The Herbaceous Layer in Forests of Eastern North America

Over the last decade, the field of plant ecology has significantly developed and expanded, especially in research concerning the herbaceous layer and ground vegetation of forests. This revised second edition of The Herbaceous Layer in Forests of Eastern North America accounts for that growth, presenting research that approaches the ecology of the herb layer of forests from a variety of disciplines, perspectives, and levels of ecological organization. The book synthesizes the research of top ecologists on herbaceous layer structure, composition, and dynamics of a variety of forest ecosystem types in eastern North America. The 2003 first edition of The Herbaceous Layer in Forests of Eastern North America was praised for containing the most extensive listing of herb-layer literature in existence. This second edition brings this material up to date, revised to include current research, data, and concepts. The book incorporates quantitative data to support analyses that were previously unavailable during the publication of the first edition. Also featured are eight entirely new chapters, with six of these focused on the response of the herbaceous layer to a wide variety of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Building on the over 1,200 references and sources of the first edition, the second edition of The Herbaceous Layer in Forests of Eastern North America, with well over 2,500 references, is an invaluable resource for plant ecologists, forest ecologists, conservationists, and forest managers.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Chapter 1: The Herbaceous Layer-The Forest Between the Trees Frank S. Gilliam Chapter 2: Nutrient Relations of the Herbaceous Layer in Deciduous Forest Ecosystems Robert N. Muller Chapter 3: Ecophysiology of the Herbaceous Layer in Temperate Deciduous Forests Howard S. Neufield Donald R. Young Chapter 3 Appendix Chapter 4: Interactions of nutrient effects with other biotic factors in the herbaceous layer Wendy B. Anderson Chapter 5: Mating Systems and Floral Biology of the Herb Layer: A Survey of Two Communities and the State of our Knowledge Carol Goodwillie Claudia L. Jolls Chapter 6: Populations and Threats to Rare Plants of the Herb Layer Claudia L. Jolls Dennis Whigham Chapter 6 Appendix 1 Chapter 6 Appendix 2 Chapter 7: The Herbaceous Layer of Eastern Old-Growth Deciduous Forests Brian C. McCarthy Chapter 8: Habitat Heterogeneity and Maintenance of Species in Understory Communities Susan W. Beatty Chapter 9: Interactions Between the Herbaceous Layer and Overstory Canopy of Eastern Forests Frank S. Gilliam Mark R. Roberts Chapter 10: Herbaceous layer species richness of southeastern forests and woodlands Robert K. Peet Kyle A. Palmquist Samantha M. Tessel Chapter 11: Temporal Patterns in Herbaceous Layer Communities of the North Carolina Piedmont Robert K. Peet Norman L. Christensen Frank S. Gilliam Chapter 12: Composition and Dynamics of the Understory Vegetation in the Boreal Forests of Quebec Louis De Grandpre´ Yves Bergeron Nicole J. Fenton Thuy Nguyen Catherine Boudreault Pierre Grondin Chapter 12 Appendix Chapter 13: Response of the Herbaceous Layer to Disturbance in Eastern Forests Mark R. Roberts Frank S. Gilliam Chapter 14: The Herbaceous Layer as a Filtering Determining Spatial Pattern in Forest Tree Regeneration Lisa O. George Fahhri A. Bazzaz Chapter 15: Forest Invasions: Perceptions, Impacts and Management Questions James O. Luken Chapter 16: Effects of Deer on Forest Herb Layers Donald M. Waller Chapter 17: A Case Study of Chronic Deer Overbrowsing Throughout the Allegheny National Forest Region of Pennsylvania Walter P. Carson Alejandro A. Royo Chris J. Peterson Chapter 18: Long-Term Effects on Clearcutting in the Southern Appalachians Julie L. Wyatt Miles R. Silman Chapter 19: Agricultural Legacies in Forest Herb Communities Kathryn M. Flinn Chapter 20: Effects of Excess Nitrogen Deposition on the Herbaceous Layer of Eastern North American Forests Frank S. Gilliam Chapter 21: Climate Change and Forest Herbs of Temperate Deciduous Forests Jesse Bellamare David A. Moeller Chapter 21 Appendix Chapter 22: The Dynamic Nature of the Herbaceous Layer Frank S. Gilliam References First Edition References

About the Author :
Frank S. Gilliam received his Ph.D. at Duke University in 1983, moving on to post-doctoral research at Kansas State University and the University of Virginia, and teaching at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He joined the faculty at Marshall University in 1990, where he is professor of biological sciences, teaching courses in ecology and plant ecology. His research interests lie at the interface between terrestrial plant communities and ecosystems. He is the husband of Laura Pleasants Gilliam, and the grateful father of two children-Rachel MacKenzie Gilliam and Ian Stuart Gilliam.

Review :
"Overall, the second edition of The Herbaceous Layer is much more than a corrected and lightly updated version of the first edition. The new chapters bring into sharp focus the importance of disturbance, conservation, and protection of forests and forest understories in states ranging from recovering clear-cuts to old-growth stands. The literature reviews and integrated bibliography are incredibly thorough and provide a one-stop shop for students beginning studies of the forest understory, for experienced researchers in need of a refresher, and for all, a reminder of the importance, the value, and the aesthetic beauty of the herbaceous layer." --RHODORA