Malcolm Ausden
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198568728
- eISBN:
- 9780191717529
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198568728.003.0008
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
This chapter discusses the management of open bodies of water and wetlands on seasonally or permanently waterlogged soil. It concentrates on freshwater habitats, but briefly discusses management of ...
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This chapter discusses the management of open bodies of water and wetlands on seasonally or permanently waterlogged soil. It concentrates on freshwater habitats, but briefly discusses management of brackish habitats, such as coastal grazing marshes, where they form a continuum with freshwater ones. Topics covered include principles of manipulating water levels, water quality, methods of improving the value of deep water bodies (>1 m) and large, shallow (less than about 1 m) for wildlife; temporary pools, permanent ponds and water-filled ditches, rivers, swamps and fens, bogs, wet scrub, wet woodland, wet grasslands.Less
This chapter discusses the management of open bodies of water and wetlands on seasonally or permanently waterlogged soil. It concentrates on freshwater habitats, but briefly discusses management of brackish habitats, such as coastal grazing marshes, where they form a continuum with freshwater ones. Topics covered include principles of manipulating water levels, water quality, methods of improving the value of deep water bodies (>1 m) and large, shallow (less than about 1 m) for wildlife; temporary pools, permanent ponds and water-filled ditches, rivers, swamps and fens, bogs, wet scrub, wet woodland, wet grasslands.
D. Dudley Williams
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198528128
- eISBN:
- 9780191713538
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198528128.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology
Temporary waters are found throughout the world, including intermittent streams and ponds, episodic rain puddles, seasonal limestone lakes, and the water-retaining structures of plants, such as ...
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Temporary waters are found throughout the world, including intermittent streams and ponds, episodic rain puddles, seasonal limestone lakes, and the water-retaining structures of plants, such as bromeliads and pitcher plants. They are populated by a variety of plant, animal, and microscopic communities ranging from the very simple to the highly complex. As such, they represent fascinating and significant arenas to study the properties of species, as the latter deals with the rigours of living in highly variable environments. Obligate temporary water species display a remarkable array of adaptations to the periodic loss of their primary medium that largely sets them apart from the inhabitants of permanent water bodies. The survival of individuals frequently depends upon exceptional physiological tolerance or effective migrational abilities that are timed to appropriate habitat phases. However, apart from their inherent biological interest, temporary waters are now in the limelight from a conservation perspective as these habitats come more and more into conflict with human activities. Traditionally, many temporary waters — be they ponds, pools, streams, or wetlands — have been considered as ‘wasted’ areas of land, potentially convertible to agriculture once drained. In reality, they are natural features of the global landscape representing distinct and unique habitats for many species — some that are found nowhere else, others that reach their maximum abundance there. Temporary waters are also very important from a human health perspective, since they function as breeding places for the vectors of many disease organisms.Less
Temporary waters are found throughout the world, including intermittent streams and ponds, episodic rain puddles, seasonal limestone lakes, and the water-retaining structures of plants, such as bromeliads and pitcher plants. They are populated by a variety of plant, animal, and microscopic communities ranging from the very simple to the highly complex. As such, they represent fascinating and significant arenas to study the properties of species, as the latter deals with the rigours of living in highly variable environments. Obligate temporary water species display a remarkable array of adaptations to the periodic loss of their primary medium that largely sets them apart from the inhabitants of permanent water bodies. The survival of individuals frequently depends upon exceptional physiological tolerance or effective migrational abilities that are timed to appropriate habitat phases. However, apart from their inherent biological interest, temporary waters are now in the limelight from a conservation perspective as these habitats come more and more into conflict with human activities. Traditionally, many temporary waters — be they ponds, pools, streams, or wetlands — have been considered as ‘wasted’ areas of land, potentially convertible to agriculture once drained. In reality, they are natural features of the global landscape representing distinct and unique habitats for many species — some that are found nowhere else, others that reach their maximum abundance there. Temporary waters are also very important from a human health perspective, since they function as breeding places for the vectors of many disease organisms.
D. Dudley Williams
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198528128
- eISBN:
- 9780191713538
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198528128.003.0002
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology
This chapter first considers the underlying hydrological processes that result in the formation of temporary water bodies. The components of subsurface water are defined, and the origins of pond ...
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This chapter first considers the underlying hydrological processes that result in the formation of temporary water bodies. The components of subsurface water are defined, and the origins of pond basins and stream channels are discussed. Estimates of the densities of these habitats in the landscape are given. The fundamental property of habitat persistence is related to the key factors of climate and seasonality.Less
This chapter first considers the underlying hydrological processes that result in the formation of temporary water bodies. The components of subsurface water are defined, and the origins of pond basins and stream channels are discussed. Estimates of the densities of these habitats in the landscape are given. The fundamental property of habitat persistence is related to the key factors of climate and seasonality.
Robert Wuthnow
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691157207
- eISBN:
- 9781400846498
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691157207.003.0005
- Subject:
- Sociology, Urban and Rural Studies
This chapter examines the ways in which residents of small towns make sense of their own lives, and especially with respect to work and money. People in small towns know it is unlikely that they will ...
