Kentucky's Natural Heritage

Kentucky's Natural Heritage PDF Author: Greg Abernathy
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 0813168678
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Book Description
Photographs and text examine the species of plants and animals native to Kentucky, exploring glades, prairies, forests, wetlands, rivers, and caves, and discussing the state's conservation efforts to preserve native species and ecosystems.

Plant Life of Kentucky

Plant Life of Kentucky PDF Author: Ronald Jones
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 0813171946
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 854

Book Description
Plant Life of Kentucky is the first comprehensive guide to all the ferns, flowering herbs, and woody plants of the state. This long-awaited work provides identification keys for Kentucky’s 2,600 native and naturalized vascular plants, with notes on wildlife/human uses, poisonous plants, and medicinal herbs. The common name, flowering period, habitat, distribution, rarity, and wetland status are given for each species, and about 80 percent are illustrated with line drawings. The inclusion of 250 additional species from outside the state (these species are “to be expected” in Kentucky) broadens the regional coverage, and most plants occurring from northern Alabama to southern Ohio to the Mississippi River (an area of wide similarity in flora) are examined, including nearly all the plants of western and central Tennessee. The author also describes prehistoric and historical changes in the flora, natural regions and plant communities, significant botanists, current threats to plant life, and a plan for future studies. Plant Life of Kentucky is intended as a research tool for professionals in biology and related fields, and as a resource for students, amateur naturalists, and others interested in understanding and preserving our rich botanical heritage.

Kentucky's Last Great Places

Kentucky's Last Great Places PDF Author: Thomas G. Barnes
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 9780813129228
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 230

Book Description


Venerable Trees

Venerable Trees PDF Author: Tom Kimmerer
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 0813165679
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 433

Book Description
“Will likely become a classic among books about Kentucky’s natural history and environment, because it covers so much new information.” —Lexington Herald-Leader When the first settlers arrived in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, they found an astonishing landscape of open woodland grazed by vast herds of bison. Farmers quickly replaced the bison with cattle, sheep, and horses, but left many of the trees to shade their pastures. Today, central Kentucky and central Tennessee still boast one of the largest populations of presettlement trees in the nation, found in both rural and urban areas. In Venerable Trees: History, Biology, and Conservation in the Bluegrass, Tom Kimmerer showcases the beauty, age, size, and splendor of these ancient trees and the remaining woodland pastures. Documenting the distinctive settlement history that allowed for their preservation, Kimmerer explains the biology of Bluegrass trees and explores the reasons why they are now in danger. He also reveals the dedication and creativity of those fighting to conserve these remarkable three-hundred- to five-hundred-year-old plants—from innovative, conscientious developers who build around them rather than clearing the land to farmers who use lightning rods to protect them from natural disasters. Featuring more than one hundred color photographs, this beautifully illustrated book offers guidelines for conserving ancient trees worldwide while educating readers about their life cycle. Venerable Trees is an informative call to understand the challenges faced by the companions so deeply rooted in the region’s heritage and a passionate plea for their preservation. “A fascinating book about a unique landscape in the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky.” —Frans Vera, author of Grazing Ecology and Forest History

Kentucky Across the Land

Kentucky Across the Land PDF Author: Lee Mandrell
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 0253042798
Category : Photography
Languages : en
Pages : 200

Book Description
Transport yourself to the Bluegrass State with this photographic tribute to iconic spots from Mammoth Cave National Park to Buffalo Trace Distillery. Known for its rolling hills, scenic Thoroughbred farms, and renowned state parks, Kentucky offers enjoyment for those seeking stunning landscapes, natural wonders, small town charms, and bourbon country adventures. Follow photographers Lee Mandrell and DeeDee Niederhouse-Mandrell on a visual journey across the Bluegrass State, as they travel from Cumberland Falls State Resort Park to Mammoth Cave and National Bridge National Parks, showcasing the exquisite scenery and natural heritage along the way. Featuring more than 130 breathtaking photos, Kentucky Across the Land inspires travelers to take their own journeys to explore the history at the Lincoln Homestead State Resort Park, the untouched natural beauty of Red River Gorge and Land Between the Lakes, or the picturesque cascades along Flat Lick Creek at Flat Lick Falls.

