134 Book reviews

the book discusses the implementation and support- ing activities relating mainly to social aspects on a regional basis. This volume provides a broad overview of forestry generally, and would be suitable at an undergraduate level. It does not provide enough detail or structure to readily ascertain why dryland forestry is different from any other forestry activities and could be titled 'Forestry Planning and Manage- ment'. Many of the chapters are simply planning reviews which could apply to forest situations under any circumstances.

The overall framework and outline is derived from the United States and case studies and exam- ples are included from regions in India and Africa. The case studies do not readily flow from the discus- sion in the text and are usually not in great enough detail to be of significant value. Some are almost judgemental statements rather than true case studies.

The difference in the products and the production regimes in dryland forestry as distinct from other forms of forestry, are not particularly well detailed. Information is not presented to allow for principles for decision making, for example, calorific values of firewood are presented on a volume basis without further discussion on variation in wood density, a factor which has a significant impact on firewood selections. Wood properties and values from dryland areas are not discussed and consideration of ecologi- cal values are not raised other than in the areas of using wildlife for meat production.

While Australia is recognised as having dryland forestry, other than recognising it does not fit the general pattern, it is not further referred to. The broad nature of dryland forestry in Australia with genera such as Acacia and Callitris should have provided an alternative and a contrast to the discus- sion.

Considering the overall debate on sustainability of forestry and forest practices, it is surprising that issue is not addressed.

This may be suitable as a broad, supporting text for undergraduate students, however significant to be of significant value to a manager or planner, would require other books and publications. It may be of value in parts of North America, however, in other dryland countries, there is insufficient detail or infor- mation to make it of value, especially considering the price of $US95.

JOHN TURNER State Forests

Research Division Beecroft 2119

N.S.W. Australia

Landscape forestry

Landscape Forestry. Stephen G. Boyce, Wiley, New York, 239 pp., US$69.95 ISBN 0471007864.

The public perceptions of forestry range from the view that it is a benign wealth generating activity through the view that it is socially undesirable to the view that it must be stopped at all costs. As one of the major areas of public debate about resource management, forestry provides a convenient focus for discussion of the ills of the world arising from human population growth and irresponsible resource use. We can become more responsible and we can place limits on population growth but there will still be trade offs to be made between the desire to live harmoniously with the natural environment and its component biota, and the accelerating need to pro- vide for human resource needs.

This book offers a view from a very experienced forest modeller of some methods which can be ap- plied in the landscape to allow the various needs for society to be extracted from the forests. It is an excellent synthesis of the author's past research and also canvasses much of the progress made by his US colleagues. It should be balanced however by some of the arguments found regularly in the conservation literature, including from those who consider we are living apocalypse now (sanctity of wilderness is fine, but the sanctimony of its advocates needs address- ing!). Boyce attempts a synthesis of the ecologically sustainable development paradigm which enshrines the resource extraction component of the triumvirate of human needs from the forests or "baskets of values" as he describes them i.e. aesthetics (includ- ing recreation, visual amenity etc) biological diver- sity and resources.

The author seems reticent about the use of Geo- graphic Information Systems because of their cost. These tools have now become so pervasive that not

Book reviews 135

incorporating the outputs of forest landscape mod- elling would probably be an even greater cost! Nev- ertheless, the material presented by the author almost demands a GIS and will fit readily into a GIS environment.

The book does not attempt to teach software use, the construction of computer models or use of mod- els mentioned in the text. Instead it is an instructive text dealing with the basics of modelling whilst assuming that the reader is familiar with a number of modelling systems such as DYNAST. However there are useful descriptions of most of the models used. The tenor of the book is very much for North American consumption, although many of its ideas should find easy translation to Europe, Australia and to a lesser extent perhaps Africa, Asia and South America. The models and perspective proposed could be very useful in the latter places, where plantation development is proceeding apace, for the most part being carved out of what is left of the native vegeta- tion. The relationship between landscape forestry and landscape ecology is touched upon briefly but the author does not make any great use of the now burgeoning literature on landscape ecology, particu- larly the effects of fragmentation, which would seem to be at the heart of much of the dispute about forestry world wide.

The book only superficially addresses the latest catchcries of certification, eco-labelling and sustain- ability indicators but it does provide a sound frame- work into which such indicators could be placed.

The book is laid out in 13 chapters, the first four of which set the scene, provide sorr.e operational definitions and then walk the reader through the basic concepts required to understand the framework of landscape forestry - the building of models to incorporate biological diversity values, resource ex- traction under various silvicu]tural regimes and the need to account for aesthetics. It uses as an example an area in the Craggy Mountain Forested Landscape with which the author is very familiar.

Chapters 5 through 7 describe the design and construction of management, core and supplementary

models. Management models are designed to com- pare expected consequences with policy and adjust actions accordingly. Core models 'simulate changes in states of organisation.., over time' and supplemen- tary models use information from the core models ' to simulate consequences of changing states of or- ganisation...'.

Chapters 8 and 9 detail fuel wood, timber and cash flow, and the trade offs between wood and nonwood values, and elaborate on some fundamental theorems and principles of landscape forestry. The chapters are well written and clearly enunciate the background from which the modelling scenarios are created. Chapters 10 and 11 deal with models for carbon and endangered species, discussing the trade offs and assessing the alternative outcomes from a variety of simulations which incorporate the different 'baskets of values'.

The final two chapters deal with landscape forestry and public policy and with emerging consumer de- mands and effectively synthesise the earlier chapters and offer a defence of the philosophy underlying the principles of landscape forestry.

There are a few typos which make for interesting reading but by and large the text is soundly edited. It would make a good ancillary text for courses on landscape ecology and general forestry courses, and of course would be highiy suitable for use as a prescribed text for a specialist landscape forestry course. In this regard it best suits US readers, and a few examples drawn from other ecosystems both in the US and elsewhere (eg boreal forests, tropical forests Eucalyptus and Nothofagus forests) could have been illuminating. Having said that the reader whose primary interests are in non-USA forest types will find much to draw on in the landscape aspects and overview that this book represents.

M.J. BROWN Forestry Tasmania

Hobart 7001 Tasmania Australia