Amazon Sweet Sea

by Smith, Nigel J. H.

• ISBN13: 9780292777705
• ISBN10: 0292777701
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-11-01
• Publisher: Univ of Texas Pr

Summary

Far into the Atlantic Ocean, the outflow from the Amazon River creates a "sweet sea" of fresh water. At the river' 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' 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.

Author Biography

Nigel J. H. Smith is Professor and Chair of Geography at the University of Florida.

Table of Contents

Preface

Where Titans Meet

Reinventing Pristine Nature

Jungle Cowboys

Pillars of Life

A Banquet of Wild Fruits

In the Shadow of the Forest

Chainsaw Orgy

Fishing and Plants in the River-Sea

The Hunt between Land and Water

Misty Dawn

Common and Scientific Names of Plants

Common and Scientific Names of Animals

Notes

Further Reading

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.