How destructive or beneficial are forest fires to wildlife? Should we be trying to reduce or increase the amount of fire in forests? How are forest fires controlled, and why does this sometimes fail? What effect will climate change have? These and many other questions are answered in this richly illustrated book, written in non-technical language. The journey starts in the long geological history of fire leading up to our present love-hate relationship with it. Exploring the physics of how a single flame burns, the journey continues through how whole forests burn and the anatomy of firestorms. The positive and negative ecological effects of fires are explored, from plants and wildlife to whole landscapes. The journey ends with how fires are controlled, and a look to the future. This book will be of interest to ecologists, biogeographers and anyone with an interest in forest fires and the role they play.
- Comprehensive coverage of fire, from the physics of a flame to how forested landscapes are affected and with case studies from around the world
- Links the science of fire to the social implications and management of fire, to show the overlap between disciplines; a growing trend in landscape management
- Richly illustrated in colour, engaging the reader's interest and allowing fine detail to be appreciated
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Awards
- A Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2011
Reviews & endorsements
' … large and sumptuously produced … the authors and the publisher deserve congratulation for the high standard of the illustrations, which make a complex subject far easier to understand … The book is published at a very reasonable price. I learnt a lot from it, and suspect that many who have important responsibilities for forests would do so too.' Bulletin of the British Ecological Society
'Fire in the Forest is an interesting international introduction to the intriguing and sometimes enigmatic role that fire plays in natural and increasingly human-inhabited ecosystems. It is presented from a non-technical, but well-referenced, point of view by the two primary authors, who are well positioned to provide such insights on this topic. … highly recommended …' Plant Science Bulletin
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Product details
- Date Published: September 2010
- format: Hardback
- isbn: 9780521822299
- length: 238 pages
- dimensions: 285 x 225 x 16 mm
- weight: 0.91kg
- contains: 12 b/w illus. 119 colour illus.
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
1. In the beginning …
2. Historical review
3. How a fire burns
4. Fire in the wild landscape
5. Fire ecology
6. The benefits of fire and its use as a landscape tool
7. Fire suppression
8. Wildland fire and its management – a look towards the future
9. Further reading
Index.
Look Inside
Instructors have used or reviewed this title for the following courses
- Landscape Analysis
- Landscape Ecology
Authors
Peter A. Thomas, Keele University
Peter A. Thomas is senior lecturer in environmental science at Keele University, UK and has been a Visiting Professor at the University of Alberta, Canada and a Bullard Fellow at Harvard University, USA. He has a PhD in forest fire ecology from the University of New Brunswick, Canada and has been involved in a number of fire research projects since in Canada and the USA. His teaching encompasses a wide range of tree and woodland related topics including fire behaviour and fire ecology, and he recently received an Excellence in Teaching Award from Keele University. He has travelled extensively around the world investigating burnt forests; the information and perspective gained informs his teaching, writing and research. His research interests focus on tree ecology and forest fires. He is the author of Trees: Their Natural History and Ecology of Woodlands and Forests both published by Cambridge University Press.
Robert S. McAlpine, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Canada
Robert S. (Rob) McAlpine works with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Aviation and Forest Fire Management Branch, where he leads the Science and Technology group. He is actively involved in the fire management programme and continues to develop tools and concepts to improve the practice of fire management. Rob also worked with the Canadian Forest Service for more than 10 years where he was a research scientist studying fire behaviour. Rob's current research interests and activities span fire behaviour, fire economics, equipment development, and organizational effectiveness. He has worked in fire management and research for almost 30 years from a front line fire fighter to a fire scientist.
With contributions by
Kelvin Hirsch, Canadian Forest Service
Peter Hobson, Writtle College, Chelmsford
Awards
- A Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2011