Bogs

Pp. 19.

Ecology of the Northern Lowland Bogs and Conifer Forests is a book on the ecology of bogs and conifer swamps and, to some extent, the marshlands. The chapters that follow are, for the most part, a review of what is known about the northern bogs and lowland forests, written in the terminology of science in the hope, as well as the expectation, that such knowledge will be of value to those who appreciate the beauty of bogs and marshlands, to ecologists and other biological scientists, naturalists, wildlife conservationists, hunters, trappers, construction engineers, as well as to others whose vocations or avocations take them afield. The discussion is devoted, at least primarily, to the ecology of one kind of wetland—the lowland bogs and conifer forests—and treats only in passing the marshlands and other kinds of vegetational communities that are also classified as wetlands. Of particular concern are the lowland peat bogs and forests, especially those that have developed to a point where their identity is indisputable for the simple reason that no other review of accumulated knowledge on these vegetational communities is presently available.

In a world filled with breathtaking beauty, we have often overlooked the elusive magic of certain landscapes. A cloudy river flows into an Arctic wetland where sandhill cranes and muskoxen dwell. Further south, cypress branches hang low over dismal swamps. Places like these-collectively known as swamplands or peatlands-often go unnoticed for their ecological splendor. They are as globally significant as rainforests, yet, because of their reputation as wastelands, they are being systematically drained and degraded. Swamplands celebrates these wild places, as journalist Edward Struzik highlights the unappreciated struggle to save peatlands by scientists, conservationists, and landowners around the world. An ode to peaty landscapes in all their offbeat glory, the book is also a demand for awareness of the myriad threats they face. It inspires us to see the beauty and importance in these least likely of places­. Our planet's survival might depend on it.

Describes bog mummies, along with some of the most famous bog mummies and where they have been found, how they were created, how scientists study them, and what they can teach us about the past.