Archivo:D. Mueller-Dombois 1984 Classification & mapping tropical plant communities.pdf

Resumen

The Role of Terrestrial Vegetation in the Global Carbon Cycle: Measurement by Remote Sensing
Edited by G. M. Woodwell @ 1984 SCOPE. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Chapter 2 Classification and Mapping of Plant Communities: a Review with Emphasis on Tropical Vegetation
D. Mueller-Dombois
Deparment of Botany, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii
Methods of classifying vegetation are reviewed. Classification is aimed at portraying either potential or existing vegetation. Potential vegetation is commonly mapped using bioclimatic classification schemes following scholars such as Holdridge or Walter or landscape classification schemes such as those of UNESCO and Ellenberg. Maps of potential vegetation obtained from bioclimatic parameters can be used as predictors of primary production. Existing vegetation is mapped by either a classification based on physiognomy or on floristics. The physiognomic method provides a better estimate of phytomass because it takes into account variations due to succession and habitat.
Bioclimatic and landscape classifications work equally well in temperate and tropical zones when mapped at a small scale. Problems in large-scale mapping of the tropics arise from the diversity of the species, different patterns of distribution, and lack of field studies. The author suggests mapping the existing vegetation of the tropics by combining satellite imagery with ancillary information from large-scale maps. Satellite imagery can be used to monitor the rate of loss of tropical ecosystems by use of successIve images.

Reseña del libro

The Quarterly Review of Biology Volume 60[3:380-381], September 1985
The Role of Terrestrial Vegetation in the Global Carbon Cycle: Measurement by Remote Sensing. The Product of a SCOPE Conference Arranged by The Ecosystems Center and Held in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, in May 1979. SCOPE 23. George M. Woodwell, editor.
Sandra Brown
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/414520
There has been much debate recently, and the role of the residential biota in the global carbon cycle; this book does little to clarify the issue. The primary focus of the book is how to determine the global rate of change of land use (e. g., forest to agriculture) for determining, with more precision, the flux of CO₂ between the terrestrial biota and the atmosphere.

The book is the result of a conference held in 1979 and includes review chapters updated with more recent research results [hasta 1984]. The nine chapters of the book are divided into five sections. The first section presents a brief overview of the role of the biota in the carbon cycle and also briefly summarizes the contents of the book. An excellent chapter on the state of knowledge and problems of classifying and mapping vegetation comprises the second section. This chapter is a "must" for all ecologists interested in this topic. I question the value of the two chapters on soil carbon in the third section. Both use a similar approach and arrive at similar conclusions about the magnitude of the soil carbon pool; they differ significantly, however, on estimates on the magnitude of carbon losses resulting from disturbance. Little attempt is made to resolve this difference. Section 4 contains four chapters on remote, sensing and present a variety of approaches available And their associated problems for measuring changes in the earth's vegetation. The last chapter demonstrates that useful information for modeling the role of the biota in the global carbon cycle can be obtained from satellite images at the relatively low cost. If only the changes in forest area, are measured rather than classifying vegetation types.

The book has a good general appearance and is well illustrated and documented. It’s intended audience is hard to ascertain, however. Because of its emphasis on methods and his high price (US$0.21 per page) it will be of little value to a general audience. But, because most of the chapters are reviews, it will also be of little value to the specialists
Sandra Brown, Forestry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois.

Últimamente se ha debatido mucho sobre el papel de la biota terrestre en el ciclo global del carbono, pero este libro no aclara mucho el tema. El libro se centra principalmente en cómo calcular la tasa global de cambio en el uso del suelo (por ejemplo, de bosque a agricultura) para determinar con más precisión el flujo de CO₂ entre la biota terrestre y la atmósfera.

El libro es el resultado de una conferencia celebrada en 1979 e incluye capítulos de revisión actualizados con los resultados de investigaciones más recientes [hasta 1984]. Los nueve capítulos del libro se dividen en cinco secciones. La primera sección presenta una breve descripción general del papel de la biota en el ciclo del carbono y también resume brevemente el contenido del libro. Un excelente capítulo sobre el estado de los conocimientos y los problemas de la clasificación y cartografía de la vegetación compone la segunda sección. Este capítulo es «imprescindible» para todos los ecologistas interesados en este tema. Cuestiono el valor de los dos capítulos sobre el carbono del suelo de la tercera sección. Ambos utilizan un enfoque similar y llegan a conclusiones similares sobre la magnitud del depósito de carbono del suelo; sin embargo, difieren significativamente en las estimaciones sobre la magnitud de las pérdidas de carbono resultantes de las perturbaciones. Se hace poco por resolver esta diferencia. La sección cuarta contiene cuatro capítulos sobre teledetección y presenta una variedad de enfoques disponibles y sus problemas asociados para medir los cambios en la vegetación de la Tierra. El último capítulo demuestra que se puede obtener información útil para modelar el papel de la biota en el ciclo global del carbono a partir de imágenes satelitales a un costo relativamente bajo. Si solo se miden los cambios en la superficie forestal, en lugar de clasificar los tipos de vegetación.

El libro tiene un buen aspecto general y está bien ilustrado y documentado. Sin embargo, es difícil determinar a qué público va dirigido. Debido a su énfasis en los métodos y a su elevado precio (0,21 dólares estadounidenses por página), tendrá poco valor para el público en general. Pero, dado que la mayoría de los capítulos son reseñas, tampoco tendrá mucho valor para los especialistas.