FRESHWATER ALGAE, THEIR MICROSCOPIC WORLD EXPLORED, by H. Canter-Lund and J.W.G. Lund. 1995. 360 pp. ISBN 0-948737-25-5
The very high quality alga portraits (387 in color, 640 altogether) are a delightful sampler of the many colors and shapes to be found among algae. They are complemented by a very readable text, written for laymen, which answers the basics: what are algae? where are they found? how do they live? This book will find its way into many libraries, from home to university.
RESTORATION OF STREAM ECOSYSTEMS--AN INTEGRATED CATCHMENT APPROACH, edited by M. Eiseltova and J. Biggs. 1995. 170 pp.
This volume, the second in the series of IWRB's wetland management training handbooks, is aimed at ecologists, engineers and planners who are responsible for restoration projects, and also to agriculture, forestry and development planners and managers.
The book includes a dozen case studies about the "remeandering" (unchannelizing?) of rivers, structuring stream beds, and other essential acts for re-making rivers. The case studies are focused on Central and Eastern Europe.
TROPICAL FRESHWATER WETLANDS, A GUIDE TO CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT, by H. Roggeri. 1995. 364 pp. ISBN 07923-3785-9
The main purpose of the book is "to help provincial planners choose, develop and carry out" a "new" kind of wetland management, a kind that seeks "to make the best of the benefits offered by nature, rather than transform or eradicate nature." After sections in which freshwater wetlands are defined, wetland functions and values are reviewed, and "interventions" are examined, the author presents guiding principles and practical approaches to the sustainable management of wetlands.
Thirteen case studies of wetlands management in various developing countries are presented, including 7 in Africa. Several appendices, including a bibliography of some 900 citations, complete the volume.
VÍZINÖVÉNYEK, by Z. Tuba, illustrated by K. Bíró, 1987, reprinted 1995, 64 pp. ISBN 96311-7263-5 (In Hungarian.)
DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR DETECTION AND MAPPING OF SUBMERSED AQUATIC VEGETATION WITH HYDROACOUSTIC AND GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM TECHNOLOGIES, Report 1 - The Submersed Aquatic Vegetation Early Warning System (SAVEWS) - System Description and User's Guide (Version 1.0), by B.M. Sabol and R.E. Melton. 1995. 37 pp.
COMMON PLANTS OF FLORIDA'S AQUATIC PLANT INDUSTRY, SECTION 3 OF AQUATIC PLANT INSPECTION MANUAL, by N.C. Coile. 1995. 131 pp.
PLANT SURVIVAL: ADAPTING TO A HOSTILE WORLD, by B. Capon. 1994. 140 pp.
PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PLANT CONSERVATION, by D.R. Given. 1994. 292 pp. ISBN 0-88192-249-8
This comprehensive handbook for practicing conservationists is "the first detailed overview ever to be published of this vitally important subject"; it explains the concepts and principles underlying successful plant conservation. It was commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
Included are chapters on how plants become threatened or extinct; plant population management; managing protected natural areas; "off-site" conservation in botanic gardens and gene banks; as well as chapters devoted to ethics; education; conservation legislation; and the economics of plant conservation.
MANUAL DE IDENTIFICACION DE PLANTAS ACUATICAS DEL PARQUE NACIONAL LAGUNAS DE ZEMPOALA, MEXICO, by J.R. Bonilla-Barbosa and A. Novelo Retana. 1995. 169 pp. ISBN 968-36-4335-3 (In Spanish)
CACHE RIVER BASIN, ARKANSAS: ENVIRONMENTAL DATABASE, COMPACT DISK DATA ARCHIVE, AND META-DATA DOCUMENTATION, by R. Kress and S. Bourne. 1995. 46 pp. and 1 CD.
The databases on the CD include those on topography, hydrology, soils, vegetation, wildlife, meteorology, wetland maps, cultural boundaries, satellite images and field measurement locations.
AQUACULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES, A Historical Survey, by R.R. Stickney. 1996. 372 pp. ISBN 0-4711-3154-7
This history goes into detail about early U.S. fish culturists, Spencer Baird and the establishment of the U.S. Fish and Fisheries Commission (in 1871), the development of fish culture first as an industry and then as a science, species lists and shipping tonnage, the beginnings of the American Fisheries Society, on up to the establishment of the World Mariculture Society (1969) and finally to current day issues: "hatchery bashing", high land costs, protecting species vs. protecting stocks, etc.
WETLAND PLANTS FROM TEST TUBES, by C.B. Burgess. 1995. 36 pp.
Rather than raiding existing wetlands for plant material, we can now employ biotechnology and the methods of tissue culture, or “micropropagation”, to produce as many plants as needed for wetland restoration.
This book, though not exactly a how-to manual, does answer the most often asked questions by resource managers, developers and others about tissue culture: What are the basics? What are the five steps of tissue culture? What about genetic variation (or lack thereof)? What laws apply and how is the industry coming along?
Chapters deal with seagrasses, as well as dune and wetland plants.
