The Shaping of America's Heartland

The Shaping of America's Heartland PDF

Author: Betty Flanders Thomson

Publisher:

Published: 1977

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13:

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Thomson presents a detailed history of the natural events that shaped the terrain of the Middle West and an interpretation of the dynamic forces which continue to change its landscapes. Drawing on the sciences of ecology, botany and geology, she describes a land of magnificent fertility and mineral wealth and traces man's influence on the land back to the Indians and the lives and efforts of the early settlers and farmers.

Wetlands of the American Midwest

Wetlands of the American Midwest PDF

Author: Hugh Prince

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2008-04-15

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 0226682803

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How people perceive wetlands has always played a crucial role in determining how people act toward them. In this readable and objective account, Hugh Prince examines literary evidence as well as government and scientific documents to uncover the history of changing attitudes toward wetlands in the American Midwest. As attitudes changed, so did scientific research agendas, government policies, and farmers' strategies for managing their land. Originally viewed as bountiful sources of wildlife by indigenous peoples, wet areas called "wet prairies," "swamps," or "bogs" in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were considered productive only when drained for agricultural use. Beginning in the 1950s, many came to see these renamed "wetlands" as valuable for wildlife and soil conservation. Prince's book will appeal to a wide readership, ranging from geographers and environmental historians to the many government and private agencies and individuals concerned with wetland research, management, and preservation.

Biological Diversity

Biological Diversity PDF

Author: Michael A. Huston

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1994-09-15

Total Pages: 708

ISBN-13: 9780521369305

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The key to preserving and managing biodiversity is understanding which processes are important at different scales, and how changes affect different components of biodiversity. In this book, existing theories on diversity are synthesised into a logical framework. Global and landscape-scale patterns of biodiversity are described in the first section. In the second, the spatial and temporal dynamics of diversity are emphasised. The third section develops an integrated set of mechanistic explanations for diversity patterns at the levels of population, community, ecosystem and landscape. Finally, case studies examine diversity patterns in marine and terrestrial ecosystems and the effects of biological invasions. The book concludes with a discussion of the economics of preserving biological diversity. This book will interest research workers and students of ecology, biology and conservation.

Forest and Shade Trees of Iowa

Forest and Shade Trees of Iowa PDF

Author: Peter J. van der Linden

Publisher: University of Iowa Press

Published: 2011-07-15

Total Pages: 447

ISBN-13: 158729995X

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Back in print at last in a third edition, the classic Forest and Shade Trees of Iowa now has a wealth of full-color photographs and updated, reorganized information that will please both new and returning readers. Part 1 of this guide focuses on identification, with user-friendly keys to both summer and winter trees and illustrated descriptions of more than one hundred common species. The trees are arranged according to similarities in foliage; each entry includes a large scan of a leafy branch along with two or three smaller photos of buds, flowers, fruits, and winter twigs. The text contains a description of the species, its geographical distribution, and notes on how to distinguish it from similar species. Part 2 is divided into conifers and flowering trees and includes all trees native to Iowa, trees that are widely planted, invasive species, some less commonly planted trees, and tall native shrubs that might be mistaken for trees. The authors provide information about the natural history of individual trees, their ecological requirements, pests and diseases that affect them, and their usefulness for such different purposes as windbreaks, landscaping, wildlife plantings, fuel, lumber, and food. Following these two main parts, three shorter sections describe the planting and care of trees, Iowa’s forest communities, and good places to see trees in the state; a glossary and a bibliography are also included. A complete guide to Iowa’s trees, both native and introduced, full of hundreds of color photos, this new edition of Forest and Shade Trees of Iowa will be immensely useful to arborists, foresters, horticulturists, landscape architects, gardeners, and all Iowans and midwesterners who appreciate the beauty and value of trees and want to learn more about them.

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