PRAIRIE
A NATURAL HISTORY

by Candace Savage
Greystone Books

Prairie: A Natural History provides a comprehensive, nontechnical guide to the biology and ecology of the prairies, or the Great Plains grasslands of North America. Extending from Alberta south to Texas and from the Rockies east to the Mississippi River, the prairies are among the largest ecosystems in North America. Until recently, they were also one of the richest and most magnificent natural grasslands in the world. Today, however, they are among the most altered environments on Earth.

Beginning with the geological and biological evolution of the region, the book goes on to describe the relationship between climate and the native grasses; the fertile prairie soil with its menagerie of microbes, worms, mites and ants; and the ecology of the rangelands, aquatic habitats, woodlands, and croplands. The book ends with an assessment of the conservation status of the region and outlines the growing interest in restoring and conserving priaire ecosystems.

Despite the many changes the Great Plains have undergone, Savage calls the prairies a landscape of hope - a place that has experienced the onslaught of modernization yet still inspirtes us with the splendor.

Throughout the book, spectacular full-color photographs and elegant black-and-white line drawings illustrate the beauty and diversity of the North American heartland. Both an authoritative reference and an easy-to-read guide, Prairie: A Natural History is a must for anyone who wants to know more about the dazzling natrual variety of the prairies.

Principal photography by James R. Page
Illustrations by Joan A. Williams
David Suzuki Foundation
Greystone Books
Douglas & McIntryre Publishing Group, Vancouver/Toronto/Berkeley
2004