A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week 'A subject that could not be more important. A compact classic!' Bill McKibben 'I learned something new - and found something amazing - on every page' Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See From Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Proulx - whose novels are infused with her knowledge and deep concern for the earth - comes an urgent and riveting history of wetlands, their ecological role and how the loss of them threatens the planet. Fens, bogs, swamps and marine estuaries are the earth's most desirable and dependable resources, and in four illuminating parts Proulx documents the emergence of their systemic destruction in the pursuit of profit and the consequent release of their stored carbon. Wide-ranging and idiosyncratic, Proulx's explanation of wetlands takes readers to the fens of sixteenth-century England, Canada's Hudson Bay Lowlands, Russia's Great Vasyugan Mire and America's Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and introduces the nineteenth-century explorers who launched the ravaging of the Amazon rainforest. Proulx was born in the 1930s, a time, as she says, when 'in the ever-continuing name of progress, Western countries busily raped their own and other countries of minerals, timber, fish and wildlife.' Fen, Bog & Swamp is both a revelatory history and an urgent plea for wetland reclamation from a writer whose passionate devotion to observing and preserving the environment is on glorious display. 'Magnificent, bringing to life hitherto overlooked habitats' Guardian 'Proulx's sparkling book will open your eyes to humanity's reckless trashing of wetlands' Telegraph 'A haunting tribute ... Proulx's poetic description of these places, and peat itself, is a pleasure to read' Financial Times

A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week ‘Magnificent’ Guardian ‘Remarkable … A compact classic!’ Bill McKibben ‘I learned something new – and found something amazing – on every page’ Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See Fens, bogs, swamps and marine estuaries are the earth’s most desirable and dependable resources. Here, Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Proulx brings her witness and research to the vitally important role they play in preserving the environment, and their systemic destruction in the pursuit of profit. Travelling from the fens of sixteenth-century England to America’s Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Fen, Bog and Swamp is both a revelatory history and an urgent plea for wetland reclamation, from one of our greatest prose stylists. ‘A rousing call to action’ Esquire ‘Sparklingly furious … it has a profoundly positive message’ Richard Mabey, Telegraph ‘This haunting tribute … is a pleasure to read’ Financial Times

Authored by world-class scientists and scholars, the Handbook of Natural Resources, Second Edition, is an excellent reference for understanding the consequences of changing natural resources to the degradation of ecological integrity and the sustainability of life. Based on the content of the bestselling and CHOICE awarded Encyclopedia of Natural Resources, this new edition demonstrates the major challenges that the society is facing for the sustainability of all wellbeing on planet Earth. The experience, evidence, methods, and models used in studying natural resources are presented in six stand-alone volumes, arranged along the main systems: land, water, and air. It reviews state-of-the-art knowledge, highlights advances made in different areas, and provides guidance for the appropriate use of remote sensing data in the study of natural resources on a global scale. The six volumes in this set cover: Terrestrial Ecosystems and Biodiversity; Landscape and Land Capacity; Wetlands and Habitats; Fresh Water and Watersheds; Coastal and Marine Environments; and finally Atmosphere and Climate. Written in an easy-to-reference manner, the Handbook of Natural Resources, Second Edition, as a complete set, is essential for anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the science and management of natural resources. Public and private libraries, educational and research institutions, scientists, scholars, and resource managers will benefit enormously from this set. Individual volumes and chapters can also be used in a wide variety of both graduate and undergraduate courses in environmental science and natural science courses at different levels and disciplines, such as biology, geography, Earth system science, ecology, etc.

'He is delight and joy personified' - MARIAN KEYES 'Set to become BBC's next David Attenborough' - DAILY MAIL 'Brings a little bit of joy to us all' - GUARDIAN Discover the wonderful world of birdwatching with wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin - winner of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing 2022. 'Birds have been with me my entire life - from the colourful weaver birds on the banks of the Nile in Sudan to the magpies of Newcastle, from the roosting peregrine falcons near my parents' house in Northampton to the white-tailed eagles on the west coast of Scotland. I love them. If you take the time to stop and listen, you'll see the world through different eyes. It's all out there, waiting for you to find it. And it might just bring you as much joy as it's brought me.' Journey along with Hamza in Be a Birder as he recounts stories of his birding adventures, and shares tips and tricks to help you get started in birdwatching. In this beautifully illustrated guide, featuring fifty of Hamza's favourite birds, you will learn how to start identifying birds, understand their behaviour and movements, and find even more exciting birds, wherever you are. Starting with the goldfinch in your garden, to tawny owls in woodlands, to the elusive kingfisher near rivers and marshes, you will build your birdwatching confidence and push yourself further afield to find new feathered wonders. Encouraging us all to stop, step outside and listen, Be a Birder is both a practical guide and a joyous celebration of these incredible creatures. Once you start looking for them, and with Hamza as your guide, your world will be forever changed.

