Ecological Processes Handbook

Luca Palmeri, Alberto Barausse, Sven Erik Jorgensen

PART I – INTRODUCTION. The ecosystem as an object for research. Conservation principles. Energy dissipation. A perspective from information and systems theory. Ecological Processes: An Overview. PART II – PHYSICAL PROCESSES. Space and time. Mass transport. Energetic factors. PART III – CHEMICAL PROCESSES. Chemical reactions. Chemical lysis. Phase partition. PART IV – BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES. Biogeochemical cycles. Photosynthesis. Growth. Primary production. Production of upper trophic levels. Microbial processes. Ecotoxicological Processes. Biological Interactions. PART V – LANDSCAPE PROCESSES. Aquatic ecosystems. Terrestrial Ecosystems. Landscapes and Urban Ecosystems. The Atmosphere. REFERENCES. THE AUTHORS.