F. Stuart Chapin III es un ecólogo de Alaska cuya investigación aborda los efectos de los cambios climáticos y de incendios forestales en la ecología de Alaska y las comunidades rurales. Explora formas en que las comunidades y las agencias pueden aumentar la sostenibilidad de los ecosistemas y las comunidades humanas a largo plazo a pesar de los rápidos cambios climáticos y sociales. Cree que la sociedad puede moldear proactivamente los cambios hacia un futuro más sostenible, persiguiendo esta visión a nivel internacional, nacional y a través de asociaciones con comunidades indígenas locales en Alaska. Su libro "Grassroots Stewardship: Sustainability Within Our Reach" presenta una estrategia positiva y pragmática para que los individuos den forma a un futuro más sostenible para la naturaleza y la sociedad.
"Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology" explores the interconnectedness of living organisms and their environments, detailing energy, water, carbon, and nutrient cycles. It integrates recent ecological advances with established theory, featuring review questions, recommended readings, and a glossary, making it suitable for students and professionals alike.
The book is a facsimile reprint of a scarce antiquarian work, preserving its historical significance despite potential imperfections like marks and flawed pages. It aims to protect and promote important literature, providing readers with an affordable and high-quality edition that remains true to the original.
Future Scenarios of Global Biodiversity explores the interconnectedness of climate change and species extinction, presenting comprehensive scenarios for biodiversity in the 21st century. It examines ten key ecosystems, merging earth science with conservation biology, and serves as a resource for research and policy planning related to global environmental change.
As human populations grow and gain access to technology, two significant environmental concerns have emerged. First, human activities increasingly impact the earth system, altering biospheric carbon pools, elemental cycling, and the climate. These changes are occurring more rapidly than at any time in the last several million years, and due to time lags and feedback mechanisms, they are not easily reversible. Second, human actions are driving species extinctions at rates comparable to past geological events. While some environmental changes may be reversible over certain timescales, species loss is irreversible. Additionally, changes in diversity at various scales raise alarms. Habitat fragmentation and declining population sizes affect genetic diversity, while the loss or introduction of new functional groups can significantly alter ecosystem processes. Modifications in landscape diversity through habitat changes further impact interactions within and among vegetation patches. Although ecological changes and biodiversity loss have been viewed as separate concerns, they are deeply interrelated. Alterations in ecological systems directly influence biodiversity, highlighting the need for a comprehensive understanding of these interconnected processes.