Rocky Mountain Futures: An Ecological Perspective [Paperback]

Jill Baron (Editor), Paul R. Ehrlich (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1559639547 | ISBN-13: 978-1559639545 | Publication Date: September 1, 2002 | Edition: 1

The Rocky Mountain West is largely arid and steep, with ecological scars from past human use visible for hundreds of years. Just how damaging were the past 150 years of activity? How do current rates of disturbance compare with past mining, grazing, and water diversion activities? In the face of constant change, what constitutes a "natural" ecosystem? And can a high quality of life be achieved for both human and natural communities in this region? Rocky Mountain Futures presents a comprehensive and wide-ranging examination of the ecological consequences of past, current, and future human activities in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States and Canada. The book brings together 32 leading ecologists, geographers, and other scientists and researchers to present an objective assessment of the cumulative effects of human activity on the region's ecological health and to consider changes wrought by past human use. This combined view of past and present reveals where Rocky Mountain ecosystems are heading, and the authors project what the future holds based upon current economic and social trends and the patterns that emerge from them. The book also offers case studies that illustrate specific examples of human influence and current efforts to restore the environment. Case studies focus on northern New Mexico; Summit County, Colorado; Flathead Valley, Montana; and Alberta, Canada. Among the contributors are Craig D. Allen, N. Thompson Hobbs, Linda L. Joyce, Robert E. Keane, David Schindler, Timothy R. Seastedt, David Theobald, Diana Tomback, William Travis, Cathy Whitlock, and Jack Stanford.

Editorial Reviews

Review

oAs a summary of the environmental history and the present issues in the Rocky Mountains of the United States, ÝRocky Mountain Futures is, in my opinion, the best we have so far. It is accessible to everyone." --Mountain Research and Development

About the Author

Jill S. Baron is ecosystem ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Island Press; 1 edition (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559639547
• ISBN-13: 978-1559639545
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,256,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sober and comprehensive survey, February 10, 2003

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rocky Mountain Futures: An Ecological Perspective (Paperback)

Capably edited by Jill S. Baron (Ecosystem Ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University, Fort Collins), and enhanced with an informative four-page Foreword by Paul R. Ehrlich (Bing Professor of Population Studies and President of the Center for Conservation Biology, Department of Biological Science, Stanford University), Rocky Mountain Futures: An Ecological Perspective is a sober and comprehensive survey of the tremendous impact human influence has had on the Rocky Mountain ecosystems. Featuring case studies, cascading effects, human-driven changes and more, this seminal and authoritative compilation of researched essays by educated authors paints an accurate and documented picture of an ecology being pushed beyond its limits, and then offers succinct, practical, and occasionally inspired ideas on what to do about it before it's too late. Rocky Mountain Futures is an essential, fundamentally critical addition to any personal, professional, governmental, organizational, academic, or community library Environmental Studies reference collection and supplemental reading list.