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This chapter examines the ways in which residents of small towns make sense of their own lives, and especially with respect to work and money. People in small towns know it is unlikely that they will ever become rich living there. Job opportunities, for one, are limited. Many lines of work that might be interesting are simply unavailable. This is particularly true for people seeking employment in the professions or managerial occupations. Nevertheless, the scale of one's community can have a decided effect on the scope of one's aspirations. The influence can be understood as a frog-pond effect. The chapter suggests that small communities create a frog-pond identity that residents draw on to formulate narratives about why they chose to live in a small town, how that choice has limited or enriched their career opportunities, and whether they feel regret or are satisfied. It also considers the impact of agriculture on the lives of small-town residents.Less
This chapter examines the ways in which residents of small towns make sense of their own lives, and especially with respect to work and money. People in small towns know it is unlikely that they will ever become rich living there. Job opportunities, for one, are limited. Many lines of work that might be interesting are simply unavailable. This is particularly true for people seeking employment in the professions or managerial occupations. Nevertheless, the scale of one's community can have a decided effect on the scope of one's aspirations. The influence can be understood as a frog-pond effect. The chapter suggests that small communities create a frog-pond identity that residents draw on to formulate narratives about why they chose to live in a small town, how that choice has limited or enriched their career opportunities, and whether they feel regret or are satisfied. It also considers the impact of agriculture on the lives of small-town residents.
Dietland Muller-Schwarze
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801450105
- eISBN:
- 9780801460869
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801450105.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Behavior / Behavioral Ecology
Beavers can and do dramatically change the landscape. The beaver is a keystone species—their skills as foresters and engineers create and maintain ponds and wetlands that increase biodiversity, ...
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Beavers can and do dramatically change the landscape. The beaver is a keystone species—their skills as foresters and engineers create and maintain ponds and wetlands that increase biodiversity, purify water, and prevent large-scale flooding. Biologists have long studied their daily and seasonal routines, family structures, and dispersal patterns. As human development encroaches into formerly wild areas, property owners and government authorities need new, nonlethal strategies for dealing with so-called nuisance beavers. At the same time, the complex behavior of beavers intrigues visitors at parks and other wildlife viewing sites because it is relatively easy to observe. This book gathers a wealth of scientific knowledge about both the North American and Eurasian beaver species. It is designed to satisfy the curiosity and answer the questions of anyone with an interest in these animals.Less
Beavers can and do dramatically change the landscape. The beaver is a keystone species—their skills as foresters and engineers create and maintain ponds and wetlands that increase biodiversity, purify water, and prevent large-scale flooding. Biologists have long studied their daily and seasonal routines, family structures, and dispersal patterns. As human development encroaches into formerly wild areas, property owners and government authorities need new, nonlethal strategies for dealing with so-called nuisance beavers. At the same time, the complex behavior of beavers intrigues visitors at parks and other wildlife viewing sites because it is relatively easy to observe. This book gathers a wealth of scientific knowledge about both the North American and Eurasian beaver species. It is designed to satisfy the curiosity and answer the questions of anyone with an interest in these animals.
Thirsk Joan
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198208136
- eISBN:
- 9780191677922
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208136.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, Social History
This chapter discusses the efforts of farmers to save agriculture after the Black Death. The first solution to the crisis in agriculture was to ...
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This chapter discusses the efforts of farmers to save agriculture after the Black Death. The first solution to the crisis in agriculture was to put former arable land down to grass. With this, dairy goods began to gain attention. Moreover, when landowners found themselves with idle grassland, the idea of the rabbit warren, deer parks, pigeons, and fish ponds became ideal solutions.Less
This chapter discusses the efforts of farmers to save agriculture after the Black Death. The first solution to the crisis in agriculture was to put former arable land down to grass. With this, dairy goods began to gain attention. Moreover, when landowners found themselves with idle grassland, the idea of the rabbit warren, deer parks, pigeons, and fish ponds became ideal solutions.
Joe B. Hall, Marianne Walker, and Rick Bozich
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780813178561
- eISBN:
- 9780813178578
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813178561.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, Cultural History
Tells about Joe B,’s love of fishing and his favorite fishing spots as a child. When he has to look after his baby sister Laura Jane, he takes her fishing with him.
Tells about Joe B,’s love of fishing and his favorite fishing spots as a child. When he has to look after his baby sister Laura Jane, he takes her fishing with him.
Ryan Wheeler and Joanna Ostapkowicz (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- January 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781683400783
- eISBN:
- 9781683401056
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9781683400783.001.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
Frank Hamilton Cushing’s 1896 excavations at Key Marco revealed astonishing carved and painted wooden artifacts rarely seen by archaeologists. Those following in Cushing’s footsteps have assembled a ...
