Frda Report

In the past decade, there has been much debate over the environmental impact of forestry. People are justifiably concerned about what is happening to the local and global forest environments, but they are also confused by the polarized rhetoric that has characterized both sides of the debate. In Balancing Act, Hamish Kimmins calls for a balanced, more objective approach to forestry issues in order to bridge the gap between the most extreme opponents in the debate. He suggests that we need to begin with a common understanding of what forestry is about and how forest ecosystems work. He outlines the scientific and ecological aspects of the major environmental issues facing British Columbia and the world today, arguing that we need to disentangle the scientific from the value-based social aspects of these questions. He also contends that much of the current debate about forests and their management ignores the time dimension of ecosystems, and he calls for a more dynamic view of current environmental issues in forestry -- one that accounts for change. The first few chapters provide an outline of the basic principles of forestry and ecology, and subsequent chapters discuss the major environmental issues facing forestry in the 1990s. These include clearcutting, slashburning, management chemicals, old growth, biological diversity, 'new forestry, ' climate change, acid rain, the comparison between temperate and tropical forestry, and long-term decisions in forestry. Balancing Act is essential reading for those who are searching for an objective, accurate, and readable evaluation of the issues at the heart of the forestry/environment debate. By emphasizing that forests are not static but change over time, Kimmins adds an important, often ignored, dimension to the discussion. Only by understanding all the intricacies of the ecosystems can we learn to manage our forests in a sustainable fashion.

JIMD Reports publishes case and short research reports in the area of inherited metabolic disorders. Case reports highlight some unusual or previously unrecorded feature relevant to the disorder, or serve as an important reminder of clinical or biochemical features of a Mendelian disorder.

The 4-volume Encyclopedia of Biological Chemistry, Second Edition, represents the current state of a dynamic and crucial field of study. The Encyclopedia pulls together over 500 articles that help define and explore contemporary biochemistry, with content experts carefully chosen by the Editorial Board to assure both breadth and depth in its coverage. Editors-In-Chief William J. Lennarz and M. Daniel Lane have crafted a work that proceeds from the acknowledgement that understanding every living process-from physiology, to immunology, and genetics-is impossible without a grasp on the basic chemistry that provides its underpinning. Each article in the work provides an up-to-date snapshot of a given topic, written by experts, as well as suggestions for further readings for students and researcher wishing to go into greater depth. Available on-line via SciVerse ScienceDirect, the functionality of the Encyclopedia will provide easy linking to referenced articles, electronic searching, as well an online index and glossary to aid comprehension and searchability. This 4-volume set, thoroughly up-to-date and comprehensive, expertly captures this fast-moving field Curated by two esteemed editors-in-chief and an illustrious team of editors and contributors, representing the state of the field Suggestions for further readings offer researchers and students avenues for deeper exploration; a wide-ranging glossary aids comprehension