Contributors -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- 1. Disturbance and succession / Edward A. Johnson and Kiyoko Miyanishi -- Introduction -- Disturbance as the nemesis of succession -- The chronosequence basis of succession -- Coupling disturbance and vegetation processes -- Conclusion -- 2. The turbulent wind in plant and forest canopies / John J. Finnigan -- Introduction -- The structure of the atmospheric boundary layer over land -- Characteristics of turbulent flow in and above plant canopies -- Effects of topography and heterogeneity -- Implications of this velocity structure for canopy disturbance -- Summary -- 3. Microbursts and macrobursts : windstorms and blowdowns / Mark R. Hjelmfelt -- Introduction -- Convective storms and downbursts -- Vertical equation of motion -- Climatology -- Downdrafts, mesocyclones, and outflows -- Microbursts -- large-scale systems -- Summary -- 4. Understanding how the interaction of wind and trees results in windthrow, stem breakage, and canopy gap formation / Christopher P. Quine and Barry A. Gardiner -- Introduction -- Theoretical core -- Applied force -- Resistive force -- Direct consequences -- Subsequent impact of windthrow, stem breakage, and gap/patch formation -- Summary and conclusions -- Appendix 1 : Glossary and definitions --
5. Meteorological conditions associated with ice storm damage to forests / Kaz Higuchi and Amir Shabbar -- Introduction -- Synoptic conditions for freezing rain -- Climatology of freezing rain in Canada -- meteorological evolution of ice storm '98 -- Possible changes in ice storm frequency under a warming climate -- Summary -- 6. The effect of icing events on the death and regeneration of North American trees / David F. Greene, Kathleen F. Jones, and Olga J. Proulx -- Introduction -- The biomechanics of branch breakage during ice events with and without wind -- Ice measurements in the field -- A review of the literature on tree damage caused by icing events -- The population consequences of major ice events -- 7. Disturbance processes and dynamics in coastal dunes / Patrick A. Hesp and M. Luisa Martínez -- Introduction -- Dune types and disturbance types and processes -- Conclusion -- 8. Coastal dune succession and the reality of dune processes / Kiyoko Miyanishi and Edward A. Johnson -- Introduction -- Traditional dune succession hypothesis -- Problems with the dune succession hypothesis -- Process-response alternative to traditional succession hypothesis -- Conclusion -- 9. Fluvial geomorphic disturbances and life history traits of riparian tree species / Futoshi Nakamura and Satomi Inahara -- Introduction -- Geomorphic classification of riparian zones and disturbance regimes in a catchment -- Disturbance, reliability of regeneration habitat, and life history of dominant tree species -- Conclusion --
10. Water level changes in ponds and lakes : the hydrological processes / Masaki Hayashi and Garth van der Kamp -- Introduction -- Water balance -- Case study : northern prairie wetlands -- Conclusions -- 11. Development of post-disturbance vegetation in prairie wetlands / Arnold G. van der Valk -- Introduction -- Wet-dry cycles -- Marsh ecology research program -- Coenocline development : same pre- and post-disturbance water levels -- Coenocline development : different pre- and post-disturbance water levels -- Models of coenocline development -- Conclusions -- 12. Modeling heating effects / Geoffrey N. Mercer and Rodney O. Weber -- Introduction -- Conservation laws -- Simple examples -- Application to more realistic scenarios -- Case study : a model of seed survival -- Conclusion -- Appendix : Notation -- 13. Fire effects on grasslands / Paul H. Zedler -- Introduction -- The grass growth form -- Regeneration from seed -- Grasses as fuel, mulch, and forage -- Drought disturbance : a primary driver -- Direct fire effects -- Grassfire and nutrients -- Grasses and woody plants -- A final caution - grasses and fires -- 14. Wildfire and tree population processes / Sheri L. Gutsell and Edward A. Johnson -- Introduction -- Wildfire processes and characteristics -- Local populations and processes -- Regional populations and processes -- Conclusions --
15. Insect defoliators as periodic disturbances in northern forest ecosystems / Barry J. Cooke, Vincent G. Nealis, and Jacques Régnière -- Introduction -- Defoliating insects as a distinct class of forest disturbance -- The process of insect disturbance -- Population dynamics of foliage-grazers -- Conclusion -- 16. Dynamics of mountain pine beetle outbreaks / Justin Heavilin, James Powell, and Jesse A. Logan -- Introduction -- Derivation of the red top model -- Results of the fully developed model -- Discussion and conclusion -- 17. Relationship between spruce budworm outbreaks and forest dynamics in eastern North America / Hubert Morin, Yves Jardon, and Régean Gagnon -- Introduction -- History of spruce budworm outbreaks over the past 8600 years -- Variation in temporal and spatial dynamics of outbreaks : reflection of changes in forest structure -- 18. Impact of beaver (castor canadensis Kuhl) foraging on species composition of boreal forests / Noble T. Donkor -- Introduction -- Herbivory in boreal forests -- Temporal changes in beaver populations -- Traditional understanding of beaver foraging impact on plant community structure -- Understanding beaver foraging impacts on composition and dynamics of the boreal forest -- Conclusion -- 19. Beaver, willow shrubs, and floods / J. Dungan Smith -- Introduction -- Background -- Theory for interaction of flow and shrubs -- Model results -- Discussion -- Summary and conclusions -- Index
