Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000004734087 | QH104 W63 2004 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
On Order
Summary
Summary
This important and accessible book surveys the history and present condition of river systems across the United States, showing how human activities have impoverished our rivers and impaired the connections between river worlds and other ecosystems.
Ellen Wohl begins by introducing the basic physical, chemical, and biological processes operating in rivers. She then addresses changes in rivers resulting from settlement and expansion, describes the growth of federal involvement in managing rivers, and examines the recent efforts to rehabilitate and conserve river ecosystems. In each chapter she focuses on a specific regional case study and describes what happens to a particular river organism--a bird, North America's largest salamander, the paddlefish, and the American alligator--when people interfere with natural processes.
Author Notes
Ellen Wohl , professor of geology at Colorado State University, is also the author of Virtual Rivers: Lessons from the Mountain Rivers of the Colorado Front Range , published by Yale University Press.
Reviews 1
Choice Review
Wohl's text is an excellent addition to the recent and growing number of books on river management and water flow restoration. It complements S. Postel and B. Richter's Rivers for Life (CH, Mar'04, 41-4059), which focuses on restoring natural hydrologic cycle rhythms and connecting river flows with their wetlands and flood plains. Wohl (geology, Colorado State Univ.) concentrates on how the impacts of human activities since early pioneer days have resulted in a degradation of the linkages between river systems and natural ecosystems. An introductory chapter describes the geomorphic, biological, and chemical attributes of river systems. Chapters that follow examine early American pioneer impacts, e.g., placer mining, pollution by commercial interests, governmental impacts from dam building and channelization activities, and current rehabilitation impacts. In each chapter, Wohl presents a detailed regional case study that focuses on the impacts of habitat changes on a specific river organism. The book is illustrated with numerous historical and present-day photographs, tables, and graphs. Well written and informative, it clearly indicates the substantial consequences of human activities on valuable river systems. This work should be required reading, especially for those in water resources, hydrology, and river management. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All levels. M. J. Zwolinski University of Arizona
