The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Volume 8: Environment - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0807831700 ISBN 13: 9780807831700

Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press, 2007

Synopsis

From semitropical coastal areas to high mountain terrain, from swampy lowlands to modern cities, the environment holds a fundamental importance in shaping the character of the American South. This volume of ""The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture"" surveys the dynamic environmental forces that have shaped human culture in the region - and the ways humans have shaped their environment. Articles examine how the South's ecology, physiography, and climate have influenced southerners - not only as a daily fact of life but also as a metaphor for understanding culture and identity. This volume includes ninety-eight essays that explore - both broadly and specifically - elements of the southern environment. Thematic overviews address subjects such as plants, animals, energy use and development, and natural disasters. Shorter topical entries feature familiar species such as the alligator, the ivory-billed woodpecker, kudzu, and the mockingbird. Also covered are important individuals in southern environmental history and prominent places in the landscape, such as the South's national parks and seashores. New articles cover contemporary issues in land use and conservation, environmental protection, and the current status of the flora and fauna widely associated with the South.

About this title

Review

More of a good thing, well timed, and in a more accessible package.--The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society Almost all the essays are sufficiently self-contained to provide a good overview, gently crafted to engage someone with only a beginner's knowledge, of topics often breezed past in college textbooks--an ideal combination for an encyclopedia.--Western Folklore Will appeal to a broad range of scholars, students, and those interested in the southern environment.--Journal of Mississippi History Both instructive and entertaining--a job well done.--The North Carolina Historical Review A fascinating read on the broad range of natural features that define our regions.--Our State

About the Author

Martin V. Melosi, Distinguished University Professor of History at the University of Houston and coeditor of the History of the Urban Environment series, is the author of Effluent America: Cities, Industry, Energy, and the Environment.

About this edition

• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0807831700
• ISBN 13: 9780807831700
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320
• Editor: Wilson Charles Reagan