R EG I O N A L I N TER ES T U N I VER SI T Y O F MI N N E S O TA PR ESS FA LL 2020
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Minnesota’s Natural Heritage Second Edition JOHN R. TE S TER , S USAN M. GALAT O W I T S C H , REBECCA A . MON TGOMERY, AN D JO H N J . MO R I A R T Y
The definitive work on Minnesota’s natural history and ecology—updated, expanded, and copiously illustrated to account for profound changes to the state’s natural landscape over the past twenty-five years The story of Minnesota’s natural landscape, reaching back to the time of the glaciers, covers at least 12,000 years. Yet even against that vast expanse, recent decades have significantly transformed the natural world that is Minnesota’s greatest resource. In the twenty-five years since the first publication of Minnesota’s Natural Heritage, the definitive volume on the state’s natural history and ecology, human activity and climate change have profoundly altered the major ecosystems that give our state its rich and varied character. The second edition of Minnesota’s Natural Heritage introduces readers to these ecosystems—the lakes and rivers, forests and prairies, farmlands and wetlands—and explains how they have come to be, how they function, and how they have changed so rapidly and dramatically in recent years. Fullcolor illustrations document the state’s striking natural beauty in all its vigor and fragility, while
maps, drawings, diagrams, and graphs amplify points of historical, ecological, and geological interest. The most complete treatment of Minnesota’s natural environment, compiled and accessibly written by scientists whose collective knowledge spans the book’s expansive content, Minnesota’s Natural Heritage is the one indispensable companion for both visitors and inhabitants, as enlightening to page through as it is valuable to study.
John R. Tester Susan M. Galatowitsch Rebecca A. Montgomery John J. Moriarty SECOND EDITION
John R. Tester (1929–2019) was emeritus professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at the University of Minnesota. Susan M. Galatowitsch is professor and head of the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota. She is author of Ecological Restoration and Restoring Prairie Wetlands: An Ecological Approach. Rebecca A. Montgomery is a professor in the Department of Forest Resources at the University of Minnesota. John J. Moriarty is senior manager of wildlife for Three Rivers Park District. His books include Amphibians and Reptiles in Minnesota and A Field Guide to the Natural World of the Twin Cities (both from Minnesota). N ATURAL HISTORY $49.95 £41.00 Cloth/jacket ISBN: 978-1-5179-0357-2 N OVEMBER 416 pages 254 color plates, 14 tables 8 1/4 x 10 1/2