Plant Sciences and Forestry

Ecologists, both practical and theoretical, now appreciate that to understand biological systems they must consider the spatial dimension. Consequently, dispersal has become one of the hottest topics in plant ecology. However, in the midst of so much research output on dispersal, there is a need for a stock-take to determine the needs of future research: what has been achieved to date, where do current studies fit in, and what still needs to be determined? What are the implications of dispersal for those engaged in managing plant populations and communities? This is the first book for many years to present a synthesis of research on dispersal and its implications for plant population dynamics. The book consists of three sections: Section A reviews information on the biological and environmental processes that determine the path of an individual dispersing propagule, usually a seed, and the theory that has been developed to predict these trajectories; Section B discusses the distributions of seeds resulting from dispersal from an entire plant, theoretical research predicting the shapes of these distributions and design issues for future dispersal studies; Section C explores the implications of dispersal for expansion of populations, structure within existing populations and communities, and the evolution of dispersal traits.

This book aims to provide a critical appraisal of the theory and practice of key methods of forest pest management. The appropriate application of these ‘ecological methods’ in the development of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programmes depends on a clear understanding of pest biology and population dynamics, and an appreciation of the ecology and economic importance of both semi-natural and plantation forests. These aspects provide a focus for discussion throughout the book. The main themes of the first four chapters are the influence of forest composition and structure on the nature and severity of pest problems, the threat posed by the introduction of exotic pests in global trade, how risk-rating of forests can provide an early warning of outbreaks, and the role that silviculture can play in both contributing to and helping to reduce the impact of pests. The following four chapters discuss in turn the nature of tree resistance and its exploitation, the principles and practice of biological and microbial control, and the use of semiochemicals in manipulating insect populations. The final chapter on IPM includes a discussion of the economic and environmental impact of pests, with practical examples of IPM illustrated in a series of case studies. The potential impact of climate change is briefly discussed. Many of the examples and case studies relate to insect pests, but the term ‘pest’ is used in its widest sense to include fungal pathogens. Brief reference is also made to mammalian herbivores.