Product Description
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.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 3 reviews)

Excellent text on wetlands

I got this book as a research reference in order to assist me in wetland delineations. It covers hydric soils, wetland hydrology, and wetland vegetation in a clear and comprehensive way. I recommend this board to everyone from the wetland scientist to the interested average Joe.
March 03, 2006

Great introductory text

I teach a short course in wetlands to students who are primarily non-scientists. My students love this book, as do I. Technical issues are discussed in a way that is accessible to the general reader AND clearly explains the concepts. I highly recommend this volume both to other instructors and to individuals with an interest in the natural history of wetlands.
June 21, 2004

Excellent coverage of a timely topic

I have an interest in wetlands science and this book gives an excellent introductory review of the topic. The drawings are excellent; but I wish that there were more color plates of the flora and fauna; this, of course, would have raised the cost of the book. The bibliography at the end of the chapters are helpful if you need more information. The controversial area of hydric soils is also covered very well.

Overall a very good first book.
September 02, 1999

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

The Book of Swamp and Bog: Trees, Shrubs, and Wildflowers of the Eastern Freshwater Wetlands
by John Eastman
by Amelia Hansen

A Naturalist's Guide to Wetland Plants: An Ecology for Eastern North America
by Donald D. Cox
by Shirley A. Peron

Wetlands
by William J. Mitsch, James G. Gosselink

A Field Guide to Coastal Wetland Plants of the Northeastern United States
by Ralph W. Tiner

Field Guide to the Grasses, Sedges, and Rushes of the Northern United States
by Edward Knobel