The Fragmented Forest: Island Biogeography Theory and the Preservation of Biotic Diversity

Front Cover
University of Chicago Press, Oct 15, 1984 - Nature - 211 pages
In this poineering application of island biogeography theory, Harris presents an alternative to current practices of timber harvesting.

"Harris pulls together many threads of biological thinking about islands and their effect on plant and animal survival and evolution. He weaves these threads into a model for managing forest lands in a manner that might serve both our short-term economic and social needs as well as what some people feel is our ancient charge to be steward of all parts of creation."—American Forests

Winner of the 1986 Wildlife Society Publication Award
 

Contents

Introduction
3
The Approach
7
Current States of Nature
9
The Natural Forest Community
11
Canopy Height and Massivity of Forest
13
Conifer Dominance
16
Highly Dissected Topography
17
Structural Characteristics
19
Faunal Preservation vs Maximum Species Richness
104
The Equivalence of Species
106
Evaluation of Alternative Approaches
108
Effective Habitat Island Size
109
Size vs Number
113
Interisland Distance
116
Mammal Homerange Sizes and Travel Distances
120
A Planning Strategy
125

The Unique Combination of Characteristics
22
Forest Trends and Patterns
25
Depletion
27
Current Distribution
29
Miscellaneous Changes
32
Focus on the Willamette National Forest
35
Animal Community Characteristics
44
General Characteristics
45
Unique Faunal Characteristics
48
Ordination of Species
53
Richness vs Diversity
64
Analysis of Alternatives
69
The Applicability of Insular Biogeography
71
Speciesarea Relations
74
Local Extinction and Community Change
80
Isolation Effects
84
The Distinction between True Island Biogeography and Habitat Islands
88
Genetic Resources and Biotic Diversity
93
Endangered Species
94
A System of Longrotation Islands
127
Longrotation Islands vs Oldgrowth Islands
128
Longrotation Island Characteristics
130
Island Size Frequency Distribution
135
Spatial Distribution of Islands
140
Travel Corridors and Connectivity of Islands
141
Fitting the System to the Landscape
145
Summary and Characteristics of the Island Archipelago Approach
153
Scientific Names of Species Cited in Text
167
Volume of Timber Cut from the Willamette National Forest 190581
175
Approximate Acreage Cut from Different Elevational Zones
177
Fortyfive Terrestrial Vertebrate Species of the Western Cascades That Require Cavities Snags and Fallen Logs
179
List of Research Natural Areas and Comparable Preserves in Western Oregon and Western Washington
181
Literature Cited
183
Author Index
201
Species Index
205
Subject Index
209
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