Topic 1.1: Ecology and Ecosystems

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Content

Topic Introduction

All vegetation, including forests, can be classified according to major structural or physiognomic characteristics, including height, and the number of stems per unit area. These characteristics are strongly influenced by the annual temperature and precipitation regime in a region, so that vegetation of similar ecology and physiognomic characteristics can be broadly grouped into biomes. Biomes help us to describe the prevailing conditions on a site and to compare the ecology, or ecosystem processes, of two or more regions. For example, ecologists often compare the productivity of tropical forests with temperate or boreal forests – and it is a useful way for us to start our discussion of forest restoration and plantation development. In comparing forests we gain a better understanding of how to go about forest management.

This first topic revises some common concepts in ecology and acts as a refresher for terminology that you may not have used for a while. In later modules we will apply these key ecological concepts to the practices of forest restoration and plantation development.

The ecosystem paradigm has proved a very useful way of thinking about forests and forming management actions, so this is where we will start. Ecosystem ecology is the study of the structure and function of nature, and it focusses on patterns of material and energy flow and the processes controlling them. A good conceptual understanding of ecosystem ecology provides a first-principles background to help manage trees for restoration and plantation development.

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