Ebook: The Impacts of Climate Variability on Forests

This volume contains a selection of scientific papers which were presented at an international workshop on the impacts of climatic variability held in Wengen, Switzerland, September 1997. For the first time, an assessment is made of the interactions between physical and biological elements of the Earth System on the basis of shifts in extreme climatic conditions, rather than simply changes in mean atmospheric conditions which research has tended to focus on until recently. Natural ecosystems and forests are typical examples of systems which, while constrained within certain ranges of mean climate, can undergo rapid and often irreversible damage in the face of short-lived but intense extreme events.

---

This volume contains a selection of scientific papers which were presented at an international workshop on the impacts of climatic variability held in Wengen, Switzerland, September 1997. For the first time, an assessment is made of the interactions between physical and biological elements of the Earth System on the basis of shifts in extreme climatic conditions, rather than simply changes in mean atmospheric conditions which research has tended to focus on until recently. Natural ecosystems and forests are typical examples of systems which, while constrained within certain ranges of mean climate, can undergo rapid and often irreversible damage in the face of short-lived but intense extreme events.

---

This volume contains a selection of scientific papers which were presented at an international workshop on the impacts of climatic variability held in Wengen, Switzerland, September 1997. For the first time, an assessment is made of the interactions between physical and biological elements of the Earth System on the basis of shifts in extreme climatic conditions, rather than simply changes in mean atmospheric conditions which research has tended to focus on until recently. Natural ecosystems and forests are typical examples of systems which, while constrained within certain ranges of mean climate, can undergo rapid and often irreversible damage in the face of short-lived but intense extreme events.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages -
The impact of climatic extremes on forests: An introduction....Pages 1-18
Meteorological extremes and their impacts on forests in the czech republic....Pages 19-47
Changes in temperature variability in relation to shifts in mean temperatures in the swiss alpine region this century....Pages 49-58
Evaluation of the 2xCO2 impact on european climate variability with a variable resolution GCM....Pages 59-79
Precipitation and snow cover variability in the french alps....Pages 81-92
Influence of forest cover in the eastern united states on regional climate....Pages 93-98
Extremes of moisture availability reconstructed from tree rings for recent millennia in the great basin of western north America....Pages 99-107
Predictive models of tree-growth: preliminary results in the French Alps....Pages 109-120
Documenting the effects of recent climate change at treeline in the canadian rockies....Pages 121-144
Annual- versus decadal-scale climatic influences on tree establishment and mortality in northern Patagonia....Pages 145-170
High-altitude forest sensitivity to global warming: results from long-term and short-term analyses in the eastern italian alps....Pages 171-189
Climate, limiting factors and environmental change in high-altitude forests of Western North America....Pages 191-208
Managing swiss forests: when climate intervenes....Pages 209-219
Worldwide positions of alpine treelines and their causes....Pages 221-229
Vascular plant species richness in relation to altitudinal and slope gradients in mountain landscapes of central norway....Pages 231-239
Environmental information from stable isotopes in tree rings of Fagus sylvatica ....Pages 241-253
Simulated impacts of mean vs. intra-snnual climate changes on forests....Pages 255-271
Sensitivity analysis of a forest gap model concerning current and future climate variability....Pages 273-288
Simulated effects of bark beetle infestations on stand dynamics in Picea abies stands: coupling a patch model and a stand risk model....Pages 289-308
Impacts of climatic variability and extreme on forests: synthesis....Pages 309-318
Back Matter....Pages -

---

This volume contains a selection of scientific papers which were presented at an international workshop on the impacts of climatic variability held in Wengen, Switzerland, September 1997. For the first time, an assessment is made of the interactions between physical and biological elements of the Earth System on the basis of shifts in extreme climatic conditions, rather than simply changes in mean atmospheric conditions which research has tended to focus on until recently. Natural ecosystems and forests are typical examples of systems which, while constrained within certain ranges of mean climate, can undergo rapid and often irreversible damage in the face of short-lived but intense extreme events.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages -
The impact of climatic extremes on forests: An introduction....Pages 1-18
Meteorological extremes and their impacts on forests in the czech republic....Pages 19-47
Changes in temperature variability in relation to shifts in mean temperatures in the swiss alpine region this century....Pages 49-58
Evaluation of the 2xCO2 impact on european climate variability with a variable resolution GCM....Pages 59-79
Precipitation and snow cover variability in the french alps....Pages 81-92
Influence of forest cover in the eastern united states on regional climate....Pages 93-98
Extremes of moisture availability reconstructed from tree rings for recent millennia in the great basin of western north America....Pages 99-107
Predictive models of tree-growth: preliminary results in the French Alps....Pages 109-120
Documenting the effects of recent climate change at treeline in the canadian rockies....Pages 121-144
Annual- versus decadal-scale climatic influences on tree establishment and mortality in northern Patagonia....Pages 145-170
High-altitude forest sensitivity to global warming: results from long-term and short-term analyses in the eastern italian alps....Pages 171-189
Climate, limiting factors and environmental change in high-altitude forests of Western North America....Pages 191-208
Managing swiss forests: when climate intervenes....Pages 209-219
Worldwide positions of alpine treelines and their causes....Pages 221-229
Vascular plant species richness in relation to altitudinal and slope gradients in mountain landscapes of central norway....Pages 231-239
Environmental information from stable isotopes in tree rings of Fagus sylvatica ....Pages 241-253
Simulated impacts of mean vs. intra-snnual climate changes on forests....Pages 255-271
Sensitivity analysis of a forest gap model concerning current and future climate variability....Pages 273-288
Simulated effects of bark beetle infestations on stand dynamics in Picea abies stands: coupling a patch model and a stand risk model....Pages 289-308
Impacts of climatic variability and extreme on forests: synthesis....Pages 309-318
Back Matter....Pages -
....