The biohistory of Alachua County, Florida / Francis William Zettler.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Zettler, Francis William, 1938- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Natural history--Florida--Alachua County.

Natural history.

Alachua County (Fla.)--History.

Alachua County (Fla.).

Florida--Alachua County.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

135 pages ; 23 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Sarasota, Florida : Pineapple Press, Inc., [2015]

Summary:

Alachua County, which formerly covered almost a third of the state, now sits in north central Florida, roughly halfway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Its "biohistory," a coin termed by the author in one of his popular courses at the University of Florida, includes the evolution and history of all its living things, plant and animal. The county's rich fossil record reveals that shovel-tusked elephants, 8-ton ground sloths, giant beavers, and tiny horses once roamed the county's 969 square miles. Its human history is the story of people who arrived some 12,000 years ago after a journey that took them from Asia across the Bering land bridge and then south across the North American continent. Today, Alachua County retains its human and ecological diversity. The University of Florida in Gainesville draws students and faculty from throughout the U.S. and around the world while small towns retain their "old Florida" ambience. Natural areas such as the limestone sinkhole called Devil's Millhopper and the vast marshy grassland that is Paynes Prairie are home to a dazzling array of flora and fauna. This fascinating "biohistory" of Alachua County, prehistoric to present-day, is a microcosm of the history of Florida itself, told with verve and clarity like an adventure unfolding over millions of years. Book jacket.

Contents:

Aliens? 5

Biohistory? 6

1 Alachua County's Genesis 7

The Florida Platform and Its African Origin 9

Florida Becomes a Landmass 10

Animals Migrating to Florida Across Land Bridges 14

The Ascendency of Grasses 16

Evolutionary Problem-Solving for Grass-Grazers 18

2 Humans Coming to Florida 20

Preparing for the Journey 20

From Beringia to Florida 25

The First "Florida Natives" 27

Consequences of Horse and Camel Extinctions in North America 29

Florida in the Archaic Period: Adapting to Life Without Megafauna 31

The Woodland-Mississippian Transition: Maize (Corn) Farming Arrives in Florida 35

Maize Agriculture's Production Limitations 39

3 The Columbian Exchange 43

Implications of the Columbian Exchange 43

Economic Incentives Behind the Voyages of Discovery 45

Malaria and the West African Slaves 47

4 The Early Colonial Period 50

Europeans Arrive in North Florida 50

European Incursions to Alachua County 51

The Spanish Mission Settlements and the Timucua Indians 52

Rice, Slaves, and the Anglo/Spanish Struggle for Florida 57

Alachua County as Described by William Bartram 60

5 Florida Becomes a Part of the United States 68

The Patriot War and the Genesis of Alachua County 70

Alachua County and the Seminole Indian Wars 72

The Anglo/Appalachian Heritage of Alachua County's White Settlers 76

6 Pre-modern Alachua County 83

The Bellamy Road, Florida's First Federal Highway 83

Railroads Come to Alachua County 86

The Ephemeral Industries of Alachua County 91

Citrus 91

Cotton 92

Naval Stores 94

Phosphate Mining 97

Alachua County Bridging the 19th and 20th Centuries 99

Changes in Population Demographics 101

The University of Florida Arrives in Gainesville 102

Enhanced Biological Knowledge 104

Alachua County Bridges the 20th and 21st Centuries 111

Social Transformation 111

7 Modern Alachua County 114

Alachua County Integrated into the Global Network 115

Fossil Fuels in Florida 116

Transportation: The Power of Motion 117

Alachua County Railroads 118

Alachua County Roadways 118

Gainesville Regional Airport 120

Alachua County Facing the Future 121

A Tree's Perspective of Time in Alachua County 123.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781561647347

1561647349

OCLC:

883903373