Rivers and streams sculpt our landscape, and have connected our communities throughout history, from mountain to estuary and to the wide sea beyond. They give us water and food, trade and transport - yet they have a life-force all of their own. In this collection of traditional folk tales from wild rivers, lakes, and streams, Lisa Schneidau retells old stories of danger and transformation, of river goddesses, ghosts and the mysterious creatures that dwell in the watery arteries of Britain and Ireland.

The Most Important Animal of All is an award-winning picture book about seven super-animals - important keystone species - beautifully illustrated by Hannah Bailey and endorsed by The British Ecological Society. A class is learning all about animals and their teacher challenges them to decide which is the most important animal of all. Seven children champion a different animal for the top spot. Is it... BEES as master pollinators BATS as night-time predators and pollinators ELEPHANTS who shape their landscapes and spread seeds BEAVERS who create watery habitats TIGERS who keep their food web in balance SHARKS who keep our oceans healthy and increase biodiversity KRILL as food for many whales and sea creatures There is lots of information about each animals, as well as other keystone species, plus photographs to see them up close and in their habitats. This is a positive and gentle primer for young children from 5 years old about the issues of habitat loss, endangered species and climate change. "Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, shall all be saved" - Dr Jane Goodall.

Authored by world-class scientists and scholars, The Handbook of Natural Resources, Second Edition, is an excellent reference for understanding the consequences of changing natural resources to the degradation of ecological integrity and the sustainability of life. Based on the content of the bestselling and CHOICE-awarded Encyclopedia of Natural Resources, this new edition demonstrates the major challenges that the society is facing for the sustainability of all well-being on the planet Earth. The experience, evidence, methods, and models used in studying natural resources are presented in six stand-alone volumes, arranged along the main systems of land, water, and air. It reviews state-of-the-art knowledge, highlights advances made in different areas, and provides guidance for the appropriate use of remote sensing and geospatial data with field-based measurements in the study of natural resources. Volume 3, Wetlands and Habitats, provides fundamental information on wetlands and their integral functions as a productive ecosystem. The topics it covers include wetlands biodiversity, wetlands classification and monitoring, floods, river ecosystems, pollution, and more. New to this edition are discussions on wetland vegetation, assessment of current wetland health status, restoration, sea-level rises and coastal storm, vulnerability to human impacts, and lakes and wetlands remote sensing. This volume demonstrates the key processes, methods, and models used through many case studies from around the world. Written in an easy-to-reference manner, The Handbook of Natural Resources, Second Edition, as individual volumes or as a complete set, is an essential reading for anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the science and management of natural resources. Public and private libraries, educational and research institutions, scientists, scholars, and resource managers will benefit enormously from this set. Individual volumes and chapters can also be used in a wide variety of both graduate and undergraduate courses in environmental science and natural science at different levels and disciplines, such as biology, geography, earth system science, and ecology.

Wetlands are complex and dynamic ecological systems incorporating two important, inter-linked components: hydrology and vegetation. Modelling wetland components and processes reveals the nature of wetland systems and helps to predict the effects of environmental change. The main goal of much current research is the construction of a vigorous and spatially-explicit model which describes the dynamics of wetland vegetation in relation to environmental variables, including hydrological regimes, sediment type and nutrient availability. Knowledge about ecological functions, environmental services and societal values associated with wetlands has increased rapidly. How to turn this knowledge into practical benefits for sustainable and integrated wetland management is a key question. Individual chapters address the ethics and sociology of wetlands, and the ecology, ecohydrology and conservation practice of a variety of landscapes and countries. It will be useful to students, teachers and scientists involved in wetland research and informative for the staff of governmental bodies and other organizations engaged in wetland management.

