The Nature Pages

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	Rocky Mountain Futures An Ecologoical Perspective edited by Jill S. Baron Island Press, 2002
	The views of thirty-two ecologists, geographers, scientists and researchers on the cumulative effects of human activity on the Rocky Mountain region's ecological health are presented in this combined assessment of where ecosystems are heading and what the future holds based upon current economic and social trends.
	Case studies are presented here for ecosystems in northern New Mexico; Summit County, Colorado; Flathead Valley, Montana; and Alberta, Canada. They examine the effects of agriculture on watersheds, exurban development on wildlife habitat, and human influences on aquatic ecosystems.
	"The impetus for this book came from the realization that changes to Rocky Mountain ecosystems are caused by a complex mixture of natural variability and direct human actions in addition to indirect human activity, such as greenhouse gas-caused global warming and long-range air pollution transport," editor Jill Baron explains. "There is not an overall understanding of, let alone a consensus about, threats to the ecological integrity of the Rocky Mountain region."		"It is time to stop quarreling between industries and environmental groups over the few remaining pieces of pristine habitat, for they are too small to support sustainable populations of large wildlife. Instead, we should be developing new plans to restore some of the habitat already compromised..." David W. Schindler
Search our selection of new, used and out-of-print books.	While humans have occupied and influenced the region for more than 10,000 years, it is the last 150 years that are of the greatest concern. The authors document the combined effects of 15 decades of human population growth, exploitation and conservation of natural resources on the tundra, subalpine and montane forests, valleys, grasslands, and waters of this region and try to project what the future holds just a few decades from now.	Jill S. Baron, Ph.D., Research Ecologist, United States Geological Survey. jill@nrel.colostate.edu
			Rocky Mountain  Natural History