Integrating Hydrology, Ecosystem Dynamics, and Biogeochemistry in Complex Landscapes

The dynamics of water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles so critical to mankind’s well-being reflect the complex interaction of atmospheric, biological, geochemical, and hydrological factors. Written by an interdisciplinary team of biologists, hydrologists, and atmospheric scientists, this important text critically reviews the experimental, observational, and modeling approaches that have been used to describe biosphere-hydrosphere-atmosphere interactions, especially with regard to feedback controls. They examine how these modeling approaches can be used to determine which types of systems descriptions most help evaluate the effects of a particular landscape structure. The book also discusses: landscape function determined by remote sensing; ecosystem function affected by hydrological lateral flows; and the role of temporal and spatial ecosystem dynamics.