Poised between soil and sky, forest canopies represent a critical point of exchange between the atmosphere and the earth, yet until recently, they remained a largely unexplored frontier. For a long time, problems with access and the lack of tools and methods suitable for monitoring these complex bioscapes made canopy analysis extremely difficult. Fortunately, canopy research has advanced dramatically in recent decades. Methods in Forest Canopy Research is a comprehensive overview of these developments for explorers of this astonishing environment. The authors describe methods for reaching the canopy and the best ways to measure how the canopy, atmosphere, and forest floor interact. They address how to replicate experiments in challenging environments and lay the groundwork for creating standardized measurements in the canopy-essential tools for for understanding our changing world.

PrefaceChapter 1. Setting the Stage - Canopy Research Emerges as a Component of Forest ScienceChapter 2. Forest Types and Site CharacteristicsChapter 3. Canopy Access Methods: Making It Possible to Accurately and Safely Study the Upper Reaches of ForestsChapter 4. Forest Structure and Sampling UnitsChapter 5. Canopy Conditions, Biota and ProcessesChapter 6. Canopy-Atmosphere InteractionsChapter 7. Measuring Canopy-Forest Floor InteractionsChapter 8. Treetops at Risk? Engaging the Canopy Toolkit in Whole-Forest ConservationChapter 9. Conclusions and RecommendationsReferencesIndex