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Frank Hamilton Cushing’s 1896 excavations at Key Marco revealed astonishing carved and painted wooden artifacts rarely seen by archaeologists. Those following in Cushing’s footsteps have assembled a corpus of aesthetic objects from Florida, often in perishable materials. These range from an embarrassing number of dugout canoes, to the wooden animal carvings of Fort Center’s mortuary pond and the owl totem of Hontoon Island. Connections to neighboring areas have been sought with some success; in general, however, the diversity of imagery often makes comparison a challenge. The chapters in this book explore new discoveries and revisit existing museum collections, asking new questions or employing innovative analytical techniques. Cushing concluded his slim Key Marco report with the surmise that the boundless life of the sea provided the energetic impulse behind the artworks that he uncovered. While we might reach a different conclusion today, it is clear that ancient Florida is difficult to comfortably place within the Southeast or Caribbean and that much of that difficulty arises from the iconography born of Florida’s watery landscapes.Less
Frank Hamilton Cushing’s 1896 excavations at Key Marco revealed astonishing carved and painted wooden artifacts rarely seen by archaeologists. Those following in Cushing’s footsteps have assembled a corpus of aesthetic objects from Florida, often in perishable materials. These range from an embarrassing number of dugout canoes, to the wooden animal carvings of Fort Center’s mortuary pond and the owl totem of Hontoon Island. Connections to neighboring areas have been sought with some success; in general, however, the diversity of imagery often makes comparison a challenge. The chapters in this book explore new discoveries and revisit existing museum collections, asking new questions or employing innovative analytical techniques. Cushing concluded his slim Key Marco report with the surmise that the boundless life of the sea provided the energetic impulse behind the artworks that he uncovered. While we might reach a different conclusion today, it is clear that ancient Florida is difficult to comfortably place within the Southeast or Caribbean and that much of that difficulty arises from the iconography born of Florida’s watery landscapes.
Dik Roth and Linden Vincent
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780198082927
- eISBN:
- 9780199082247
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198082927.003.0010
- Subject:
- Sociology, Science, Technology and Environment
This chapter examines access to water in a paddy-growing tract in Palakkad district, Kerala, India. Traditionally an area served by small tanks and ponds, access to irrigation has been changed by new ...
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This chapter examines access to water in a paddy-growing tract in Palakkad district, Kerala, India. Traditionally an area served by small tanks and ponds, access to irrigation has been changed by new public canal systems and expansion of lift irrigation. It describes how the existing property rights regime, by disregarding the basic ecological properties of water and the integrated nature of land and water use, creates conditions of unequal access and unsustainable use. Tanks and tube wells play a pivotal role here. The chapter argues that the ecological characteristics of land and water resources should be an inherent component of the formulation of property rights. It also argues that the use of energized water lifting technologies be subject to ecological considerations that prioritize sustainable consumption of scarce water supplies. This is imperative not only for the integrated management of land and water, but also for an equitable water distribution.Less
This chapter examines access to water in a paddy-growing tract in Palakkad district, Kerala, India. Traditionally an area served by small tanks and ponds, access to irrigation has been changed by new public canal systems and expansion of lift irrigation. It describes how the existing property rights regime, by disregarding the basic ecological properties of water and the integrated nature of land and water use, creates conditions of unequal access and unsustainable use. Tanks and tube wells play a pivotal role here. The chapter argues that the ecological characteristics of land and water resources should be an inherent component of the formulation of property rights. It also argues that the use of energized water lifting technologies be subject to ecological considerations that prioritize sustainable consumption of scarce water supplies. This is imperative not only for the integrated management of land and water, but also for an equitable water distribution.
Ellen Wohl
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- November 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190943523
- eISBN:
- 9780197559949
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190943523.003.0005
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Applied Ecology
February: when I first notice the days begin to stretch out after the tight curl of December and January. February: the month for creating new beavers. Somewhere ...
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February: when I first notice the days begin to stretch out after the tight curl of December and January. February: the month for creating new beavers. Somewhere sheltered from the cold light of sun reflecting off snow, in a bank den or a lodge, perhaps even in the water, the beavers are mating. The North St. Vrain beaver meadow is good habitat, and the adult pair will create another litter of two to four kits, allowing the current kits to become yearlings, and pushing the current yearlings out of the colony to find new homes and their own mates. I enter the meadow from the northern side on a mild day when a steady breeze seems to keep pace with the scattered clouds moving overhead. Just as I start to descend the slope into the meadow, I flush a moose resting beneath a big spruce. I am close enough to see the coarse, thick fur along the moose’s spine bristle with alarm and to note the scars where the animal dropped its antlers after the autumn rut. The alarm is only momentary. The moose ambles down the slope and into the meadow, steadily browsing willow stems as it moves. The stems have a hue of burnt yellow, and each bud is clearly visible, although not yet swollen. The past few days have been mild, and patches of bare ground show along the south-facing slopes and under the big conifers that border the beaver meadow. In the meadow itself the snow remains sufficiently deep to keep navigation easier by filling the pitfalls of the meadow—the winding canals, one beaver wide, and the steep-sided holes that the beavers dig to create air exchange near their dens. The snow bears abundant witness to the activity of the meadow. The widely spaced leaps of snowshoe hare tracks create diagonals between the creek and the conifer forests adjacent to the meadow. The single, precise line left by a fox has melted in the warmth of midday and refrozen into ice casts.
