2007   Height (mm) 229 Library of Congress 2007025183   Width (mm) 152 DEWEY 577.55   Spine width (mm) 18 DEWEY edition DC21   Academic level Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Professional / Scholarly

1		Why Old Fields? Socioeconomic and Ecological Causes and Consequences of Land Abandonment by Richard J. Hobbs and Viki A. Cramer		1
Pt. 1		Old Fields and the Development of Ecological Concepts		15
2		Old Field Succession: Development of Concepts by Richard J. Hobbs and Lawrence R. Walker		17
3		Old Fields as Complex Systems: New Concepts for Describing the Dynamics of Abandoned Farmland by Viki A. Cramer		31
Pt. 2		Case Studies from Around the World		47
4		Implications of Land Use History for Natural Forest Regeneration and Restoration Strategies in Puerto Rico by Jess K. Zimmerman and T. Mitchell Aide and Ariel E. Lugo		51
5		Processes Affecting Succession in Old Fields of Brazilian Amazonia by Gislene Ganade		75
6		Old Field Vegetation Succession in the Neotropics by Karen D. Holl		93
7		Patterns and Processes of Old Field Reforestation in Australian Rain Forest Landscapes by Peter D. Erskine and Carlo P. Catterall and David Lamb and John Kanowski		119
8		Succession on the Piedmont of New Jersey and its Implications for Ecological Restoration by Scott J. Meiners and Mary L. Cadenasso and Steward T. A. Pickett		145
9		Succession and Restoration in Michigan Old Field Communities by Katherine L. Gross and Sarah M. Emery		162
10		Old Field Succession in Central Europe: Local and Regional Patterns by Karel Prach and Jan Leps and Marcel Rejmanek		180
11		Dynamics and Restoration of Abandoned Farmland and Other Old Fields in Southern France by Pascal Marty and James Aronson and Jacques Lepart		202
12		Land Abandonment and Old Field Dynamics in Greece by Vasilios P. Papanastasis		225
13		Old Field Dynamics on the Dry Side of the Mediterranean Basin: Patterns and Processes in Semiarid Southeast Spain by Andreu Bonet and Juli G. Pausas		247
14		Restoration of Old Fields in Renosterveld; A Case Study in a Mediterranean-type Shrubland of South Africa by Cornelia B. Krug and Rainer M. Krug		265
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