VI
Preface
of the Mediterranean Basin receiving enough rainfall. Later findings pointed
out that the prevalence of holm oak was closely related to it being favoured
by humans from about 5000 years B.P. This raises the question of what would
be the contribution of deciduous oaks and pines to the natural landscape. To
some extent, our own programme reflected such changing views. We started
selecting plots and catchments that appeared as homogeneous and undisturbed as possible. Very soon it became obvious that these holm oak forests
bore the imprint of past cultivation or coppicing and that their present
structure, often characterized by high-density stands of stool resprouts, was
bound to change as a result of abandonment or shifts in forest management.
In later studies we therefore placed more emphasis on the effects of disturbance and forestry practices, and on the relationships between holm oak and
pines in mixed forests.
The present book brings together and summarizes what we have learnt
about the ecology of Mediterranean evergreen forests dominated by holm
oak in Catalonia, northeast Spain. Some results have been published before,
either in international publications of scattered disciplines, or in sources or
languages little available to foreign audiences. Nonetheless, most chapters of
this book present new material, and attempt a new synthesis of the involved
topics. Also, data have been often updated through increased temporal and
spatial coverage.
Chapter 1 introduces holm oak and holm oak forests, particularly for
those readers that are unfamiliar with Mediterranean forests. Chapter 2 describes our two major experimental areas (Montseny and Prades) where
most of the results of this book were obtained. Chapters 3 and 4 describe the
range of stand structures found in holm oak forests and analyze the patterns
of above- and belowground biomass and production of our experimental
sites. Chapters 5 to 7 deal with the ecology of resprouts, seeds, and seedlings
of holm oak. Chapter 8 integrates the information on the above recruitment
processes and formulates a demographic model of stand dynamics of mixed
holm oak-Aleppo pine forests. Chapters 9 to 11 take an ecophysiological
view to light and water use by holm oak leaves and canopies. Chapter 12 integrates the above knowledge into a water-driven model of ecosystem functioning. Chapters 13 to 18 focus on the distribution and cycling of matter at
the stand level. Chapters 19 to 21 summarize water and element budgets at
the catchment scale, and attempt to model the ecosystem functioning. The
effects of fire and of experimental forestry practices are treated in Chapters
22 and 23. Finally, Chapters 24 and 25 outline the ecology of two major animal groups in the holm oak forest: soil arthropods and birds.
This book was made possible through the efforts of many people and institutions. We would like to express our gratitude to those investigators who
were deeply involved in the first research phase, particularly: LIuis Fem~s
who studied the biomass, primary production, and plant nutrient contents in
the permanent plot at Montseny; Claret Verdu who studied litterfall and litter decay at the same site and other forest types; and Luis Lopez-Soria who
Preface
of the Mediterranean Basin receiving enough rainfall. Later findings pointed
out that the prevalence of holm oak was closely related to it being favoured
by humans from about 5000 years B.P. This raises the question of what would
be the contribution of deciduous oaks and pines to the natural landscape. To
some extent, our own programme reflected such changing views. We started
selecting plots and catchments that appeared as homogeneous and undisturbed as possible. Very soon it became obvious that these holm oak forests
bore the imprint of past cultivation or coppicing and that their present
structure, often characterized by high-density stands of stool resprouts, was
bound to change as a result of abandonment or shifts in forest management.
In later studies we therefore placed more emphasis on the effects of disturbance and forestry practices, and on the relationships between holm oak and
pines in mixed forests.
The present book brings together and summarizes what we have learnt
about the ecology of Mediterranean evergreen forests dominated by holm
oak in Catalonia, northeast Spain. Some results have been published before,
either in international publications of scattered disciplines, or in sources or
languages little available to foreign audiences. Nonetheless, most chapters of
this book present new material, and attempt a new synthesis of the involved
topics. Also, data have been often updated through increased temporal and
spatial coverage.
Chapter 1 introduces holm oak and holm oak forests, particularly for
those readers that are unfamiliar with Mediterranean forests. Chapter 2 describes our two major experimental areas (Montseny and Prades) where
most of the results of this book were obtained. Chapters 3 and 4 describe the
range of stand structures found in holm oak forests and analyze the patterns
of above- and belowground biomass and production of our experimental
sites. Chapters 5 to 7 deal with the ecology of resprouts, seeds, and seedlings
of holm oak. Chapter 8 integrates the information on the above recruitment
processes and formulates a demographic model of stand dynamics of mixed
holm oak-Aleppo pine forests. Chapters 9 to 11 take an ecophysiological
view to light and water use by holm oak leaves and canopies. Chapter 12 integrates the above knowledge into a water-driven model of ecosystem functioning. Chapters 13 to 18 focus on the distribution and cycling of matter at
the stand level. Chapters 19 to 21 summarize water and element budgets at
the catchment scale, and attempt to model the ecosystem functioning. The
effects of fire and of experimental forestry practices are treated in Chapters
22 and 23. Finally, Chapters 24 and 25 outline the ecology of two major animal groups in the holm oak forest: soil arthropods and birds.
This book was made possible through the efforts of many people and institutions. We would like to express our gratitude to those investigators who
were deeply involved in the first research phase, particularly: LIuis Fem~s
who studied the biomass, primary production, and plant nutrient contents in
the permanent plot at Montseny; Claret Verdu who studied litterfall and litter decay at the same site and other forest types; and Luis Lopez-Soria who