The 20th century has experienced environmental changes that appear to be unprecedented in their rate and magnitude during the Earth's history. For the first time, this special volume brings together a wide range of perspectives and data that speak directly to the issues of ecological change using stable isotope tracers. The information presented originates from a range of biological and geochemical sources and from research fields within biological, climatological and physical disciplines covering time-scales from days to centuries. Unlike any other reference, editors discuss where isotope data can detect, record, trace and help to interpret environmental change. This title provides researchers with ground-breaking data on how to predict the terrestrial ecosystems response to the ongoing rapid alterations. It reveals how ecosystems have responded to environmental and biotic fluctuations in the past. It includes examples from research by a wide range of biological and physical scientists who are using isotopic records to both detect and interpret environmental change.