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Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000010150157 | SD387.E58 W64 2006 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
As a natural science, silviculture has a large say in how humans interact with the terrestrial world. Although the perspective taken here that the production of wood is narrow, the amount of land area consumed is extensive; the indirect consequences of wood production on natural processes are larger still. Through the amount of land engaged, the flora and fauna affected and the environmental consequences, good or bad; silviculture is a frequent constituent in applied ecology, environmental science, conservation ecology and other broad land-use disciplines. Silvicultural expertize is essential when trees and wood are an economic output; often best promoted when silviculture is allied with hydrology, ecology, soil science, wildlife management, etc. This book touches upon the following important areas of the subject in detail.
Reviews 1
Choice Review
Silviculture as a traditional discipline within the forestry profession has historically represented one end of a spectrum of philosophy of resource management, resulting in a chasm between foresters and ecologists. This has occurred despite a well-accepted notion that silviculture represents applied ecological principles, employed to meet landowner objectives that are typically wide-ranging. In this volume, the author attempts to bridge this gulf by presenting silvicultural principles within the framework of agroecology; he covers topics ranging from optimizing monocultures to "natural" forests. This is primarily where the text falls short of its title. The perspective taken is almost solely utilitarian, largely missing a greater opportunity to bridge the gap between foresters and ecologists by failing to present multiple-use concepts within the realm of practicing silviculture. This greatly limits the scope and value of the book, and makes the intended target audience less clear. Other shortcomings include presentation of archaic and somewhat unconventional silvicultural definitions, with incomplete coverage of pertinent terms. The text is riddled with grammatical and spelling errors. It evidences a general paucity of critical citations, and many photos that are of poor quality. The text itself is written from an unnecessarily convoluted and anthropomorphized perspective--a bit peculiar given the subject matter. ^BSumming Up: Optional. Upper-level undergraduates/practitioners. L. M. Nagel Michigan Technological University
