BOOK REVIEW
James Aronson, Joa˜o S. Pereira and Juli G. Pausas (eds):
Cork oak woodlands on the edge: ecology, adaptive
management, and restoration
Island press, Washington, D.C. USA, 2009, 315 pp illust., color plates and site
profiles; 24 cm. Cloth, ISBN 13: 978-1-59726-478-5, US $80.00; Paper, ISBN 13:
978-1-59726-479-2, US $40.00
Ana Firmino
Received: 14 July 2010 / Accepted: 28 August 2010 / Published online: 11 September 2010
 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010
In a particular moment of life on Earth when the search
for ecologically friendly solutions, in response to a new
paradigm based on sustainability, are becoming oblig-
atory, the book Cork Oak Woodlands appears as to
remind us of the importance of this ecosystem to our
own protection. This book, edited by Aronson, Pereira
and Pausas, is unique in the synthesis that it provides
about the Cork Oak Woodlands, bringing together an
array of well supported scientific evidences concerning
management and restoration as well as historical and
economic perspectives. It emphasises the contribution
of cork oak woodlands to keep the traditional land-
scapes that evolved from this particular ecosystem,
designated as Dehesa in Spain and Montado in
Portugal, which lodges a diversity of plants and
animals, some of which are well prized for their
products, such as the black pig and the cork among the
most known.
The structure adopted in the book is particularly
clear due to an introductory page starting each chapter
and a couple of informative lines that announce the
following theme. The recalls to other chapters of the
book along the text allow for an easy consultation of a
particular topic for details. In addition, the site profiles
and the profuse colour plates are an attractive illustra-
tion of the topics presented in the previous chapters.
After introducing the cork oak and its genetics, the
book tackles the constraints constituted by the biotic
and abiotic factors that affect the good health of the
cork oak woodlands, quoting a large number of titles
dealing with oak ecology and original data, some of
them unpublished, which largely contribute to grow
the knowledge base in the field.
Landscape ecologists often need complete infor-
mation on a particular ecosystem, in order to deepen
their knowledge. This book offers them a holistic
approach embedded in an historic frame. Further-
more, the reader will find important information
about restoration, management and improvement of
cork oak woodlands, followed by an economic
evaluation of the various systems presented, based
on a ‘‘total economic value’’ approach, i.e., nonmon-
etary and monetary values. Thus, it is possible to
understand the real role that cork oaks represent to
the environment, economy and society.
In countries like Portugal, from where the cork used
in the American space shuttle originates, cork oak
woodlands assume a particular importance not only
because they prevent the spread of desertification and
offer beautiful landscapes and rewarding jobs, but also
due to its relevance in terms of GDP. The authors
present a cost-benefit analysis of cork oak woodlands
and deal with the constraints caused by other materials
that have been trying to compete with cork. Perhaps the
A. Firmino (&)
Department of Geography and Regional Planning,
Faculty of Human and Social Sciences,
Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. de Berna, 26-C,
1069-061 Lisbon, Portugal
e-mail: am.firmino@fcsh.unl.pt
123
Landscape Ecol (2011) 26:151–152
DOI 10.1007/s10980-010-9531-9

recent exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New
York (MoMA) of designer objects made of cork will
raise the awareness to this ecological material and open
new trends for the future.
Finally some global drives of change, such as
climate change and alternative models for the future
are discussed with particular emphasis on the chal-
lenges, opportunities, and constraints that oak wood-
lands face in a changing world.
The authors point out the need for continuing
efforts to ensure a sustainable and desirable future for
cork oak woodlands under a climatic, economic, and
social changing pattern and offer advice on modelling
techniques useful to avoid disastrous planning prac-
tices as those that have been partially responsible for
the disappearance of cork oaks.
Cork Oak Woodlands on the Edge is certainly a
reference for further studies dealing with this topic. In
geographical terms, the book provides a broad
overview of the cork oak illustrated in the several
examples shown in the site profiles.
Taking into consideration the importance of cork
oak for the livelihood of millions of people in the
western Mediterranean, the book is of interest for a
larger group of readers than only landscape ecologists.
The book helps raise the awareness on the value of cork
products and their associated job opportunities and
thus the welfare of the local population and dynamics
of the rural areas, since people are also fundamental for
the survival of the cork oak woodlands.
152 Landscape Ecol (2011) 26:151–152
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