The media coverage of natural disasters (hurricanes, fires, floods, ice storms, etc.) indicates the prevalence of natural disasters in most, if not all, ecosystems. In order for ecologists to study, understand, and ultimately predict how these disturbances affect ecosystems, it is necessary for them to know more about the physical processes involved in these disturbances and to learn how to couple these processes to the ecological systems. In this book, physical scientists who study some of the disturbances provide an introduction to the physical disturbance processes while ecologists attempt to relate this information to the way the vegetation responds to the disturbances. * Provides a clear explanation of how some of the physical processes of disturbance affect plant ecological processes * The book provides ecologists with an introduction to the literatire in fileds that are relevant to their study of disturbance ecology * The book will provide physical scientists with ideas of how they might usefully apply their knowledge to advance understanding of ecological systems