Scientists tell us that climate change is upon us and the physical world is changing quickly with serious implications for biodiversity and human well-being. Forests cover vast regions of the globe and serve as a first line of defense against the worst effects of climate change, but only if we keep them healthy and resilient.

Preface ixAcknowledgments xiiiChapter 1 Introduction: Looking Back and Into the FutureForests in Human HistoryResilienceOutline of the BookA Look into the FutureChapter 2 Forest Types around the WorldMain Forest Types 22On Being Evergreen or DeciduousBoreal ForestsTemperate ForestsTemperate Coniferous ForestsMixed Temperate ForestsBroad-Leaved EvergreenTropical ForestsPlantations and Managed ForestsAdvantages of PlantationsDisadvantages of PlantationsSummaryChapter 3 Weather and Climate DetermineForest Growth and TypeHow Trees GrowWeather Factors: TemperatureWeather Factors: Solar RadiationWeather Factors: Air HumidityWeather Factors: Precipitation and HydrologySoil WaterPrecipitation, Interception, Runoff, and DrainageTranspirationImplications of Forest Clearance for Hydrology and ClimateSummaryChapter 4 Causes and Consequences of Rapid Climate ChangeCauses of Global WarmingFossil Fuel Burning and Land-Use ChangeHow Fast Is the Earth Warming?viii ContentsA Word about DenialistsOn Variation and UncertaintyExtreme Weather EventsImpacts and Implications on Climate ChangeEffects of ForestsSummaryChapter 5 How We Value and Use ForestsEcosystem Services and Universal Values of ForestsReliable Supplies of Clean WaterCarbon Dioxide Absorption and StorageBiodiversityThe Uses of ForestsHarvested Wood and Its UsesAbuses of ForestsUrban DevelopmentTropical Forest DestructionSummaryChapter 6 The Economics and Practices of Forest ManagementAn Outline of Relevant Economic TheoryMacroeconomics as It Relates to ForestryForest Management Policies in Different CountriesMicroeconomics: Commercial Operations on State LandMicroeconomics: Commercial Operations on Private LandDiscounting and Net Present ValueForest Growth and Yield EstimatesEmpirical Growth and Yield ModelingProcess-Based ModelsRemote Sensing MeasurementsFire and Its ManagementSummaryChapter 7. The Future for ForestsConserve the ForestsManagement for the Future: Natural ForestsManagement for the Future: PlantationsConcluding RemarksEndnotesGlossaryReferencesAbout the AuthorsIndex.