Overview

Traditionally, most Americans have viewed natural wetlands as wastelands, places to be drained and converted for farming or filled for housing and industrial development. To date, over half of the country's wetlands that existed when the Pilgrims first landed in America have been destroyed. Today these """"""""wastelands"""""""" are beginning to be recognized as one of the world's most valuable natural resources. They are the temperate zone equivalent of rain forests, serving vital life-sustaining functions in water-quality renovation, aquatic ecosystem productivity, and biodiversity, as well as providing benefits such as flood-damage protection and shoreline stabilization. In the revised and expanded edition of this classic guide, Ralph W. Tiner introduces readers to the ecology and beauty of these valuable natural resources. Topics include the formation and functions of wetlands, wetland types, causes of loss and degradation, and recent efforts to protect them. The discussion now includes many examples from the Great Lakes region and information on best management practices for working in and around wetlands including vernal pools. A new chapter on classification and assessment further clarifies how the unique characteristics of wetlands serve specific functions. """"""""In Search of Swampland"""""""" also provides a field guide to wetland plants, soils, and animals. It includes detailed descriptions and illustrations - many of which are new to this edition - of more than 300 plants and 200 animals. Clear identification keys, information on how to distinguish typical hydric or """"""""wet"""""""" soils from dryland soils, and general procedures for identifying wetlands in the field make this book an indispensable resource for readers with little or no training in wetland science, as well as for the scientist or amateur naturalist. While the book focuses on the northeastern and north-central regions of the United States (from Maine through Maryland and west to the Great Lakes states), many of the plants and animals described are common throughout much of the eastern United States. Tiner also includes a list of Northeastern wetlands to visit and suggestions on how we can all help save these vital, threatened areas.

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9780813525051

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Reviews

If you want a comprehensive introduction and field guide to wetlands, written by one of America''s most broadly knowledgeable wetlands biologists, Tiner''s book is it.--Barbara Bedford Cornell University

A terrific blend of wetland science and natural history.--Frank Golet Professor of Wetland Ecology, University of Rhode Island Praise for In Search of Swampland An invaluable introduction to the liquid assets of eastern North America presented in a most readable and well illustrated format.--William A. Niering author of Wetlands (National Audubon Society Nature Guide) Praise for In Search of SwamplandAn invaluable introduction to the liquid assets of eastern North America presented in a most readable and well illustrated format.--William A. Niering author of Wetlands (National Audubon Society Nature Guide) If you want a comprehensive introduction and field guide to wetlands, written by one of America's most broadly knowledgeable wetlands biologists, Tiner's book is it.--Barbara Bedford Cornell University Ralph Tiner is one of the most knowledgeable wetland scientists and naturalists in the nation, and once again, he delivers a readable and authoritative book on wetlands. YouAEll want to read the first half at your desk and then rush out into the field with the second half.--Robert P. Brooks Director, Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center

Author Information

Ralph W. Tiner is a wetland ecologist with over forty years of experience in wetland identification, classification, and mapping. During that time, he directed the National Wetlands Inventory for the northeastern U.S. and served as an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst where he taught courses in wetland ecology and delineation. He currently teaches wetland short courses for Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education.

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