Systems Analysis and Simulation in Ecology, Volume III, and its companion, Volume IV, grew out of a symposium, Modeling and Analysis of Ecosystems, held at the University of Georgia, 1-3 March 1973. The purposes of the meeting were to (i) review the status of ecosystem modeling, simulation, and analysis; (ii) provide a forum for interaction between U.S. International Biological Program (IBP) Biome modeling programs and selected non-IBP investigations involving systems approaches to ecosystem analysis; and (iii) identify and promote dialogue on key issues in macrosystem modeling. The volume is organized into two parts. Part I treats ecosystem modeling in the U.S. IBP. The introductory chapter is followed by five chapters describing grassland, deciduous forest, desert, tundra, and coniferous forest biome modeling. The concluding chapter is one of critique and evaluation. Part II is devoted mainly to freshwater ecosystems, grading into the estuarine system in the last chapter. The five chapters of this section encompass a simple thermal ecosystem, small woodland streams, a reservoir, one of the Great Lakes, a lake reclaimed from eutrophication, and a major estuary under stress of human impact.

Forests are the most important reservoir of terrestrial biological diversity. Tropical forests are considered as the most diverse species richness in terrestrial ecosystems. The highest biodiversity generates a variety of resources, which helps to sustain the livelihood of local communities. They are different from all other terrestrial ecosystems with a very high diversity in species and life forms. However, most of the tropical forests are under high anthropogenic disturbances and require proper management practices to maintain sustainability and overall biodiversity. Tropical dry forests represent the major biome on the Earth. Generally, tropical dry forests are structure and floristically less complex than other forests of the world. Mature dry forest is converted into dry forest by grazing, selective logging, fuel wood harvesting, and anthropogenic activities. Tropical forest are degraded by cultivation, pastures, and clear-cutting for timber etc., and they are finally converted into grassland, scrublands and barren lands. Tropical forests account for 85% of the total forestland in India. These forests, however, are strongly affected by anthropogenic interventions. Because of high anthropogenic pressures, the dry deciduous forest cover in most parts of India is being converted into dry deciduous scrubland, dry grassland, and dry savannah. This situation in these forests calls for in depth study with respect to species diversity, structure, and regeneration. The Book Ecosystem Analysis of Dry Tropical Forests - Udaipur and Bhilwara of Aravalli Hills focuses on ecological investigations of dry tropical forests of Western India with special reference to tree diversity, biomass, and nutrient dynamics. Moreover, the authors have intensively studied the nutrient contents in different plant parts bole wood, bole bark, leaves, twig, branches, reproductive parts, stump root, lateral root and fine root of the dominant (tree, shrub and herb) species; nutrients in soil strata; nutrient dynamics and dry matter dynamics (biomass, net primary productivity), nutrient uptake in the different forest plantations; litter dynamics such as determine the pattern of litter fall, nutrient return to the soil, nutrient retranslocation, nutrient use efficiency and pattern of leaf litter decomposition; seasonal variation of soil microbial biomass; plant community structure, qualitative community analysis (species diversity indices), quantitative characters such as frequency, density, abundance, relative frequency, relative density of the tree species, composition, dominance, relative dominance and important value index. The present book would certainly be a handy guide for forest managers, forest conservationists, policy makers, and decision authorities to prevent the unrestrained exploitation of tropical forest biodiversity and its resources, devastation of impending forested habitats, and unrestrained activities by humans in tropical forest ecosystems of the world.

This volume, originally published in 1975, grew out of Resources for the Future’s involvement as a consultant to the Marine Ecosystem Analysis programme management within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency. Here, researchers look at the state of the art in aquatic ecological modelling in a resource management context. Although the aim of the research in this volume is specific, the models used can be applied in broader contexts and provide conceptual frameworks for regional residuals-environmental quality management and other ecological modelling. This title is suitable for students interested in Environmental Studies.