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Streams: Their Ecology and Life
Streams is a handbook that combines a discussion of the ecology of streams and rivers, in layperson language, with an illustrated field guide of the plants and animals found in running waters of North America. Various illustrations and maps accompany the text. The authors are extremely well known--Cushing is the lead content provider for an America On-Line service provided through Trout Unlimited entitled "Ask Dr. Cushing." He is frequently asked the sorts of questions that are answered in this field guide. J. David Allan is the author of a well known textbook in Aquatic Ecology .
- GenresEcology
400 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 19, 2024
It is difficult to determine exactly what this book is from the publisher’s description. I speculated that it might be a reference book, handbook, field guide, or even suitable for casual reading. After reading through it I would say that I was both correct and incorrect on all counts as it really seems to be a little of each of these.
The author’s preface describes Streams: Their Ecology and Life as a book “written for the non-professional, but seriously interested, individual.” I would say this sums things up pretty well. Although accessible to the average reader, the writing here does have an academic feel and requires a bit more focus than a laid-back afternoon might provide. While certainly not “stream ecology for dummies” this book would still be a good fit for those who might not have much background in ecology but are working in an occupation or conservation endeavor that might benefit from some general understanding of how river and stream ecosystems work (or also quite possibly for the angler who might want to add to their knowledge as there are more than a few references to trout fishing.)
The layout of the book is pretty straightforward. The information is divided into four sections. The first describes the general ecology of stream habitats including their physical and abiotic features as well as a bit on aquatic food webs. (This section reads a bit like a textbook but, personally, I enjoyed it the most.) The second section focuses on the different types of rivers found in the U.S. while the third features information on biological life and could be seen as a field guide of sorts. There is a relatively short fourth section as well that addresses conservation and restoration efforts. Considering that the book was published in 2001 some of this data is out of date though sadly the problems that threaten these ecosystems are very much still major issues.
One small complaint is that many of the pictures, graphs, and illustrations appeared to be from the 50s-80s and are dark and hard to see or otherwise less than eye-catching. The degrees of temperature and other measurements are in Celsius and metric which wasn’t as convenient for this American reader. Seeing as the book was published by both British and American publishing companies it would have been helpful if both types of measurement were included.
Now that I have finished this book I certainly know more about how streams “work” than when I started. I am left wishing that, after learning about all the different pieces involved in these aquatic habitats, I could read in more detail about how they interconnect in specific river ecosystems.
A good, solid book for anyone looking to learn more about America’s streams and rivers.
The author’s preface describes Streams: Their Ecology and Life as a book “written for the non-professional, but seriously interested, individual.” I would say this sums things up pretty well. Although accessible to the average reader, the writing here does have an academic feel and requires a bit more focus than a laid-back afternoon might provide. While certainly not “stream ecology for dummies” this book would still be a good fit for those who might not have much background in ecology but are working in an occupation or conservation endeavor that might benefit from some general understanding of how river and stream ecosystems work (or also quite possibly for the angler who might want to add to their knowledge as there are more than a few references to trout fishing.)
The layout of the book is pretty straightforward. The information is divided into four sections. The first describes the general ecology of stream habitats including their physical and abiotic features as well as a bit on aquatic food webs. (This section reads a bit like a textbook but, personally, I enjoyed it the most.) The second section focuses on the different types of rivers found in the U.S. while the third features information on biological life and could be seen as a field guide of sorts. There is a relatively short fourth section as well that addresses conservation and restoration efforts. Considering that the book was published in 2001 some of this data is out of date though sadly the problems that threaten these ecosystems are very much still major issues.
One small complaint is that many of the pictures, graphs, and illustrations appeared to be from the 50s-80s and are dark and hard to see or otherwise less than eye-catching. The degrees of temperature and other measurements are in Celsius and metric which wasn’t as convenient for this American reader. Seeing as the book was published by both British and American publishing companies it would have been helpful if both types of measurement were included.
Now that I have finished this book I certainly know more about how streams “work” than when I started. I am left wishing that, after learning about all the different pieces involved in these aquatic habitats, I could read in more detail about how they interconnect in specific river ecosystems.
A good, solid book for anyone looking to learn more about America’s streams and rivers.
July 4, 2023
Really great book on both ecology and conservation of rivers!
January 5, 2020
If you are looking for a book on stream (and rivers) ecology of North America this is it. The book goes into non living factors of streams, the general overview of types of streams across America, individual chapters for organisms that have influence on streams (to a nice depth), and discussing conservation to finish it off. The book is organized well and easy to navigate through. Breaks it down for beginners and those with ecology background that wish to know more about streams. They reference their information and give further reading suggestions at the end of each chapter. The pictures are also very good for you to have a visual while reading.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews