This title presents the evolution of resilience theory in seminal papers and commentary. Ecological resilience provides a theoretical foundation for understanding how complex systems adapt to and recover from localized disturbances like hurricanes, fires, pest outbreaks, and floods, as well as large-scale perturbations such as climate change. Ecologists have developed resilience theory over the past three decades in an effort to explain surprising and nonlinear dynamics of complex adaptive systems. Resilience theory is especially important to environmental scientists for its role in underpinning adaptive management approaches to ecosystem and resource management. "Foundations of Ecological Resilience" is a collection of the most important articles on the subject of ecological resilience - those writings that have defined and developed basic concepts in the field and help explain its importance and meaning for scientists and researchers. The book's three sections cover articles that have shaped or defined the concepts and theories of resilience, including key papers that broke new conceptual ground and contributed novel ideas to the field; examples that demonstrate ecological resilience in a range of ecosystems; and, articles that present practical methods for understanding and managing nonlinear ecosystem dynamics. "Foundations of Ecological Resilience" is an important contribution to our collective understanding of resilience and an invaluable resource for students and scholars in ecology, wildlife ecology, conservation biology, sustainability, environmental science, public policy, and related fields.

About the Author
Lance H. Gunderson is an associate professor and founding chair of the Department of Environmental Studies, Emory University, in Atlanta, Georgia. Craig R. Allen is the leader of the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and an associate professor in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska, in Lincoln. C. S. (Buzz) Holling is Emeritus Eminent Scholar Professor in Ecological Sciences at University of Florida, in Gainesville.


Book Information
ISBN 9781597265119
Author Lance H. Gunderson
Format Paperback
Page Count 496
Imprint Island Press
Publisher Island Press