Almost 20 years after the first MEDPINE book "Ecology, biogeography and management of Pinus halepensis and P. brutia forest ecosystems in the Mediterranean basin "(Ne'eman and Trabaud, 2000) was published, this new book presents up-to-date and state of the art information, covering a wide range of topics concerning Mediterranean pine trees growing in native and planted forests, their ecosystems and management.

This will be an essential source of scientific information for learning, exploring planning and managing mediterranean pine and mixed forests. We focus on: genetics, adaptation, distribution and evolution; ecophysiology and drought resistance; pine and mixed forest ecosystems; forest dynamics biodiversity and biotic interactions; fire ecology; ecosystem services and policy; afforestation and management; all under the effect of global climate change. While forests are studied mainly in temperate and tropical zones, in the light of current climate change, focusing on Mediterranean forests growing in semi-humid to semi-arid zones is more important than ever.

This book will include mostly review chapters (and two outstanding case studies) contributed by leading scientists, foresters and managers, and will serve as a scientific textbook for students of biology, agriculture and forestry, researchers of ecology forestry and related fields, forest managers, policy and decision makers.

Presents up-to-date and state of the art information Covers a wide range of topics concerning Mediterranean pine trees growing in native and planted forests Relevant for the UN Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land Contributions by leading scientists, foresters and managers

Inhalt

Foreword.- Preface.- PART I: Evolution, genetics and distribution.- 1. Phylogenesis and evolution.- 2. Population genetics and genomics.- 3. Conservation and breeding.- 4 Biogeography and local adaptations.- 5. Mediterranean pines as invasive species.- PART II: Ecophysiology of Mediterranean pines: resistance to stress and perturbation.- 6. Physiological trade-offs under stress and perturbation.- 7. Carbon allocation dynamics under stress.- 8.- Root systems under drought.- 9. Stress and tree mortality.- 10. Forest diseases affecting pines.- 11. Resistance to herbivorous insects.- PART III: Pine and mixed forest ecosystems under global climate change.- 12. Growth and vigor.- 13. Forest distribution resilience under climate change.- 14. Carbon and energy balance.- 15. Soil properties and biogeochemical functioning.- 16. Decomposition.- PART IV: Forest dynamics, biodiversity and biotic interactions.- 17. Dynamics of mixed pine-oak forests.- 18. Bird diversity.- 19 Soil micro- and macrofauna.- 20. Mycorhizae.- PART V: Forest fire ecology and management.- 21. Fire past present and future.- 22. Adaptations to fire.- 23. Post-fire soil erosion.- 24. The impact of grazing on understory fuel load.- 25. Post fire restoration.- 26. Predicting post-fire conifer regeneration in California.- 27. Remote sensing fire damage.- PART VI: Policy and Ecosystem services of Mediterranean pine and mixed forest ecosystems.- 28. Mediterranean forests and the United Nations sustainable development goals.- 29. Ecosystem services.- 30.Multi-disciplinary assessment of cultural ecosystem services supplied by Mediterranean pine and mixed forests.- PART VII: Afforestation and forest management policy.- 31. Dynamics and management of western Mediterranean pinewoods.- 32. From pine monoculture forests into sustainable mixed forest ecosystems.- 33. Forest policy in Israel.- 34. Water based forest management.