Peatlands of Ohio and the Southern Great Lakes Region - by Denny (Paperback)

From the Back Cover

Exploring and appreciating the fascinating ecosystems of bogs and fens

Peatlands--and specifically "bogs"--have long been a source of fascination for humans, and these amazing places are truly living relicts of the Ice Age. More recently, bogs have come to be regarded as complex and fascinating wetland ecosystems. Peatlands of Ohio and the Southern Great Lakes Region focuses on the sphagnum peat bogs and rich fens of the lower Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, southern Michigan, and the glaciated northern corners of Pennsylvania.

The peatlands of today are products of the Wisconsinan Glaciation, when peatland plants originating in northern latitudes migrated southward in a wide band preceding the glacial wall of ice. After thousands of years, the glacier's retreat severely diminished the sites with the very special environmental conditions needed to sustain these ecosystems.

However, in a few sites, kettlehole lakes and cold alkaline hillside seeps and springs enabled remnants of peatland vegetation to survive to this day. Guy L. Denny, with accompanying photographs by Gary Meszaros, closely examines this habitat and its special environmental constraints, the geological and climatological origins, and the flora and fauna unique to the bogs and rich fens of this region. As readers will discover as they learn about places like Cranberry Bog in Michigan or Triangle Lake in Ohio, kettlehole sphagnum peat bogs and rich fens are not only essential places to protect, but they are amazing sites to explore, discover new plants, and observe the beauty and splendor of the natural world.

Review Quotes

"This educational and beautiful book will make you want to visit and study in detail these wonderful and special habitats. So, explore peatlands, bogs, and fens and their formation, history, differences, and future, as well as their plant and wildlife communities as Guy carries you along with his mix of scientific and everyday language enhanced by Gary's photographs. You are sure to enjoy this armchair adventure!" --Hope Taft, First Lady of Ohio, 1999-2007

"Guy Denny is an exceptionally talented and dedicated field naturalist, leader, photographer, and author who has devoted his life to introducing and encouraging both children and adults to connect and experience the wonders of the natural world. Peatlands of Ohio and the Southern Great Lakes Region is a beautiful and informative book of photographs and information about the significance and uniqueness of peat bogs." --Frances S. Buchholzer, former director, Ohio Department Natural Resources

"Whether you're a professional naturalist or budding amateur, most everything you need to know about the history, formation, and makeup of bogs and fens in the southern Great Lakes region is contained in this beautifully illustrated treatise authored by Guy Denny, one of the Midwest's leading naturalists." --W. H. "Chip" Gross, author of Poachers Were My Prey and Trolling Big-Water Walleyes

"Peatlands of Ohio and the Southern Great Lakes Region is a comprehensive look at the creation, history, and biodiversity of the bogs and fens of Ohio as well as those in our region. Guy Denny is an outstanding interpretive naturalist, educator, writer, and photographer who has had a lifetime interest in these unique and rare natural areas and has sought their preservation during his career. His enthusiasm and love for these areas are reflected in his presentation about them. His writing, research, and documentation as well as the exquisite photographs of Gary Meszaros and him are presented in such a way that this publication is useful to both the scientific community and lay readers." --Richard E. Moseley Jr., retired chief, Ohio Division of Natural Areas & Preserves

About the Author

Guy L. Denny is a retired chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Division of Natural Areas and Preserves. A former director of the Ohio Biological Survey, he is also a past president of the Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association.

Gary Meszaros's images have appeared in numerous nature magazines and books. He is the coauthor of and has contributed photographs to five books published by Kent State University Press, including Native Fishes of Ohio and Wild Ohio.