Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Microscale: Edaphic-Topoclimatic Differentiation (Sites)

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Ecosystem Geography

Abstract

We may subdivide landscape mosaics into smaller ecosystems called sites or microecosystems. At this point, we turn our attention to the component parts of these mosaics. These are minor in the sense of geographic scale but may play a decisive role in determining the land use.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anderson, J.R.; Hardy, E.E.; Roach, J.T.; Witmer, R.E. 1976. A land use and land cover classification system for use with remote sensor data. Prof. Paper 964. Washington, DC: U.S. Geological Survey. 28p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Austin, M.E. 1965. Land resource regions and major land resource areas of the United States (exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii). Agric. Handbook 296. Washington, DC: USDA Soil Conservation Service. 82p. with separate map at 1:7,500,000.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barry, R.G. 1992. Mountain weather and climate. 2nd ed. London: Routledge. 402p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Branson, F.A.; Shown, L.M. 1990. Contrasts of vegetation, soils, microclimates, and geomorphic processes between north- and south-facing slopes on Green Mountain near Denver, Colorado. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 89-4094.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, J.; Saunders, S.C.; Crow, T.R.; Naiman, R.J.; et al. 1999. Microclimate in forest ecosystem and landscape ecology. Bioscience. 49: 288–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daubenmire, R. 1968. Plant communities: a text book on plant synecology. New York: Harper & Row. 300p.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Laubenfels, D.J. 1970. A geography of plants and animals. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown. 133p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dix, R.L.; Smeins, F.E. 1967. The prairie, meadow, and marsh vegetation of Nelson County, North Dakota. Canadian Journal of Botany. 45: 21–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dodd, M.B.; Lauenroth, W.K.; Burke, I.C.; Chapman, P.L. 2002. Associations between vegetation patterns and soil texture in the shortgrass steppe. Plant Ecology. 158: 127–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dolan, B.J.; Parker, G.R. 2005. Ecosystem classification in a flat, highly fragmented region of Indiana, USA. Forest Ecology and Management. 219: 109–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geiger, R. 1965. The climate near the ground. (trans.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 611p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gregg, R.E. 1964. Distribution of the ant genus Formica in the mountains of Colorado. In: H.G. Rodeck (ed.). Natural history of the Boulder area. Leaflet, University of Colorado Museum 13: 59–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hills, A. 1952. The classification and evaluation of site for forestry. Res. Rep. 24. Toronto: Ontario Department of Lands and Forest. 41p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hills, G.A. 1976. An integrated interactive holistic approach to ecosystem classification. In: J. Thie and G. Ironside (eds.). Ecological (biophysical) land classification in Canada. Ecological Land Classification Series No. 1. Ottawa: Environment Canada. pp. 73–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, C.B. 1974. Natural regions of the United States and Canada. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman. 725p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isachenko, A.G. 1973. Principles of landscape science and physical-geographic regionalization (trans. from Russian by R.J. Zatorski, edited by J.S. Massey). Carlton, Victoria, Australia: Melbourne University Press. 311p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klopatek, J.M.; Olson, R.J.; Emerson, C.J.; Joness, J.L. 1979. Land-use conflicts with natural vegetation in the United States. Environmental Sciences Division Publ. No. 1333. Oak Ridge, TN: Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 19p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loveland, T.R.; Merchant, J.W.; Ohlen, D.O.; Brown, J.F. 1991. Development of a land-cover characteristics database for the conterminous US. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing. 57: 1453–1463.

    Google Scholar 

  • Major, J. 1951. A functional, factorial approach to plant ecology. Ecology. 32: 392–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marschner, F.J. 1950. Major land uses in the United States. Washington, DC: USDA Bureau of Agricultural Economics. 1:5,000,000; colored.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milanova, E.V.; Kushlin, A.V. (eds.). 1993. World map of present-day landscapes: an explanatory note. Moscow: Moscow State University. 33p. with separate map at 1:15,000,000.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, C.W. 1973. Terrain evaluation. London: Longman. 221p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noss, R.G.; LaRoe, E.T.; Scott, J.M. 1995. Endangered ecosystems of the United States: a preliminary assessment of loss and degradation. Biological Rep. 28. Washington, DC: National Biological Service. 58p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Odum, E.P. 1971. Fundamentals of ecology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders. 574p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peet, R.K. 1981. Forest vegetation of the Colorado Front Range. Vegetatio. 45: 3–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfister, R.D.; Arno, S.F. 1980. Classifying forest habitat types based on potential climax vegetation. Forest Science. 26: 52–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Powell, D.S.; Faulkner, J.L.; Darr, D.R.; Zhu, Z.; MacCleery, D.W. 1993. Forest resources of the United States, 1992. General Tech. Rep. RM-234. Fort Collins, CO: Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 132p. with separate map at 1:7,500,000.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sellers, W.D. 1965. Physical climatology. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. 272p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, R.L. 1977. Elements of ecology and field biology. New York: Harper & Row. 497p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strahler, A.H.; Strahler, A.N. 1996. Introducing physical geography, environmental update. New York: John Wiley. 565p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swanson, F.J.; Kratz, T.K.; Caine, N.; Woodmansee, R.G. 1988. Landform effects on ecosystem patterns and processes. Bioscience. 38: 92–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thornthwaite, C.W. 1954. Topoclimatology. In: Proceedings of the Toronto meteorological conference, September 9–15, 1953. Toronto: Royal Meteorological Society. pp. 227–232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Troll, C. 1968. The Cordilleras of the tropical Americas, aspects of climatic, phytogeographical and agrarian ecology. In: C. Troll (ed.). Geo-ecology of the mountainous regions of the tropical Americas. Bonn, Ferd. Dümmlers Verlag. pp. 15–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • USDA Soil Conservation Service. 1975. Soil taxonomy: a basic system for making and interpreting soil surveys. Agric. Handbook 436. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 754p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, D.A. 2000. Hierarchical subdivision of Arctic tundra based on vegetation response to climate, parent material and topography. Global Change Biology. 6(1): 19–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiens, J.A.; Crawford, C.S.; Gosz, J.R. 1985. Boundary dynamics: a conceptual framework for studying landscape ecosystems. Oikos. 45: 421–427.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, J. 2000 Waterstained landscapes: seeing and shaping regionally distinctive places. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press. 221p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshino, M.M. 1975. Climate in a small area: an introduction to local meteorology. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press. 549p.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 240 W Prospect Road, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA

    Robert G. Bailey

Authors
  1. Robert G. Bailey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert G. Bailey .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Bailey, R.G. (2009). Microscale: Edaphic-Topoclimatic Differentiation (Sites). In: Ecosystem Geography. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-89516-1_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation