Springer's Ecological Studies series provides an invaluable database and synthesis in ecology that students and researchers alike should be aware of. The series provides very useful insights into ecosystems, providing background and up-to-date information on whole ecosystems and how they function in relation to their environment. This book is no exception. However, while it stands alone, it should be seen as a complement to the book in the Man and the Biosphere series (Wielgolaski 2001). The editors of the current book must be congratulated for providing a second volume that in no way replicates the first, but rather adds a whole new dimension to it. It is rare to find so much information gathered together for one, albeit a very crucial, ecosystem. In applauding this volume we should also recall the significance of the International Biological Program (IBP) that facilitated the early work. The foresight of this program is probably more relevant today than ever, especially for those of us involved in research on the effects of pollution.

This volume addresses some of the unanswered questions from that program, benefiting from the cohesive working group that had built up among Nordic scientists in the early 1960s. In putting together the research program reported here, coverage was extended to include Scotland, where there is a good foundation of knowledge on biotic and abiotic influences on ecosystem management for sustainability. The first chapter deals with history, as it is impossible to assess the significance of short-term change in the absence of a long-term precedent.

The information is presented in 25 chapters, grouped into 5 sections. Unlike its predecessor, this volume has both a CD-ROM and many photographs and illustrations. Given that the book is trying to reach a wide audience, many of whom are unfamiliar with the landscape and conditions being described, I believe that even more photographs could have been included. To quote the old saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words!” However, the great number of landscape photographs included are very informative, even though the quality could have been sharper to truly represent the differences in vegetation type. The CD provides additional information, often in tabular form, on site details etc, which can be extremely valuable to future researchers who often have difficulty accessing such information. A small proportion of the files proved inaccessible to my PC, but, on the whole, the CD provides added value.

Section one is divided into 5 chapters on soil, vegetation, and factors influencing both survival and productivity. These chapters, written by various experts in the field, are all both factual and readable, providing a good balance between data, tables, and graphs. They represent a good example of basic information, provided in an easily accessible form—information required before embarking on studies of ecosystem change and response to stress.

The first chapter on history and taxonomic distribution is comprehensive but well focused with a good list of recent references. The current distribution of mountain birch is presented in relation to the drivers of change, such as temperature, precipitation, grazing, and, to some extent, management. The soils chapter is very comprehensive, giving a really useful insight into potential nutrient limitations that are representative of large areas of northern Fennoscandia. The different floral communities and their associations are covered, and interesting insights are provided into why particular species thrive and are adapted to specific microhabitats. Many of the species described occur at high altitudes in Scotland, and this chapter will be of interest and relevance to many in the United Kingdom. Likewise, the chapter on productivity and grazing quality is highly relevant, providing useful references for accessing modeling parameters such as leaf area index. The table of live above-ground biomass is also valuable, and the flagging of species changes in response to increased anthropogenic nitrogen deposition is timely. Effects of temperature on growth are dealt with in a well-rounded approach which comprehensively deals with carbon balance in respect to respiration and photosynthesis—especially in winter—and effects on phenology changes.

The synthesis section in the middle of the book exemplifies the real benefits of a book like this, addressing all aspects of the ecosystem. While experts may want to dip in and out, the true value comes from reading many such chapters which truly describe an ecosystem in the context of our changing world. Students will greatly benefit from the insight and perceptions, and being able to read about both the role and importance of the ecosystem and what makes it tick and respond to change.

Following this section, a number of detailed chapters on the role of herbivory and grazing are interesting and valuable in that they hold wider relevance for other vegetative associations. The data on browsing at Scottish sites is obviously of particular interest to readers in the United Kingdom, whereas the chapter on reindeer grazing may be less relevant. The dynamics of ecosystem response to herbivory is a fascinating read—especially as, all too often, journal articles and other scientific literature remain quite narrowly focused. Pollution, directly or indirectly, rarely causes such widespread defoliation as that caused by pests and pathogens, and yet often less is made of the devastation they cause, except in a few local incidents.

The inclusion of all factors that contribute to success and sustainability makes this book a must for ecosystem managers. The latter half of the book—dealing with natural regeneration, recreational use, the basis of maintaining a positive economy in northern birch forests—also contributes to its value for would-be managers. I would recommend this book to researchers and students alike, as the data are presented in a very accessible, clear fashion and the content can be extrapolated to many upland ecosystems in the United Kingdom.