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February: when I first notice the days begin to stretch out after the tight curl of December and January. February: the month for creating new beavers. Somewhere sheltered from the cold light of sun reflecting off snow, in a bank den or a lodge, perhaps even in the water, the beavers are mating. The North St. Vrain beaver meadow is good habitat, and the adult pair will create another litter of two to four kits, allowing the current kits to become yearlings, and pushing the current yearlings out of the colony to find new homes and their own mates. I enter the meadow from the northern side on a mild day when a steady breeze seems to keep pace with the scattered clouds moving overhead. Just as I start to descend the slope into the meadow, I flush a moose resting beneath a big spruce. I am close enough to see the coarse, thick fur along the moose’s spine bristle with alarm and to note the scars where the animal dropped its antlers after the autumn rut. The alarm is only momentary. The moose ambles down the slope and into the meadow, steadily browsing willow stems as it moves. The stems have a hue of burnt yellow, and each bud is clearly visible, although not yet swollen. The past few days have been mild, and patches of bare ground show along the south-facing slopes and under the big conifers that border the beaver meadow. In the meadow itself the snow remains sufficiently deep to keep navigation easier by filling the pitfalls of the meadow—the winding canals, one beaver wide, and the steep-sided holes that the beavers dig to create air exchange near their dens. The snow bears abundant witness to the activity of the meadow. The widely spaced leaps of snowshoe hare tracks create diagonals between the creek and the conifer forests adjacent to the meadow. The single, precise line left by a fox has melted in the warmth of midday and refrozen into ice casts.
Ellen Wohl
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- November 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190943523
- eISBN:
- 9780197559949
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190943523.003.0007
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Applied Ecology
By late April, the snow is gone from the beaver meadow. The promises of March are starting to be fulfilled: insects are on the wing, some of the willows have furry ...
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By late April, the snow is gone from the beaver meadow. The promises of March are starting to be fulfilled: insects are on the wing, some of the willows have furry catkins along their branches, and fish jump from the quiet waters of the beaver ponds. I can no longer easily get around the beaver meadows on foot unless I wear chest waders. The sound of the beaver meadow in March was primarily wind. By April, the sound is primarily moving water. The water gurgles, shushes, and whispers. In another month it will roar with the melting snows. Another three miles up the creek valley and 1,500 feet higher, one of my long-term study sites still lies under 6 feet of snow, but in the meadow I see only one patch of tenacious snow-ice in the deep shade beneath a spruce along the northern edge of the meadow. I know that snow will still fall here during late spring storms, but it will melt quickly. March felt on the cusp, as if it could as easily tip toward winter or spring. Late April is definitely spring headed toward summer. The beaver meadow remains a riverscape more brown and tan than green. The willows are still leafless, although some of the branch tips are turning pale yellow-green and others seem to be taking on a more vivid orange hue. I can see the leaf buds starting to swell. The grass has just begun to grow in dark green tips steadily forcing their way through the thick mat of last year’s dead stems. Clusters of new leaves on low-growing wintergreen are the only other sign of green outside of the channels. Some of the smaller side channels are thick with emerald green algae undulating slowly in the current. A stonefly lands on my hand. Its slender, dark gray body seems surprisingly delicate for a creature that has hatched into the vagaries of April air, with its potential for blasting winds and sudden snow squalls.
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By late April, the snow is gone from the beaver meadow. The promises of March are starting to be fulfilled: insects are on the wing, some of the willows have furry catkins along their branches, and fish jump from the quiet waters of the beaver ponds. I can no longer easily get around the beaver meadows on foot unless I wear chest waders. The sound of the beaver meadow in March was primarily wind. By April, the sound is primarily moving water. The water gurgles, shushes, and whispers. In another month it will roar with the melting snows. Another three miles up the creek valley and 1,500 feet higher, one of my long-term study sites still lies under 6 feet of snow, but in the meadow I see only one patch of tenacious snow-ice in the deep shade beneath a spruce along the northern edge of the meadow. I know that snow will still fall here during late spring storms, but it will melt quickly. March felt on the cusp, as if it could as easily tip toward winter or spring. Late April is definitely spring headed toward summer. The beaver meadow remains a riverscape more brown and tan than green. The willows are still leafless, although some of the branch tips are turning pale yellow-green and others seem to be taking on a more vivid orange hue. I can see the leaf buds starting to swell. The grass has just begun to grow in dark green tips steadily forcing their way through the thick mat of last year’s dead stems. Clusters of new leaves on low-growing wintergreen are the only other sign of green outside of the channels. Some of the smaller side channels are thick with emerald green algae undulating slowly in the current. A stonefly lands on my hand. Its slender, dark gray body seems surprisingly delicate for a creature that has hatched into the vagaries of April air, with its potential for blasting winds and sudden snow squalls.
Ellen Oxfeld
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520260948
- eISBN:
- 9780520945876
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520260948.003.0007
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Asian Cultural Anthropology
This chapter looks at the meanings of wealth and the expectations surrounding wealth in Moonshadow Pond. The divergent discourses about wealth and class circulate in the village. A person might ...
