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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Behaviour.