Descriere: This work advocates the restoration of the North American tallgrass prairie, which is rapidly disappearing. Historical descriptions of prairie aesthetics are outlined. As we are experiencing a worldwide mixing of plant species, prairie restoration is particularly important. Plants alien to North America do not readily support insect populations, including all animal species higher on the food chain. Prairie restoration methods are described for amateurs, academics, and land managers. Some of the techniques described are growing crops for seed production, times of seed gathering for specific species, facile seed processing for amateurs, land preparation, segregation of seed into its preference for habitat, and required seed treatment for germination. Over 200 species are described that comprise the predominant species found in tallgrass prairie nature preserves, as well as degraded prairies. Some additional plants of especial interest are also described. The appendix tabulates all likely species found on prairies regardless of their scarcity. Safe fire management of prairies is described in detail. Finally, methods of controlling aggressive alien weeds by herbicides are detailed.
Autori: Howard W. Gardner (Author) | Editura: SPRINGER PG | Anul aparitiei: 2010 | ISBN: 9781441974266 | Numar de pagini: 276 | Categorie: Nature
Douglas Brinkley (Author)
9,"A work of stunning erudition by one of our most brilliant chroniclers of the American past. By meticulously detailing how courageous activists sparked an environmental revolution that fueled the legislative imaginations of three very different presidents, Douglas Brinkley also renders a vivid portrait of the endangered species of bipartisan cooperation in the effort to save our planet. In this magisterial account, Brinkley proves himself a man for all seasons: he springs into action and refuses to take the summer off in the desperate drive to prevent our fall into an even more destructive winter of environmental discontent." --Michael Eric Dyson"This is not only a majestic work of history; it is an urgent call for our time."--Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize-winning historianNew York Times bestselling author and acclaimed presidential historian Douglas Brinkley chronicles the rise of environmental activism during the Long Sixties (1960-1973), telling the story of an indomitable generation that saved the natural world under the leadership of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon.With the detonation of the Trinity explosion in the New Mexico desert in 1945, the ...
Bernd Heinrich (Author)
In Mind of the Raven, Bernd Heinrich, award - winning naturalist, finds himself dreaming of ravens a
Brian Donahue (Author)
Slow Wood: Greener Building from Local Forests
1,A radical proposal for healing the relationship between humans and forests through responsible, sustainable use of local and regional wood in home building American homes are typically made of lumber and plywood delivered by a global system of ruthless extraction, or of concrete and steel, which are even worse for the planet. Wood is often the most sustainable material for building, but we need to protect diverse forests as much as we desperately need more houses. Brian Donahue addresses this modern conundrum by documenting his experiences building a timber frame home from the wood growing on his family farm, practicing "worst first" forestry. Through the stories of the trees he used (sugar maple, black cherry, black birch, and hemlock), and some he didn't (white pine and red oak), the book also explores the history of Americans' relationship with their forests. Donahue provides a new interpretation of the connection between American houses and local woodlands. He delves into how this bond was broken by the rise of a market economy of industrial resource extraction and addresses the challenge of restoring a more enduring relationship. Ultimately, this book provides a blueprint ...