Amazon sweet sea : land, life and water at the river's mouth / Nigel J. H. Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smith, Nigel J. H., 1949- author.

Series:

Roger Fullington Series in Architecture

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Human ecology--Amazon River Valley.

Human ecology.

Rain forest ecology--Amazon River Valley.

Rain forest ecology.

Environmental degradation--Amazon River Valley.

Environmental degradation.

Environmental policy--Amazon River Valley.

Environmental policy.

Landscape changes--Amazon River Valley.

Landscape changes.

Amazon River Estuary (Brazil)--Environmental conditions.

Amazon River Estuary (Brazil).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (296 pages) : illustrations, maps

Place of Publication:

Austin, Texas : University of Texas Press, 2002.

Summary:

Far into the Atlantic Ocean, the outflow from the Amazon River creates a "sweet sea" of fresh water. At the river's mouth, a vast delta of river channels and marshes, floodplain and upland forests, open and scrub savannas, floating meadows, and mangrove swamps hosts an astonishingly diverse assemblage of plant and animal life. So rich is this biological treasure house that early European explorers deemed it inexhaustible. In this highly readable book, Nigel Smith explores how human use of the Amazon estuary's natural resources has been affected by technological change, rapid urban growth, and accelerated market integration. Avoiding alarmist rhetoric, he shows how human intervention in the estuary has actually diversified agriculture and helped save floodplain forests from wanton destruction. His findings underscore the importance of understanding the history of land use and the ecological knowledge of local people when formulating development and conservation policies. The book will be of interest to everyone concerned with the fate of tropical forests, conserving biodiversity, and developing natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1. Where Titans Meet

Chapter 2. Reinventing Pristine Nature

Chapter 3. Jungle Cowboys

Chapter 4. Pillars of Life

Chapter 5. A Banquet of Wild Fruits

Chapter 6. In the Shadow of the Forest

Chapter 7. Chainsaw Orgy

Chapter 8. Fishing and Plants in the River

Chapter 9. The Hunt between Land and Water

Chapter 10. Misty Dawn

APPENDIX 1. Common and Scientific Names of Plants

APPENDIX 2. Common and Scientific Names of Animals

Notes

Further Reading

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-292-70530-1

OCLC:

1280945181