This volume introduces the general concepts and processes used in terrestrial ecosystems. New in this edition are discussions on climate change and its impacts on vegetation, forests, soil microbiology along with decision support systems, biodiversity conservation, gross and net primary production, and land surface phenology with modeling methods.

Section I: Biodiversity and Conservation 1. Assessment of Community-Based Activities to Reduce Human-Elephant Conflict in Nepal 2. Biodiversity: Agriculture 3. Biodiversity: Climate Change 4. Biodiversity: Conservation 5. Biodiversity: Habitat Suitability 6. Biodiversity: Tropical Agroforestry 7. Biodiversity: Values 8. Biomes 9. Decision-Making and Monitoring Strategies in Natural Resource Management and Conservation 10. Diversity: Species 11. Exotic and Invasive Species 12. Keystone and Indicator Species 13. Population Genetics 14. Prioritizing Conservation Sites for Biodiversity Protection in Uganda 15. Weeds: Seed Banks and Seed Dormancy Section II: Ecosystem Type, Function, and Service 16. Community Forestry: Sustainability and Equity Issues 17. Ecosystem Services: Evaluation 18. Ecosystem Services: Land Systems Approach 19. Ecosystem Services: Pollinators and Pollination 20. Ecosystems: Diversity 21. Ecosystems: Forest Nutrient Cycling 22. Ecosystems: Functions and Services 23. Ecosystems: Soil Animal Functioning 24. Ecotone 25. Environmental Goods and Services: Economic and Non-Economic Methods for Valuing 26. Forests: Temperate Evergreen and Deciduous 27. Forests: Tropical Rain 28. Savannas and Grasslands Section III: Ecological Processes 29. Agriculture: Organic 30. Crops and the Atmosphere: Trace Gas Exchanges 31. Desertification 32. Ecological and Evolutionary Processes 33. Ecology: Functions, Patterns, and Evolution 34. Land Plants: Origin and Evolution 35. Leaves: Elevated CO2 Levels 36. Net Ecosystem Production (NEP) 37. Nitrogen Deposition and Deyeuxia angustifolia Encroachment in Alpine Tundra 38. Nitrogen Fixation: Biological 39. Ozone: Crop Yield and Quality Effects 40. Global Plant Breeding Section IV: Ecosystem Monitoring 41. Altitudinal Belts: Global Mountains, Patterns, and Mechanisms 42. Biodegradation and Bioremediation 43. Decision Support: Monitoring, Reporting, and Forecasting Ecological Conditions of Appalachian Trail 44. Estimation of Net Primary Production and Its Spatial and Temporal Variations in Northeast China: Remote Sensing 45. Optical Properties of Reflected Light from Leaves 46. Remote Sensing of CO2 Emissions from Wildfires