The story of how Francis Pryor created a haven for people, plants and wildlife in a remote corner of the fens. A Fenland Garden is the story of the creation of a garden in a complex and fragile English landscape - the Fens of southern Lincolnshire - by a writer who has a very particular relationship with landscape and the soil, thanks to his distinguished career as an archaeologist and discoverer of some of England's earliest field systems. It describes the imagining, planning and building of a garden in an unfamiliar and sometimes hostile place, and the challenges, setbacks and joys these processes entail. This is a narrative of the making of a garden, but it is also about reclaiming a patch of ground for nature and wildlife - of repairing the damage done to a small slice of Fenland landscape by decades of intensive farming. A Fenland Garden is informed by the empirical wisdom of a practising gardener (and archaeologist) and by his deep understanding of the soil, landscape and weather of the region; Francis's account of the development of the garden is counterpointed by fascinating nuggets of Fenland lore and history, as well as by vignettes of the plantsman's trials and tribulations as he works an exceptionally demanding plot of land. Above all, this is the story of bringing something beautiful into being; of embedding a garden in the local landscape; and thereby of deepening and broadening the idea of home.

Urbanization affects wetlands in direct and indirect ways. Over the past several decades it has become increasingly apparent that unmanaged runoff is the primary threat to the country's watershed resources.

Wetlands and Urbanization: Implications for the Future is the result of a ten year research project focused on the understanding and managing the impacts of urban stormwater on wetlands. The book documents the background, methods, and results of the research and uses the information to draw conclusions about managing wetland ecosystems in urban areas. The project culminates in a set of comprehensive guidelines for the management of wetland hydrology.

While the focus of this research is regional in nature, its applications are broad. First, the research shows how to measure and assess the impact of urbanization on wetlands. Secondly, it presents scientific approaches available for use in an integrated assessment of wetland condition. And thirdly, it provides guidelines for biomonitoring wetlands using multiple indicators.

Wetlands and Urbanization presents an integrated watershed approach to the scientific evaluation of the impact of landscape urbanization on wetland functions. It associates the source of impact (the landscape) with the sink (the wetland), relates findings to implications for future planning and management of watersheds and provides a model for future comprehensive investigations of wetland impacts from urbanization.

Ross-shire-born polymath Hugh Miller (1802-56) was famous in his lifetime across the English-speaking world. After starting his working life as a stonemason, he became a social commentator and crusader and an inspiring (pre-Darwinian) writer on fossils. Michael A. Taylor's biography - the first synoptic reassessment to draw upon new research - was first published in 2007. It quotes generous chunks of Miller's own still immensely readable writings (he was known as 'the supreme poet of geology') and covers the full range of Hugh Miller, from stonemason through geologist and editor to private family man, with a surprising conclusion regarding his suicide. This new edition has some minor amendments and a new cover.

Synthesizes recent and seminal literature on aquatic and wetland plants Emphasizes evolutionary history as a factor influencing adaptations to the wetland environment Provides a global perspective on plant diversity and threats facing wetland ecosystems Highlights research needs in the field of aquatic and wetland plant biology Includes 280 figures, with more than 300 color photographs, and 41 tables to provide ease of access to important concepts and information

Artificial or constructed wetlands are an emerging technology particularly for tropical areas with water scarcity. For big cities, the sustainable management of water resources taking into account proper use is always challenging. The book presents case studies illustrating the above. As plants and microorganisms are a fundamental part of the correct functioning of these systems, their contribution to the degradation of the organic matter and to the removal and transformation of the pollutant compounds present in the wastewaters is also a highlight of this book.

World wetlands are endangered by human activities and development in all parts of the world. This book approaches the study of wetlands management and development policy by using integrated ecosystem modelling that draws on insights from hydrology, ecology and economics. The authors devote particular attention to the spatial dimension, the development of a set of complementary indicators, and the aggregation and evaluation of information.

