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Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predatorsby William Stolzenburg
Powells.com Staff PickWhat would our world look like without without wolves, giant cats, and
other preying animals? William Stolzenburg examines the absence of
once-prominent predators and how that affects our global ecosystem. There are a lot of alarmist books coming out now that focus on how we're destroying our planet a piece at a time. Consider this one essential. Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:A provocative look at how the disappearance of the world’s great predators has upset the delicate balance of the environment, and what their disappearance portends for the future, by an acclaimed science journalist.
It wasn’t so long ago that wolves and great cats, monstrous fish and flying raptors ruled the peak of nature’s food pyramid. Not so anymore. All but exterminated, these predators of the not-too-distant past have been reduced to minor players of the modern era. And what of it? Wildlife journalist William Stolzenburg follows in the wake of nature’s topmost carnivores, and finds chaos in their absence. From the brazen mobs of deer and marauding raccoons of backyard America to streamsides of Yellowstone National Park crushed by massive herds of elk; from urchin-scoured reefs in the North Pacific to ant-devoured islands in Venezuela, Stolzenburg leads a startling tour through bizarre, impoverished landscapes of pest and plague. For anyone who has seldom given thought to the meat-eating beasts so recently missing from the web of life, here is a world of reason to think again. Review:"In this impassioned debut, wildlife journalist Stolzenburg examines predation's crucial role in the preservation of ecological diversity, painting nightmarish pictures of what happens when top carnivores are exterminated from ecosystems. Without sea otters to keep ravenous sea urchins in check, some ocean floors in the North Pacific have been stripped of kelp. In Yellowstone National Park, the eradication of wolves has resulted in a glut of elk that have trampled river banks and chewed down young trees. White-tailed deer have denuded the undergrowth in the forests of the eastern United States, because wolves and cougar have disappeared. Without large meat eaters, mid-size predators — raccoons, blue jays, crows, squirrels, opossums — have proliferated, to the detriment of songbird populations. In dazzling descriptions, Stolzenburg demonstrates how the delicate balance between predator and prey is so essential, and his book, rich in dramatic accounts of life and death in the wild, is powerful and compelling. (July)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Review:"Where the Wild Things Were is science writing at its best. The subject is important for biology and sustainable development, the prose is excellent, turning lyrical at just the right times, and the story of the research is woven with clarity into natural history. Big, fierce animals have a noble champion in William Stolzenburg." Edward O. Wilson
Synopsis:An acclaimed science journalist takes a provocative look at how the disappearance of the world's great predators has upset the delicate balance of the environment, and what their disappearance portends for the future.
About the AuthorWilliam Stolzenburg has studied predator control techniques, monitored endangered species, and written hundreds of magazine features and columns on the science of rarity and extinction for Nature Conservancy and Science News, among others. He lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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