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This chapter looks at the meanings of wealth and the expectations surrounding wealth in Moonshadow Pond. The divergent discourses about wealth and class circulate in the village. A person might emphasize class commonalities among villagers in one particular context, while in another context draw attention to wealth differences within the same group. People make both implicit and explicit moral judgments about the inequalities in contemporary society, as well as about the obligations of particular individuals with respect to their specific roles. At the end of the chapter, it asks if there are any unifying expectations beneath the many voices villagers use to talk about disparities in wealth in the reform era. The chapter concludes with a story that circulated around the village in 1996 (the story of Jintao's ring). It is illustrative of moral discourse in the village with respect to its presentation of the obligations in morality of wealth.Less
This chapter looks at the meanings of wealth and the expectations surrounding wealth in Moonshadow Pond. The divergent discourses about wealth and class circulate in the village. A person might emphasize class commonalities among villagers in one particular context, while in another context draw attention to wealth differences within the same group. People make both implicit and explicit moral judgments about the inequalities in contemporary society, as well as about the obligations of particular individuals with respect to their specific roles. At the end of the chapter, it asks if there are any unifying expectations beneath the many voices villagers use to talk about disparities in wealth in the reform era. The chapter concludes with a story that circulated around the village in 1996 (the story of Jintao's ring). It is illustrative of moral discourse in the village with respect to its presentation of the obligations in morality of wealth.
Robert W. Hastings
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781604732719
- eISBN:
- 9781604734706
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781604732719.003.0022
- Subject:
- History, Environmental History
This chapter describes freshwater tributaries and freshwater lakes and ponds in the Pontchartrain basin. The major freshwater tributaries to the Lake Pontchartrain system include the Blind River, the ...
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This chapter describes freshwater tributaries and freshwater lakes and ponds in the Pontchartrain basin. The major freshwater tributaries to the Lake Pontchartrain system include the Blind River, the Amite River, and the Tickfaw River, which flow into Lake Maurepas, and the Tangipahoa River, the Tchefuncte River, Bayou Lacombe, and Bayou Bonfouca, as well as several smaller bayous (Chinchuba, Castine, and Cane) that flow into Lake Pontchartrain. There are no natural upland lakes, with lacustrine habitat, in the Pontchartrain basin, but several streams and rivers have been dammed to create artificial lakes. Borrow pit ponds have also been created along some major highways and along rivers such as the Amite and Tangipahoa where extensive gravel mining has occurred.Less
This chapter describes freshwater tributaries and freshwater lakes and ponds in the Pontchartrain basin. The major freshwater tributaries to the Lake Pontchartrain system include the Blind River, the Amite River, and the Tickfaw River, which flow into Lake Maurepas, and the Tangipahoa River, the Tchefuncte River, Bayou Lacombe, and Bayou Bonfouca, as well as several smaller bayous (Chinchuba, Castine, and Cane) that flow into Lake Pontchartrain. There are no natural upland lakes, with lacustrine habitat, in the Pontchartrain basin, but several streams and rivers have been dammed to create artificial lakes. Borrow pit ponds have also been created along some major highways and along rivers such as the Amite and Tangipahoa where extensive gravel mining has occurred.
Ellen Wohl
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- November 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190943523
- eISBN:
- 9780197559949
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190943523.003.0013
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Applied Ecology
By mid-October, the first snow has fallen on the beaver meadow. There is no sign of snow when I visit a few days later, but the air feels chill in the shadows and a ...
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By mid-October, the first snow has fallen on the beaver meadow. There is no sign of snow when I visit a few days later, but the air feels chill in the shadows and a cool breeze leavens the sunshine’s warmth. Mostly, the beaver meadow seems a golden place. Many of the willow, aspen, and birch leaves have already fallen, but enough remain to create a glowing ménage of yellow, gold, palest orange, and tan. Each leaf refracts and filters the light so that it comes from every direction rather than only from above. Aspens on the north-facing valley slope stand bare and pale gray. Those on the south facing slope form bursts of gold among the dark green conifers. The beaver meadow remains lively with activity. Dance flies move upward and downward in a column of air backlit by sunshine, their delicate bodies shimmering in the low-angle light. A little black stonefly lands on the back of my hand. I resist the urge, bred by summer mosquitoes, to reflexively slap it away. As I cross smaller side channels, brook trout dart away from the warm shallows where they have been resting. The narrow band of white on each dorsal fin flashes as the fish moves swiftly toward deeper water. When one small trout gets momentarily stuck between two exposed cobbles, I cup its slender, wriggling body between my hands and help it along. Windrows of fallen leaves form swirling patterns on the water surface and streambed. Filamentous algae grow in thick green strands along the side channels, where lower water exposes wide bands of mud along the channel edges. The mud bands record the comings and goings along the channel: precise imprints of raccoon feet and deer hooves and blurrier outlines left by moose. Moose beds mat down the tall grasses scattered among the willow thickets. As usual, the beavers themselves elude me, but I see fresh mud and neatly peeled white branches with gnawed ends on some of the dams. Lower water in the beaver pond exposes an entrance hole in the side of the lodge.
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By mid-October, the first snow has fallen on the beaver meadow. There is no sign of snow when I visit a few days later, but the air feels chill in the shadows and a cool breeze leavens the sunshine’s warmth. Mostly, the beaver meadow seems a golden place. Many of the willow, aspen, and birch leaves have already fallen, but enough remain to create a glowing ménage of yellow, gold, palest orange, and tan. Each leaf refracts and filters the light so that it comes from every direction rather than only from above. Aspens on the north-facing valley slope stand bare and pale gray. Those on the south facing slope form bursts of gold among the dark green conifers. The beaver meadow remains lively with activity. Dance flies move upward and downward in a column of air backlit by sunshine, their delicate bodies shimmering in the low-angle light. A little black stonefly lands on the back of my hand. I resist the urge, bred by summer mosquitoes, to reflexively slap it away. As I cross smaller side channels, brook trout dart away from the warm shallows where they have been resting. The narrow band of white on each dorsal fin flashes as the fish moves swiftly toward deeper water. When one small trout gets momentarily stuck between two exposed cobbles, I cup its slender, wriggling body between my hands and help it along. Windrows of fallen leaves form swirling patterns on the water surface and streambed. Filamentous algae grow in thick green strands along the side channels, where lower water exposes wide bands of mud along the channel edges. The mud bands record the comings and goings along the channel: precise imprints of raccoon feet and deer hooves and blurrier outlines left by moose. Moose beds mat down the tall grasses scattered among the willow thickets. As usual, the beavers themselves elude me, but I see fresh mud and neatly peeled white branches with gnawed ends on some of the dams. Lower water in the beaver pond exposes an entrance hole in the side of the lodge.
Ellen Wohl
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- November 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190943523
- eISBN:
- 9780197559949
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190943523.003.0015
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Applied Ecology
At the nadir of the year, this is how morning comes to the beaver meadow. Just as the sun rises above the eastern horizon, a flush of pale rose lights the snow newly ...
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At the nadir of the year, this is how morning comes to the beaver meadow. Just as the sun rises above the eastern horizon, a flush of pale rose lights the snow newly fallen on the highest peaks. The beaver meadow remains in shadow, silent but for the creek flowing quietly between its rims of ice. The air temperature is well below freezing and frost whitens the pine needles like a dark-haired person starting to go gray. Wisps and sheets of snow flag off the summits in the steady wind. Over the course of a few minutes, the summit snow warms from pale rose to faint orange and then a rich, warm gold that also lights the rock outcrops at lower elevations. The wind reaches the beaver meadow before the sunlight, coming in abrupt blasts that shake loose the little tufts of snow remaining on the pine boughs. The wind sends the snow crystals slaloming across the ice on the creek with a dry, skittering sound like that of blowing sand. Before long, the meadow is submerged in a continual rushing sound created by wind gusting through the pines up slope, along the valley walls. The lateral moraine to the south keeps the beaver meadow in shadow until 9:30 a.m. Nothing is so slow as waiting for the warmth of sunlight on a cold winter morning. When the sunlight does reach the meadow, it brings out the colors of water, ice, grasses, and willows. Flowing portions of the creek change from gray to orange brown. The snow reflects the light in a painfully intense glare broken by the deep, long shadows that everything casts. With the sunlight comes a steady wind that blasts the crystalline snow onto my face like grit. Not much snow has fallen yet, but North St. Vrain Creek is completely frozen in places and covered with snow. The ice records the movements of water, freezing the pulses and turbulence in ice ripples and ledges, motionless swirls and bands. It seems a miracle that any water still flows in this gray and white world of ice and snow.
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At the nadir of the year, this is how morning comes to the beaver meadow. Just as the sun rises above the eastern horizon, a flush of pale rose lights the snow newly fallen on the highest peaks. The beaver meadow remains in shadow, silent but for the creek flowing quietly between its rims of ice. The air temperature is well below freezing and frost whitens the pine needles like a dark-haired person starting to go gray. Wisps and sheets of snow flag off the summits in the steady wind. Over the course of a few minutes, the summit snow warms from pale rose to faint orange and then a rich, warm gold that also lights the rock outcrops at lower elevations. The wind reaches the beaver meadow before the sunlight, coming in abrupt blasts that shake loose the little tufts of snow remaining on the pine boughs. The wind sends the snow crystals slaloming across the ice on the creek with a dry, skittering sound like that of blowing sand. Before long, the meadow is submerged in a continual rushing sound created by wind gusting through the pines up slope, along the valley walls. The lateral moraine to the south keeps the beaver meadow in shadow until 9:30 a.m. Nothing is so slow as waiting for the warmth of sunlight on a cold winter morning. When the sunlight does reach the meadow, it brings out the colors of water, ice, grasses, and willows. Flowing portions of the creek change from gray to orange brown. The snow reflects the light in a painfully intense glare broken by the deep, long shadows that everything casts. With the sunlight comes a steady wind that blasts the crystalline snow onto my face like grit. Not much snow has fallen yet, but North St. Vrain Creek is completely frozen in places and covered with snow. The ice records the movements of water, freezing the pulses and turbulence in ice ripples and ledges, motionless swirls and bands. It seems a miracle that any water still flows in this gray and white world of ice and snow.
Joshua Kotin
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780691196541
- eISBN:
- 9781400887866
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691196541.003.0002
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This chapter concerns the pedagogy of Henry David Thoreau's Walden (1854). When Thoreau moved to Walden Pond on July 4, 1845, his goal was to maximize his independence. America, from his perspective, ...