Much of the convenience of modern life resides in sheet metal, the cowling shield of most machines and appliances. However, the load that this takes off human shoulders has to be carried elsewhere, and the Earth has borne the burden. Many of us woke up to the environmental cost when over a century of industrialization finally surpassed the capacity of nature to assimilate it. International in scope, Heavy Metals in the Environment: Using Wetlands for Their Removal discusses wetland functions and heavy metal contamination. It addresses such questions as: Can systems powered by sunlight handle toxins more effectively than systems running on fossil fuel? At what scale and by what means do we define efficiency? These questions resonate increasingly with a number of global challenges. As inescapable as climate change, you can no longer avoid airborne toxins, acid rain, and polluted water by moving away from them. When the time comes to rely less on fossil fuel-based technology, how will we clean up the aftermath of toxic misadventures? Written by a leader in the growing field of ecological engineering, Heavy Metals in the Environment: Using Wetlands for Their Removal presents scientific studies that illustrate how natural systems use wetlands to adapt to changes in the ecosystem. It focuses primarily on lead, one of the first materials used by developing civilizations and a metal used heavily in the industrial era. The goal: to achieve a better understanding of how natural systems use wetlands to adapt to wastes.

'Exquisite, luminous and quietly radical . . . I loved it' Lucy Jones 'A fascinating, subtle and risk-taking book' Robert Macfarlane Glowflake, Rocket, Small Skies, Kind Spears, Marilyn . . . Moss is known as the living carpet but if you look really closely, it contains its own irrepressible light. In Twelve Words for Moss, Elizabeth-Jane Burnett celebrates the unsung hero of the plant world with a unique blend of poetry, nature writing and memoir. Making her way through wetlands from Somerset to County Tyrone, Burnett discovers the hidden vibrancy and luminous beauty of these overlooked places. She also takes strength from them as she recovers from her grief at her father's death. As she meditates on and renames her favourite species of moss, she finds a healing power in language, and draws inspiration from the resilience and tenacity of her plant - and human - friends. 'Burnett stretches the limits of prose, infusing it with poetic intensity to create a powerful, original voice' Guardian

Recent scientific development and politico-institutional experiences related to the conservation of the South-American Pantanal are explored in this book in relation to what is happening in other tropical wetland areas of international importance such as the Everglades in North America and the Okavango in Africa, as well as considering the European experience. An interdisciplinary group of authors examines the need to establish a constructive dialogue between scientists, policy-makers and local stakeholders and outline a future research agenda, including consideration of the impacts of climate change and the pressures of regional development, for wetland management.

Ecosystem services can be broadly defined as the aspects of ecosystems that provide benefits to people. This book provides guidance on the valuation of ecosystem services, using the case of multifunctional wetlands to illustrate and make recommendations regarding the methods and techniques that can be applied to appraise management options. It provides a review of ecosystem service valuation rationale, including its importance from both a policy and project appraisal perspective, and a useful reference when considering policy and appraisal of ecosystem management options. It shows how legal obligations and other high-level management targets should be taken into account in valuation exercises, thus giving important policy context to the management options.

The authors set out what they call an Ecosystem Services Approach to the full appraisal of the role of ecosystem services in the economy and society. Although concentrating on wetlands, the approaches suggested provide an assessment framework that can be applied to other types of ecosystem assets.

Ecosystem services can be broadly defined as the aspects of ecosystems that provide benefits to people. This book provides guidance on the valuation of ecosystem services, using the case of multifunctional wetlands to illustrate and make recommendations regarding the methods and techniques that can be applied to appraise management options. It provides a review of ecosystem service valuation rationale, including its importance from both a policy and project appraisal perspective, and a useful reference when considering policy and appraisal of ecosystem management options. It shows how legal obligations and other high-level management targets should be taken into account in valuation exercises, thus giving important policy context to the management options. The authors set out what they call an Ecosystem Services Approach to the full appraisal of the role of ecosystem services in the economy and society. Although concentrating on wetlands, the approaches suggested provide an assessment framework that can be applied to other types of ecosystem assets.

Continuing the tradition of excellence established by the first edition, the Second Edition of Applied Wetlands Science and Technology provides the fundamentals for delineating, identifying, and regulating wetlands. It covers functions and values, ecological assessments, and how to minimize negative impacts on wetlands. The book also presents essential information on wetland creation, enhancement, restoration, and monitoring. Selected management topics include designing and managing wetlands for wildlife, managing coastal marshes, and wetlands education.

