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Wisconsin's Natural Communities: How to Recognize Them, Where to Find Them
Cattails grow in a marsh, pitcher plants grow in a bog, jewelweed grows in a swamp, right? Do sandhill cranes live among sandy hills? Frogs live near lakes and ponds, but can they live on prairies, too? What is a pine barrens, an oak opening, a calcareous fen?
Wisconsin’s Natural Communities is an invitation to discover, explore, and understand Wisconsin’s richly varied natural environment, from your backyard or neighborhood park to stunning public preserves.Part 1 of the book explains thirty-three distinct types of natural communities in Wisconsin—their characteristic trees, beetles, fish, lichens, butterflies, reptiles, mammals, wildflowers—and the effects of geology, climate, and historical events on these habitats. Part 2 describes and maps fifty natural areas on public lands that are outstanding examples of these many different natural Crex Meadows, Horicon Marsh, Black River Forest, Maribel Caves, Whitefish Dunes, the Blue Hills, Avoca Prairie, the Moquah Barrens and Chequamegon Bay, the Ridges Sanctuary, Cadiz Springs, Devil’s Lake, and many others.
Intended for anyone who has a love for the natural world, this book is also an excellent introduction for students. And, it provides landowners, public officials, and other stewards of our environment with the knowledge to recognize natural communities and manage them for future generations.
Wisconsin’s Natural Communities is an invitation to discover, explore, and understand Wisconsin’s richly varied natural environment, from your backyard or neighborhood park to stunning public preserves.Part 1 of the book explains thirty-three distinct types of natural communities in Wisconsin—their characteristic trees, beetles, fish, lichens, butterflies, reptiles, mammals, wildflowers—and the effects of geology, climate, and historical events on these habitats. Part 2 describes and maps fifty natural areas on public lands that are outstanding examples of these many different natural Crex Meadows, Horicon Marsh, Black River Forest, Maribel Caves, Whitefish Dunes, the Blue Hills, Avoca Prairie, the Moquah Barrens and Chequamegon Bay, the Ridges Sanctuary, Cadiz Springs, Devil’s Lake, and many others.
Intended for anyone who has a love for the natural world, this book is also an excellent introduction for students. And, it provides landowners, public officials, and other stewards of our environment with the knowledge to recognize natural communities and manage them for future generations.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 12, 2016
I was originally introduced to this book in a college course as it was a required text. I kept it because it was full of valuable information about the ecology of Wisconsin AND it highlights gems to visit. I have referenced this book for camping, hiking, and exploring the beautiful state of Wisconsin. Last year, I asked the DNR come to survey our land and it was the author, Randy Hoffman who can to do the survey! What a treat! He is extremely knowledgeable on all things natural in Wisconsin, especially birds. Love this book and highly recommend it to anyone with interests in the natural world, ecology, Wisconsin, hiking, exploring, etc.
July 13, 2010
A wonderful resource for understanding the diverse plant communities that one will find in Wisconsin. For each community, the author includes a description, a list of plants, insects and animals found within, and a few publicly-owned parks or areas where one could go to see an example of the community. A terrific resource for anyone hoping to restore a property with natives, or build a permaculture guild suited to the upper midwest.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews