From Coastal Wilderness to Fruited Plain


Book Description

From Coastal Wilderness to Fruited Plain is an account of the making of a large part of the American landscape following European settlement. Drawing upon land survey records and early travellers' accounts, Dr Whitney reconstructs the 'virgin' forests and grasslands of the north-eastern and central United States during the pre-settlement period. He then documents successively the clearance and fragmentation of the region's woodlands, the harvest of the forest and its game, the ploughing of the prairies, and the draining of wetlands. The degree to which these activities altered the soil, climate, plant and animal communities, and water cycle are evaluated, and the sustainability of present-day ecosystems is brought into question in this account.




Ecology


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Geobotany


Book Description

The papers in this volume were presented at the Geobotany Conference held at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, on 21 February 1976. Though such diverse topics as anthropology and paleobotany are covered, all papers utilized the concept of geobotany as a unifying theme. Nearly a decade ago, the first in this series of geobotany conferences was organized on this campus by Dr. Jane Forsyth of the Department of Geology. After considerable growth, culminating in an International Geobotany Conference at the University of Tennessee in 1973, it was decided to again organize a regional geobotany meeting. The melange of papers in this volume are products of that meeting. Geobotany, by definition, is an interdiscip1inarian approach to interpretational problems involving such investigators as geologists and botanists, archaeologists and stratigraphers, ecologists and pa1yno1ogists. Interaction among these individuals is necessary for the satisfactory solution of a problem. Each can provide invaluable assistance to the other. The purpose of the meeting in Bowling Green was to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. Sponsors of the conference include the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Geology, the Environmental Studies Center, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Graduate School. All of the sponsors are academic or administrative units of Bowling Green State University and each played an important role in the success of the conference.




A Centennial History of the Ecological Society of America


Book Description

Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2015, the Ecological Society of America (ESA) is the largest professional society devoted to the science of ecology. A Centennial History of the Ecological Society of America tells the story of ESA's humble beginnings, growing from approximately 100 founding members and a modest publication of a few pages to a m







Niobrara Scenic River Designation Act of 1990


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Riparian Landscapes


Book Description

Riparian Landscapes examines the ecological systems of streamside and floodplain areas from the perspective of landscape ecology. The specific spatial pattern of riparian vegetation is seen as a result of, and a control on, the ecological, geomorphological, and hydrological processes that operate along rivers. Riparian structures are controlled by the spatial dynamics of channels, flooding and soil moisture. These dynamics are part of integrated cascades of water, sediment, nutrients and carbon, to which animal and plant species respond in ways that illuminate community structure and competition. The role of the riparian zone in controlling species distribution and abundance is discussed. Intelligent management of these valuable ecological resources is highlighted. The potential for linking hydrological, geomorphological and ecological simulation models is also explored. This book will be of interest to graduate and professional research workers in environmental science, ecology and physical geography.







Toward a Unified Ecology


Book Description

The first edition of Toward a Unified Ecology was ahead of its time. For the second edition, the authors present a new synthesis of their core ideas on evaluating communities, organisms, populations, biomes, models, and management. The book now places greater emphasis on post-normal critiques, cognizant of ever-present observer values in the system. The problem it addresses is how to work holistically on complex things that cannot be defined, and this book continues to build an approach to the problem of scaling in ecosystems. Provoked by complexity theory, the authors add a whole new chapter on the central role of narrative in science and how models improve them. The book takes data and modeling seriously, with a sophisticated philosophy of science.