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This chapter concerns the pedagogy of Henry David Thoreau's Walden (1854). When Thoreau moved to Walden Pond on July 4, 1845, his goal was to maximize his independence. America, from his perspective, had failed. To maximize his independence, Thoreau radically reduced the size of his world. He minimized his social and financial obligations, and chose to live in an artificially circumscribed environment. He also developed a practice of writing and rewriting that refined his perception of his environment. Writing became an instrument of attentiveness and suppression—a way to improve his vision and restrict its range. At Walden and in Walden there was little or no conflict between receptivity and sovereignty. Thoreau could be open to his surroundings and in control—vulnerable and secure. This was the beginning of Thoreau's utopia of one: a world small enough to be received in its entirety.Less
This chapter concerns the pedagogy of Henry David Thoreau's Walden (1854). When Thoreau moved to Walden Pond on July 4, 1845, his goal was to maximize his independence. America, from his perspective, had failed. To maximize his independence, Thoreau radically reduced the size of his world. He minimized his social and financial obligations, and chose to live in an artificially circumscribed environment. He also developed a practice of writing and rewriting that refined his perception of his environment. Writing became an instrument of attentiveness and suppression—a way to improve his vision and restrict its range. At Walden and in Walden there was little or no conflict between receptivity and sovereignty. Thoreau could be open to his surroundings and in control—vulnerable and secure. This was the beginning of Thoreau's utopia of one: a world small enough to be received in its entirety.
Sarah Daw
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781474430029
- eISBN:
- 9781474453783
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474430029.003.0003
- Subject:
- Literature, American, 20th Century Literature
Chapter Two takes as its subject the New Mexican poet Peggy Pond Church. Although Church is not a canonically recognised writer, this chapter reveals that her poetry and prose writings contain ...
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Chapter Two takes as its subject the New Mexican poet Peggy Pond Church. Although Church is not a canonically recognised writer, this chapter reveals that her poetry and prose writings contain innovative depictions of an infinite, ecological Nature that is even capable of containing the new nuclear threat. Church’s biography places her at the centre of the story of the nuclear Southwest; her family was evicted from her father’s Ranch School when the US government repossessed their land to make way for the Manhattan Project in 1942. The main body of this chapter reads Church’s poetry alongside an exploration of her interest in Pueblo Native American thought, revealing the degree to which Church drew on the Pueblo worldview in forming the ecological vision of the human relationship to Nature that defines her writing. The final section of the chapter explores the relationship between Church’s writings and those of her neighbour and correspondent, the atomic physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, exposing the synergies between both writers’ contemporaneous depictions of ecology.Less
Chapter Two takes as its subject the New Mexican poet Peggy Pond Church. Although Church is not a canonically recognised writer, this chapter reveals that her poetry and prose writings contain innovative depictions of an infinite, ecological Nature that is even capable of containing the new nuclear threat. Church’s biography places her at the centre of the story of the nuclear Southwest; her family was evicted from her father’s Ranch School when the US government repossessed their land to make way for the Manhattan Project in 1942. The main body of this chapter reads Church’s poetry alongside an exploration of her interest in Pueblo Native American thought, revealing the degree to which Church drew on the Pueblo worldview in forming the ecological vision of the human relationship to Nature that defines her writing. The final section of the chapter explores the relationship between Church’s writings and those of her neighbour and correspondent, the atomic physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, exposing the synergies between both writers’ contemporaneous depictions of ecology.
Patrick Chura
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813034935
- eISBN:
- 9780813038278
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813034935.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, 19th-century and Victorian Literature
Henry David Thoreau, one of America's most prominent environmental writers, supported himself as a land surveyor for much of his life, parceling land that would be sold off to loggers. This book ...
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Henry David Thoreau, one of America's most prominent environmental writers, supported himself as a land surveyor for much of his life, parceling land that would be sold off to loggers. This book analyzes this seeming contradiction to show how the best surveyor in Concord combined civil engineering with civil disobedience. Placing Thoreau's surveying in historical context, the book explains the cultural and ideological implications of surveying work in the mid-nineteenth century. It explains the ways in which Thoreau's environmentalist disposition and philosophical convictions asserted themselves, even as he reduced the land to measurable terms and acted as an agent for bringing it under proprietary control. The book also describes in detail Thoreau's 1846 survey of Walden Pond. By identifying the origins of Walden in—of all places—surveying data, the book re-creates a previously lost supporting manuscript of this American classic.Less
Henry David Thoreau, one of America's most prominent environmental writers, supported himself as a land surveyor for much of his life, parceling land that would be sold off to loggers. This book analyzes this seeming contradiction to show how the best surveyor in Concord combined civil engineering with civil disobedience. Placing Thoreau's surveying in historical context, the book explains the cultural and ideological implications of surveying work in the mid-nineteenth century. It explains the ways in which Thoreau's environmentalist disposition and philosophical convictions asserted themselves, even as he reduced the land to measurable terms and acted as an agent for bringing it under proprietary control. The book also describes in detail Thoreau's 1846 survey of Walden Pond. By identifying the origins of Walden in—of all places—surveying data, the book re-creates a previously lost supporting manuscript of this American classic.
Robert B. Smith and Lee J. Siegel
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- November 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780195105964
- eISBN:
- 9780197565452
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780195105964.003.0013
- Subject:
- Earth Sciences and Geography, Historical Geology
This tour of Yellowstone National Park and the Hebgen Lake earthquake area begins at Yellowstone’s south entrance, just north of Grand Teton National Park. Those ...
