Back to the Future in the Caves of Kaua'i : A Scientist's Adventures in the Dark

by David A. Burney

• ISBN13: 9780300172096
• ISBN10: 0300172095
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2011-04-26
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

For two decades, paleoecologist David Burney and his wife, Lida Pigott Burney, have led an excavation of Makauwahi Cave on the island of Kaua'i, uncovering the fascinating variety of plants and animals that have inhabited Hawaii throughout its history. From the unique perspective of paleoecologythe study of ancient environmentsBurney has focused his investigations on the dramatic ecological changes that began after the arrival of humans one thousand years ago, detailing not only the environmental degradation they introduced but also asking how and why this destruction occurred and, most significantly, what might happen in the future. Using Kaua'i as an ecological prototype and drawing on the author's adventures in Madagascar, Mauritius, and other exciting locales, Burney examines highly pertinent theories about current threats to endangered species, restoration of ecosystems, and how people can work together to repair environmental damage elsewhere on the planet. Intriguing illustrations, including a reconstruction of the ancient ecological landscape of Kaua'i by the artist Julian Hume, offer an engaging window into the ecological marvels of another time. A fascinating adventure story of one man's life in paleoecology,Back to the Future in the Caves of Kaua'ireveals the excitementand occasional frustrationsof a career spent exploring what the past can tell us about the future.

Author Biography

David A. Burney is the director of conservation at the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Kalaheo, Hawaii. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2006 to write this book on his work at Makauwahi Cave on Kaua'i. He currently lives in Kalaheo, Hawaii.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Time's Most Important Moment	p. 1
Proverbial Tracks	p. 10
Constructing a ôPoor Man's Time Machineö	p. 18
Owl Omens	p. 29
Opening Ancient Doors	p. 36
Characters and a Stage, but No Script	p. 47
Fishponds	p. 57
A Snails' Tale	p. 64
Mauka Marshes	p. 68
So What Happened, Anyway?	p. 75
Greetings from Old Kaua'i	p. 86
Irrigating the Future	p. 104
The Tour	p. 118
Right Here, Right Now	p. 130
Finding a Future in the Past	p. 153
Glossary	p. 173
Notes	p. 175
Bibliography	p. 181
Index	p. 189
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