Water, Earth, Fire: Louisiana's Natural Heritage

Water, Earth, Fire: Louisiana's Natural Heritage

Author: Paul A. Keddy

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2008-12-20

Total Pages: 231

ISBN-13: 146531668X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Louisiana is one of the most beautiful parts of North America. It offers much more than Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street. With 25 maps and 60 illustrations, this is the first book to introduce the full range of wild places in Louisiana. Certainly the states magnificent swamps are described, but Louisiana showcases a great diversity of natural habitats prairies, longleaf pine savannas, oak forests, Appalachian forest, river valleys, cliffs, sand dunes, and cheniers. Each has its distinctive plant and animal species. Frogs living in trees, fish digging burrows, pelicans nesting on offshore islands and plants eating insects, as well as wild orchids, dwarf palmettos, armadillos, and Some of the authors favorite places to visit are highlighted and he describes the challenge of conserving wild places for the enjoyment of future generations. The book is titled for the water that carries the earth that builds Louisiana, and the fires that create the prairies, pine forests, and savannas. If you own only one book about Louisiana nature, this is the one to have a perfect gift for student, tourist, hunter, or neighbor. Advance Praise This is an impressive guide to the magical and bountiful world of Louisiana nature, and an excellent primer in why we should save itnot only for the sake of pelicans and woodpeckers and tupelos, but for the sake of ourselves. Michael Grunwald, author of The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida and the Politics of Paradise Dr. Paul Keddy captures what truly is the best about Louisianaits many and varied natural habitats. Dr. Keddy is more than a gifted scientist. He takes the science out of science. He describes complex processes in terms that are easy to understand, enlightening, and enjoyable. From the rolling pine forest to cypress swamps to barrier islands; from birds to bugs to bears; from frogs to fi sh, Dr. Keddy covers all that makes Louisiana one of the most unique places on the good planet Earth. Carlton Dufrechou, Executive Director, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation


Swamp Rat

Swamp Rat

Author: Theodore G. Manno

Publisher: Univ. Press of Mississippi

Published: 2017-05-31

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 1496811976

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Theodore G. Manno traces the history of nutria from their natural range in South America to their status as an invasive species known for destroying the environmentally and economically important wetlands along the Gulf Coast. In this definitive book on “swamp rats,” Manno vividly recounts western expansion and the explosion of the American fur industry. Then he details an apocalyptic turn—to replace an overhunted beaver population in North America, humans introduced nutria. With an eclectic repertoire of true stories that read like fiction and are played out by larger-than-life characters, Manno conveys the legend of empire-seeking fur trappers, the bizarre miscommunications that led to nutria releases, and the sadness that comes with killing millions of nutria whose ancestors were never meant to leave their South American habitat. He tells of disastrous interactions among hungry nutria, storm surges from Hurricane Katrina, and major oil spills. His extensively researched and epic narrative, accompanied by more than thirty photographs and entertaining interviews with biologists, historians, fashion designers, and chefs, weaves a poignant tale of empire, conquest, fortune, and even Tabasco Sauce. Manno provides a full overview of what is currently known about nutria—a species now aggressively hunted with a bounty program because of their reputation for wetland destruction.


Wetland Ecology

Wetland Ecology

Author: Paul A. Keddy

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2010-07-29

Total Pages: 549

ISBN-13: 0521739675

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This text provides a synthesis of the existing field of wetland ecology using a few central themes, including key environmental factors that produce wetland community types and some unifying problems such as assembly rules, restoration and conservation.


Rooted in the Earth

Rooted in the Earth

Author: Dianne D. Glave

Publisher: Chicago Review Press

Published: 2010-08

Total Pages: 201

ISBN-13: 156976753X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

With a basis in environmental history, this groundbreaking study challenges the idea that a meaningful attachment to nature and the outdoors is contrary to the black experience. The discussion shows that contemporary African American culture is usually seen as an urban culture, one that arose out of the Great Migration and has contributed to international trends in fashion, music, and the arts ever since. However, because of this urban focus, many African Americans are not at peace with their rich but tangled agrarian legacy. On one hand, the book shows, nature and violence are connected in black memory, especially in disturbing images such as slave ships on the ocean, exhaustion in the fields, dogs in the woods, and dead bodies hanging from trees. In contrast, though, there is also a competing tradition of African American stewardship of the land that should be better known. Emphasizing the tradition of black environmentalism and using storytelling techniques to dramatize the work of black naturalists, this account corrects the record and urges interested urban dwellers to get back to the land.


Plants and Vegetation

Plants and Vegetation

Author: Paul Keddy

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2007-06-07

Total Pages: 563

ISBN-13: 1139464256

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Plants make up 99.9 percent of the world's living matter, provide food and shelter, and control the Earth's climate. The study of plant ecology is therefore essential to understanding the biological functions and processes of the biosphere. This vibrant introductory textbook integrates important classical themes with recent ideas, models and data. The book begins with the origin of plants and their role in creating the biosphere as the context for discussing plant functional types and evolutionary patterns. The coverage continues logically through the exploration of causation with chapters, amongst others, on resources, stress, competition, predation, and mutualism. The book concludes with a chapter on conservation, addressing the concern that as many as one-third of all plant species are at risk of extinction. Each chapter is enriched with striking and unusual examples of plants (e.g., stone plants, carnivorous plants) and plant habitats (e.g., isolated tropical tepui, arctic cliffs). Paul Keddy writes in a lively and thought-provoking style which will appeal to students at all levels.


Ecological Assembly Rules

Ecological Assembly Rules

Author: Evan Weiher

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2001-08-16

Total Pages: 438

ISBN-13: 9780521655330

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Considers the evidence for the existence of unifying rules controlling the formation and maintenance of ecological communities.


A Framework for Community Ecology

A Framework for Community Ecology

Author: Paul A. Keddy

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2021-12-09

Total Pages: 373

ISBN-13: 1316512606

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Offers a unifying framework for community ecology by addressing how communities are assembled from species pools.


Air, Water, Earth, Fire

Air, Water, Earth, Fire

Author: Angelo Peccerillo

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2021-10-03

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 3030780139

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The book describes the structure, composition and evolution of the Earth, the main geological processes occurring on it, and how some crucial environmental matters that are amply debated in the media (e.g. pollution, greenhouse effect) can be fully understood by placing them in the holistic context of the system Earth as a whole. It provides basic information on a series of key geological issues, from the structure and composition of the Earth to the large-scale processes that characterize our planet, such as rock alteration and sedimentation, magmatism, geomagnetism, seismicity, plate tectonics, cyclical migration of chemical elements through various Earth reservoirs (Geochemical Cycles), and evolution of the planet from Hadean to present. It intends to reach a wide readership, which is interested in our planet and wish to have a general and comprehensive view of its origin, evolution and activity. Potential readership includes undergraduate and advanced undergraduate students in Geology and other scientific disciplines, and any moderately- to well-educated people interested in the surrounding world and eager to gain a basic knowledge of the Earth and to reach an integrated view of how our planet is working.


Plant Ecology

Plant Ecology

Author: Paul A. Keddy

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2017-04-17

Total Pages: 629

ISBN-13: 1107114233

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book presents a global and interdisciplinary approach to plant ecology, guiding students through essential concepts with real-world examples.