Three new chapters in the Second Edition:

Wetlands Mitigation Banking-discusses the purpose, policy, and technology of mitigation banking
Watershed Management-covers the most current remediation technology as it pertains to wetlands
Managing Global Wetlands-describes the classification and management of wetlands throughout the world

Written by wetland professionals, this indispensable guide furnishes extensive information on how wetlands function, how they can be protected, and how they can be managed. Recognizing that each and every situation is unique and requires specific solutions, Applied Wetlands Science and Technology, Second Edition focuses on providing guidelines for effective decision making.

This study, conducted in Kenya, gives the first insight into the performance of a constructed treatment wetland receiving pulp and paper mill wastewater in the tropics. The wetland effectively removed organic matter, suspended solids, phenols and nutrients. BOD and phenols reduction rates are reported for the first time. Design parameters and guidelines for the set-up and maintenance of a full-scale wetland are recommended. The study concludes that integrating a full-scale wetland, as a tertiary stage with the existing treatment ponds would significantly improve the quality of water in River Nzoia downstream of the effluent discharge. This is a valuable resource book for scientists, managers and students in the field of wetland ecology, water and environmental management.

This study, originally published in 1990, seeks to address several important policy questions associated with the ongoing depletion of forested wetlands. First, in the context of Environmental Impact Statements, should the estimated areas of impact of Federal flood-control and drainage projects on wetlands be limited to (minimal) construction impacts, or should they include impacts which occur when such projects cause private landowners to drain and clear their wetland holdings? A second crucial question is whether wetland depletion and conversion to agricultural cropland has been excessive. This title will be of interest to students of Environmental Economics and Policy.

**WINNER OF THE HISTORY AND TRADITION CATEGORY, EAST ANGLIAN BOOK AWARDS 2020** **SHORTLISTED FOR THE TASMANIAN LITERARY AWARD 2022** **LONGLISTED FOR THE RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE 2021** 'A real page-turner ... a warning about what happens when the rich and powerful dress up their avarice as "progress" - a lesson we could do with learning today.' Dixe Wills, BBC Countryfile magazine FROM A MULTI-AWARD-WINNING HISTORIAN, AN ARRESTING NEW HISTORY OF THE BATTLE FOR THE FENS. Between the English Civil Wars and the mid-Victorian period, the proud indigenous population of the Fens of eastern England fought to preserve their homeland against an expanding empire. After centuries of resistance, their culture and community were destroyed, along with their wetland home - England's last lowland wilderness. But this was no simple triumph of technology over nature - it was the consequence of a newly centralised and militarised state, which enriched the few while impoverishing the many. In this colourful and evocative history, James Boyce brings to life not only colonial masters such as Oliver Cromwell and the Dukes of Bedford but also the defiant 'Fennish' them- selves and their dangerous and often bloody resistance to the enclosing landowners. We learn of the eels so plentiful they became a kind of medieval currency; the games of 'Fen football' that were often a cover for sabotage of the drainage works; and the destruction of a bountiful ecosystem that had sustained the Fennish for thousands of years and which meant that they did not have to submit in order to survive. Masterfully argued and imbued with a keen sense of place, Imperial Mud reimagines not just the history of the Fens, but the history and identity of the English people.

In this book the authors argue for a paradigm shift in the way African wetlands are considered. Current policies and wetland management are too frequently underpinned by a perspective that views agriculture simply as a threat and disregards its important contribution to livelihoods. In rural areas where people are entrenched in poverty, wetlands (in particular wetland agriculture) have a critical role to play in supporting and developing peoples' livelihoods. Furthermore, as populations rise and climate change takes grip they will be increasingly important. The authors argue that an approach to wetland management that is much more people focused is required. That is an approach that instead of being concerned primarily with environmental outcomes is centred on livelihood outcomes supported by the sustainable use of natural wetland resources. The authors stress the need for Integrated Water Resource Management and landscape approaches to ensure sustainable use of wetlands throughout a river catchment and the need for wetland management interventions to engage with a wide range of stakeholders. They also assess the feasibility of creating incentives and value in wetlands to support sustainable use. Drawing on nine empirical case studies, this book highlights the different ways in which sustainable use of wetlands has been sought, each case focusing on specific issues about wetlands, agriculture and livelihoods.