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This tour of Yellowstone National Park and the Hebgen Lake earthquake area begins at Yellowstone’s south entrance, just north of Grand Teton National Park. Those entering Yellowstone from other directions may start this tour at any stop that is convenient. For that reason, we have not shown cumulative mileage for this trip from start to finish. Instead, we provide cumulative mileage only from one stop to the next, and for points of interest between them. (Figure 9.1. See also Figure 1.4 for a view of the region’s topography.) Two long days or three less hectic days are required for this 251-mile tour. For those with limited time, some time-saving options are included, such as skipping West Yellowstone, Montana, and the Hebgen Lake earthquake area (Stops 7—12) or omitting Mammoth Hot Springs and other stops on the northern end of the park (Stops 14—16). If you want to spend only two days in Yellowstone and its environs, start early the first day (136 miles) and continue to Stop 12, West Yellowstone, Montana, where overnight accommodations are available. During the second day, visit Stops 13—20 (115 miles). If you wish to divide this chapter’s tour into three days, begin at Stop 1 and proceed through Stop 7, also West Yellowstone (79 miles). Spend the night there. Tour the Hebgen Lake area, Stops 8—11, the second day and return to West Yellowstone, Stop 12, the second night (57 miles). Cover Stops 13—20 the third day (115 miles). The tour ends inside Yellowstone, so you may want to spend the night in the area if you have a long drive home. The driving tour of Yellowstone is passable only from late spring to fall, when park roads are open. West Yellowstone, Montana, and the Hebgen Lake area, Stops 7—12, are accessible year-round, although winter snow covers most geological features. Vehicle odometers vary, sometimes significantly, so mileages should be taken as approximate. Some visitors may choose to drive part or all of these tours in a direction opposite to the one we use.
Less
This tour of Yellowstone National Park and the Hebgen Lake earthquake area begins at Yellowstone’s south entrance, just north of Grand Teton National Park. Those entering Yellowstone from other directions may start this tour at any stop that is convenient. For that reason, we have not shown cumulative mileage for this trip from start to finish. Instead, we provide cumulative mileage only from one stop to the next, and for points of interest between them. (Figure 9.1. See also Figure 1.4 for a view of the region’s topography.) Two long days or three less hectic days are required for this 251-mile tour. For those with limited time, some time-saving options are included, such as skipping West Yellowstone, Montana, and the Hebgen Lake earthquake area (Stops 7—12) or omitting Mammoth Hot Springs and other stops on the northern end of the park (Stops 14—16). If you want to spend only two days in Yellowstone and its environs, start early the first day (136 miles) and continue to Stop 12, West Yellowstone, Montana, where overnight accommodations are available. During the second day, visit Stops 13—20 (115 miles). If you wish to divide this chapter’s tour into three days, begin at Stop 1 and proceed through Stop 7, also West Yellowstone (79 miles). Spend the night there. Tour the Hebgen Lake area, Stops 8—11, the second day and return to West Yellowstone, Stop 12, the second night (57 miles). Cover Stops 13—20 the third day (115 miles). The tour ends inside Yellowstone, so you may want to spend the night in the area if you have a long drive home. The driving tour of Yellowstone is passable only from late spring to fall, when park roads are open. West Yellowstone, Montana, and the Hebgen Lake area, Stops 7—12, are accessible year-round, although winter snow covers most geological features. Vehicle odometers vary, sometimes significantly, so mileages should be taken as approximate. Some visitors may choose to drive part or all of these tours in a direction opposite to the one we use.
Christer Brönmark and Lars-Anders Hansson
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- December 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198713593
- eISBN:
- 9780191781902
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198713593.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology, Ecology
The Biology of Lakes and Ponds focuses on the interactions between the abiotic frame, such as turbulence, temperature, pH and nutrients, and the organisms, including interactions with and among ...
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The Biology of Lakes and Ponds focuses on the interactions between the abiotic frame, such as turbulence, temperature, pH and nutrients, and the organisms, including interactions with and among organisms at the
individual, population and community level. The book fills this niche between traditional limnology and evolutionary ecology by focusing on physiological, morphological and behavioural adaptations among organisms to abiotic and biotic factors and how interactions between biotic processes and abiotic constraints determine the structure and dynamics of lake and pond systems. In addition, the book describes and analyses the causes and consequences of human activities on freshwater organisms and ecosystems and covers longstanding environmental threats, such as eutrophication and acidification, as well as novel threats, such as biodiversity loss, use of everyday chemicals and global climate change. However, also signs of improvement and the possibilities to restore degraded ecosystems are discussed and provide hope for future generations.Less
The Biology of Lakes and Ponds focuses on the interactions between the abiotic frame, such as turbulence, temperature, pH and nutrients, and the organisms, including interactions with and among organisms at the
individual, population and community level. The book fills this niche between traditional limnology and evolutionary ecology by focusing on physiological, morphological and behavioural adaptations among organisms to abiotic and biotic factors and how interactions between biotic processes and abiotic constraints determine the structure and dynamics of lake and pond systems. In addition, the book describes and analyses the causes and consequences of human activities on freshwater organisms and ecosystems and covers longstanding environmental threats, such as eutrophication and acidification, as well as novel threats, such as biodiversity loss, use of everyday chemicals and global climate change. However, also signs of improvement and the possibilities to restore degraded ecosystems are discussed and provide hope for future generations.