Dominick A. DellaSala

Temperate rainforests are biogeographically unique. Compared to their tropical counterparts, temperate rainforests are rarer and are found disproportionately along coastlines. Because most temperate rainforests are marked by the intersection of marine, terrestrial, and freshwater systems, these rich ecotones are among the most productive regions on Earth. Globally, temperate rainforests store vast amounts of carbon, provide habitat for scores of rare and endemic species with ancient affinities, and sustain complex food-web dynamics. In spite of their global significance, however, protection levels for these ecosystems are far too low to sustain temperate rainforests under a rapidly changing global climate and ever expanding human footprint. Therefore, a global synthesis is needed to provide the latest ecological science and call attention to the conservation needs of temperate and boreal rainforests. A concerted effort to internationalize the plight of the world’s temperate and boreal rainforests is underway around the globe; this book offers an essential (and heretofore missing) tool for that effort. DellaSala and his contributors tell a compelling story of the importance of temperate and boreal rainforests that includes some surprises (e.g., South Africa, Iran, Turkey, Japan, Russia). This volume provides a comprehensive reference from which to build a collective vision of their future.

Ecology and Conservation

Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World

Patrick Hurley

Eric Dinerstein

Kevin Kavanagh

Taylor H. Ricketts

David M. Olson

William Eichbaum

Colby J. Loucks

Prashant Hedao

Karen Carney

Robin Abell

Steven Walters

This book presents the rationale for the ecoregion approach, describes the biological distinctiveness of each North American ecoregion in detail, assesses the level of threats facing each, presents a conservation agenda for the next decade, and sets the recommendations for preserving and restoring biodiversity. In addition, a series of full-color maps present essential information about the ecoregions and the biodiversity they contain.

A Conservation Assessment

Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America

Michael I. Goldstein

Encyclopedia of the Anthropocene

Dominick A. DellaSala

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