The Ecology of Natural Disturbance and Patch Dynamics

Natural distrubance and patch dynamics: an introduction. Patch dynamics in nature. Disturbance regimes in temperate forests. Stand dynamics in chilean Nothofagus forests. Treefalls, regrowth, and community structure in tropical forests. Gap processes and large-scale disturbances in sand prairies. Shrubland fire regimes and their evolutionary consequences. Disturbance and patch dynamics on rocky intertidal shores. Disturbance and patch dynamics of subtidal marine animals on hard substrata. Disturbance and vertebrates: an integrative perspective. Vertebrate responses to environmental patchiness in Arid and semiarid ecosystems. Adaptational of plants and animals in a patch dynamic setting. The patterns of establishment and growth. Responses of forest herbs tocanopy gaps. Adaptations of insects to disturbance. Within-patch dynamics of life histories, populations, and interactions: selection over time in small spaces. Animal population genetics and disturbance: the effects of local extinctions and recolonizations on heterozygosity and fitness. Plant population genetics and evolution in disturbed environments. Implications of patch dynamics for the organization of communities and the functioning of ecosystems. Disturbance-mediated coexistence of species. Community turnover and ecosystem nutrient dynamics. Natural disturbance and ecosystem energetics. Modeling forest landscapes and the role of disturbance in ecosystems and communities. Patch dynamics: a synthesis.