Of interest to students and academics alike, this book provides a much-needed synthesis of the recent literature on the environmental history of Australia and Oceania. Part of ABC-CLIO's Nature and Human Societies series, this book maps out the key trends in the region's environmental history, charting the creation of the Australian continent from the ancient land mass of Gondwanaland to the arrival of humans.

Especially fascinating are the chapters highlighting how successive waves of human migration created environmental havoc throughout the region, leading to the collapse of the...

Of interest to students and academics alike, this book provides a much-needed synthesis of the recent literature on northern Europe's environmental history. Beginning with the Paleolithic period and the recolonization of Europe after the Ice Age, this book maps out the key environmental trends in the history of the region's environment and its interaction with the human population.

The book also highlights how dramatic events outside Europe, such as the Tomboro volcanic eruption in Indonesia in 1815, had dramatic consequences for the region's climate. Given the culturally diverse nature...

Ever since the first humanlike creatures arrived some 80,000 years ago, Southeast Asia's varied and challenging environment has helped shape the course of human destiny. From the importance of its spices to 17th-century Europeans to the jungle canopies that sheltered Communist insurgents throughout much of the 20th century, the region's environment has often proven decisive in human affairs.

Packed with key facts and analysis, "Southeast Asia" provides an expert guide to the complex interplay between human societies and the environment from Burma to the Philippines and from Vietnam to...

A scholarly reference work that will also appeal to the general reader, "Sub-Saharan Africa" sets the story of the African environment within the context of geological time and shows how the continent's often harsh conditions prompted humans to develop unique skills in agriculture, animal husbandry, and environmental management. Part of ABC-CLIO's Nature and Human Societies series, this book enables readers to better grasp the extent of humanity's effect on our world.

Of particular interest are the book's sections dealing with the impact of the Biafran famine of the 1960s, the Sahelian...

"Treeless, level, and semi-arid." Walter Prescott Webb's famous description of the Great Plains is really only part of their story. From their creation at the end of the Ice Age to the ongoing problems of depopulation, soil erosion, polluted streams, and depleted groundwater aquifers, human interaction with the prairies has often been controversial.

Part of ABC-CLIO's Nature and Human Societies series, "The Grasslands of the United States: An Environmental History" explores the historical and ecological dimensions of human interaction with North America's grasslands. Examining issues as...

The melting of the Ice Age glaciers heralded the arrival of the Archaic peoples in the South and the lives of the South's peoples have long been shaped and challenged by the environment. Conversely, the human impact on the South's landscape has been dramatic, from the mound building of Native Americans to the construction of cities and the birth of modern industry.

Part of ABC-CLIO's Nature and Human Societies series, "Southern United States: An Environmental History" explores the historical and ecological dimensions of human interaction with the environment throughout Southern history....

Part of ABC-CLIO's Nature and Human Societies series, "United States West Coast: An Environmental History" explores the interplay of ecology, economy, and culture throughout the history of the region of North America where the waters drain to the Pacific Ocean.

Synthesizing the most recent and insightful studies on the region, "United States West Coast" portrays environmental change in the far western United States from the emergence of humans in the Pacific Northwest (about 12,000 years ago), to the rise of European colonial trade networks, to the era of industrialization and...

Ranging from prehistory to the present and encompassing the whole of South Asia, this volume in ABC-CLIO's Nature and Human Societies series offers the first chronological history of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka from the perspective of the crucial reciprocal relationship between humankind and the environment.

"South Asia: An Environmental History" shows how the civilizations of this geographically diverse region were formed (physically, ethically, and culturally) by their interactions with the environment--a relationship with particularly strong social and spiritual...

The Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States provide a fascinating case study for the emergent field of environmental history. These regions, with their varied resources, were central to the early economic success of the nation. Consequently, the early industries in these regions altered and depleted the landscape as people changed their locations and occupations. Fishing and whaling on the northeastern coast have given way to tourism and sailing. The great stands of timber around the Great Lakes have been replaced by farms and dairies. The textile mills, powered by the falls of...