(Order from Biopress Ltd., The Orchard, Clanage Road, Bristol BS3 2JX, England, UNITED KINGDOM. Ł49.50 plus S/H.)
Here is a science book that might also sell as a "coffee table" art book; the subject so fascinating, the photographs so captivating. Written by fellows of England's Freshwater Biological Association, this large-format volume is an introduction to all the major freshwater algal groups, together with parasitic fungi, protozoan and other invertebrate predators.
Around the world, "restoration ecologists" are attempting to repair the damage to rivers and floodplains altered or destroyed by the construction of dams and by channelization for flood control and boat traffic.
The author of this wetlands management "guide" for professionals notes that even though wetlands have "an importance which is comparable to that of the tropical forest", many people in developing countries as well as many development and nature conservation planners and managers fail to appreciate the "highly valuable services and products" provided by wetlands, and some have yet "to become acquainted with wetlands".
(For ordering information, contact Dr. Zoltán Tuba, Dept. Bot. & Plant Physiol., Agricultural University of Godollo, Pater K U 1, H-2103 Godollo, HUNGARY; tuba@fa.gau.hu)
This is a colorful guide to 122 species of aquatic plants of Hungary, complete with basic morphological and ecological information about each plant. Each plant is depicted in a nicely done water color. The small format book includes an index of common names; nyilfu is the common Hungarian name for Sagittaria sagittifolia, sarga vizitok vagy tavirozsa is Nuphar lutea.
(For information, contact Bruce Sabol, USACE, Waterways Experiment Station, EL-EN-C, 3909 Halls Ferry Rd., Vicksburg, MS 39180, sabol@ex1.wes.army.mil)
This report describes a portable system that can be managed by two people and is operable from a small boat, that is able to detect and map submersed (not topped out) plants from the surface in real time in areas of up to several thousand acres at one time. It was made using commercially available, off-the-shelf components. The system's total cost was less than $50,000, in 1993-94 US dollars.
(Order from Office of Technical Assistance, Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, POB 147100, 1911 SW 34 ST., Gainesville, FL 32614-7100, (352) 372-3505. $15.00 plus postage.)
This looseleaf manual offers identification information about 87 species that are commonly sold by Florida's aquatic plant industry. While the publication was originally intended for the use of Florida Bureau of Plant Inspection workers, it also might be of interest to nurserymen and others. We suppose that such a manual as this would be useful in Florida insofar as many of the species treated here are not included in other references which cover native Florida plants. Unfortunately, most of the images selected to represent the various plants leave something to be desired, and closeups or detailed drawings that might enable more accurate identification are lacking.
(Order from Timber Press, Inc., 133 SW 2 Ave., Suite 450, Portland, OR 97204-3527, (503) 227-2878. Hardback: $24.95 plus S/H; Paper: $15.95 plus S/H.)
This introduction to plant ecology was "written especially for young readers" by a university botany professor. It tells how plants have adapted to live almost anywhere, from the arctic tundra to tropical jungles, from the deserts to lakes and oceans. Many interesting questions are simply answered: why do water lily leaves feel waxy? what is the purpose of bald cypress knees? how do high mountain plants protect themselves from ultraviolet rays? The answers are illustrated by colorful pencil drawings. Though written for middle school audiences, there is enough here to engage the interest of almost any science reader.
(Order from Timber Press, Inc., 133 SW 2 AVE, Suite 450, Portland, OR 97204-3527, (503) 227-2878. Hardback: $39.95 plus S/H.)
According to the author, "Strict preservationism is not the same as conservation. Conservation may advocate preservation of species and ecosystems but may also advocate use of them, providing this is not wasteful...A challenge for conservation is to seek a middle stance, sometimes promoting preservation, but at other times supporting controlled exploitation."
(For information, contact Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia, Apartado postal 70-233, 04510 Mexico, DF, MEXICO.)
This volume contains descriptions of the morphology and vegetation of seven Mexican lakes. Included are descriptions of 66 aquatic plant species which include information about flowering, fruiting, habitat, and distribution.
(For information, contact Public Affairs Office, U.S. Army Engineer, Waterways Experiment Station, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180-6199, (601) 634-2502. Technical Report WRP-SM-13)
This investigation designed a digital database for numerical and spatial analysis of a wetlands system. The prototype was developed for the Cache River watershed. It is one of the first environmental databases to conform to new federal regulations and standards for geographic data, acquisition, storage and access, as ordered by President Clinton in Executive Order 12906, April 11, 1994.
(Order from John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, NY 10158, (800) 225-5945. $49.95.)
The author defines aquaculture as "the rearing of aquatic organisms under controlled or semicontrolled conditions", a definition that includes plants as well as animals.
(Order from North Carolina Sea Grant, Box 8605, N.C. State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8605. Publication No. UNC-SG-95-08.)
“No Wetlands, No Seafood.” But, when wetlands are destroyed or are otherwise in need of restoration or “mitigation”, where do we find the plants to plant in them?