An Appalachian Tragedy: Air Pollution and Tree Death in the Eastern Forests of North America by Harvard Ayers (Editor), Charles E. Little (Editor), Jenny Hager. Hardcover - 240 pages (July 1998). Sierra Club Books; ISBN: 0871569760.
Weakened by decades of air pollution that have brought acid rain, deadly smog, and excess nitrogen, and by cell-destroying ultraviolet rays from a thinning ozone layer, the magnificent Appalachian forests are no longer able to fight off the bugs, blights, and bad weather that afflict forests everywhere. Instead, in these mountains, the trees are dying in unprecedented numbers - with death and decline affecting virtually all species in every part of the range.
Yet relatively few people are aware of this ecological calamity in the making, due in large part to the efforts of the forest products industry, and their advocates in government, to downplay the crisis by manipulating statistics and confusing the issue. An Appalachian Tragedy sets the record straight.
Relatively few people are aware of this ecological calamity in the making, due in large part to the efforts of the forest products industry, and their advocates in government, to downplay the crisis.
Drawing on the talents of an authoritative and distinguished group of writers, including an award-winning historian, a top acid-rain scientist, and an eminent environmental journalist, this book documents the damage that has already been done and warns of the fearful consequences for the future.
Complex issues connected with tree mortality in the moun-tains, including threats to wildlife and to the cultural survival of the human communities of the Appalachians, are eloquently explored here.
Ecoforestry: The Art and Science of Sustainable Forest Use
by Alan Rike Drengson (Editor), Duncan MacDonald Taylor (Editor), Duncan M. Taylor. Paperback - 320 pages (April 1997). New Society Pub; ISBN: 0865713650.
What can a weekend gardener do about the conditions of the world's forests? Plenty. Respect for the land fosters universal values that inspire responsible use of lumber and wildlife resources. Ecoforestry explains what can be done on the personal and national levels.
Forestry practices must be consistent with the cycles and diversity of the natural forest.
According to World Resources Institute, forests cover nearly 40 percent of Earth's land area. The plants provide oxygen to our planet and relieve it of excess carbon monoxide. Forests thrill us with their beauty and sustain a panoply of wildlife and plant life.
The authors concur that our efforts toward conservation must take into account the future needs of our children and grandchildren, and that forestry practices must be consistent with the cycles and diversity of the natural forest.
Railroads and Clearcuts : Legacy of Congress's 1864 Northern Pacific Railroad Land Grant
by Derrick Jensen, George Draffan, John Osborn. 198 pages (July 1995). Keokee Co Pub; ISBN: 1879628082
Railroads And Clearcuts is the fascinating story of the Congressional 1864 Northern Pacific Railroad Land Grant, the biggest land grant in U. S. history. Beginning with an over and general historical background, Railroads And Clearcuts goes on to cover the land-grant timber corporations with a photographic essay. It takes up the subjects of overcutting, log exports, options to intervene, and a summary of conclusions based on the data and history of the grant. An appendices features the 1864 Land Grant (13 Stat. 366); 1870 Land Grant (16 Stat. 378); President Coolidge's request for Congressional investigation; corporate interlocks; a chronology of events; a bibliography; and an index. Railroads And Clearcuts is exceptionally well researched, written, and presented -- highly recommended for railroad bookshelves, environmental and American history reading lists.
Railroads and Clearcuts takes readers back into the history of Congress's 1864 railroad land grants. A swath of public forest land up to 80 miles wide from Milwaukee to the Pacific Ocean was granted to the Northern Pacific Railroad (predecessor of Plum Creek) to encourage railroad construction and settlement. Instead, these millions of acres ended up in the hands of huge timber firms who have badly over logged them.
"This is the story of the biggest land grant in American history, larger than 10 Connecticuts, to railroad companies and how the timber companies got hold of huge forests to clearcut. Jensen and Draffan point the way to returning these lands to their rightful owners -- the American people, who will preserve them for future generations. A revealing report of government giveaways and corporate perfidy and greed that motivates corrective action," says activist Ralph Nader. You may review a sample chapter at the Keokee Publishing web site, http://www.keokee.com
The Once and Future Forest: A Guide to Forest Restoration Strategies
by Leslie Jones Sauer, Andropogon Associates, Ian McHarg. Hardcover - 350 pages (March 1998). Island Press; ISBN: 1559635525.
Developed by the landscape design firm of Andropogon Associates, world-renowned for their innovative approach to integrating environmental protection and restoration with landscape architecture and design, The Once and Future Forest is a guidebook for restoring and managing natural landscapes.
Focusing on remnant forest systems, it describes methods of restoring and linking forest fragments to re-create a whole landscape fabric.