Handbook of Ecological Indicators for Assessment of Ecosystem Health, Second Edition

This second edition of a bestseller provides a comprehensive account of ecological indicators for evaluating the health of a wide variety of ecosystems. It presents a proven framework for selecting, evaluating, and validating ecological indicators and applies this framework to major ecosystem types, including coastal areas, forests, wetlands, fisheries, and agricultural land. The first part of the book provides a complete overview of all relevant ecological indicators'”including thermodynamics, resilience estimates, exergy, and emergy indicators. The second part focuses on how to effectively apply the indicators to a number of important ecosystems. It includes numerous examples and case studies that illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of each method for specific applications.