Kentucky, Naturally

Kentucky, Naturally PDF Author: Thomas Barnes
Publisher: Acclaim Press
ISBN: 9781938905483
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
There is no doubt that Kentucky is a beautiful state with a diversity of rural environments including mountains, streams, lakes, forests, fields and swamps. However, reports indicate that more than 105 acres of rural land every day are lost to land conversion, and the state ranks 5th highest in the projected amount of rural land that will be converted to other uses in the future. To protect the Commonwealth's natural resources and keep its wild ecosystems intact, in 1994 the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund (KHLCF) was established with great success. By 2010, this program helped to protect more than 120 properties in 67 counties totaling 85,000 acres. Kentucky, Naturally is a compilation and celebration of the properties that have been purchased with the assistance of KHLCF money during the first 20 years of the program. Award-winning Kentucky nature photographer Tom Barnes displays hundreds of beautiful photographs of the state's protected lands, and provides detailed descriptions of each site including the natural flora and fauna. Through the KHLCF and public support, Kentucky's abundant natural resources and beauty can be treasured and protected for all to enjoy.

Pulaski County, Illinois

Pulaski County, Illinois PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781938905469
Category : Pulaski County (Ill.)
Languages : en
Pages : 192

Book Description


Kentucky's Last Great Places

Kentucky's Last Great Places PDF Author: Thomas G. Barnes
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 9780813122304
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
" With over 100 glorious full-color photographs and insightful text, Kentucky's Last Great Places highlights the incredible natural beauty found in the Commonwealth's old-growth forests, prairies, wetlands, and other distinctive biological habitats. Many types -- more than 3,000 vascular plants, 230 fish, 105 amphibians and reptiles, 350 birds, 75 mammals, and 12,000 insects -- make Kentucky their home. Many of these species and their habitats are considered rare, threatened, or endangered. Overall, less than one percent of Kentucky is classified ecologically as being in a "pre-European" condition that deserves significant protection. Award-winning photographer and author Thomas G. Barnes combines his striking photographs with essays describing the splendor found in more than forty of Kentucky's diverse natural preserves or ecological areas, including the old-growth Blanton Forest near Pine Mountain in Harlan County, Axe Lake Swamp in Ballard County near the Mississippi River, Red River Gorge, the Kentucky River Palisades, Mammoth Cave, and many others. This spectacular oversized book explores the biodiversity of Kentucky, the challenges to protecting its biological heritage, and the ways that organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, the National Park Service, and others are continuing to protect the state's unique biological legacy. Thomas G. Barnes, an associate extension professor of forestry at the University of Kentucky, is the author of Gardening for the Birds.

Rare Wildflowers of Kentucky

Rare Wildflowers of Kentucky PDF Author: Thomas G. Barnes
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 9780813124964
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Kentucky's rich soil and wonderfully diverse landscapes have for centuries made the state a welcoming habitat for a dazzling variety of wildflowers. From the delicate Kentucky glade cress to the fiery royal catchfly, flowers, grasses, and sedges nestle on rocky hillsides, bask in open woodlands and prairies, and even manage to thrive in busy rights of way and roadsides. As demand for natural resources and land for development and housing in the Commonwealth grows, land use and habitats are quickly changing. Unfortunately, this translates into disappearing or degraded habitats for a host of remarkable wildflowers. Currently 255 plant species in Kentucky are considered endangered or threatened, and there are more than 50 potential additions to the list. Rare Wildflowers of Kentucky provides an introduction to Kentucky's signature rare plants with 220 gorgeous full-color photographs by Thomas G. Barnes, a naturalist and award-winning photographer. These rare wildflowers and their descriptions are organized by habitat, and the book draws attention to the enduring beauty of Kentucky's old-growth forests, prairies, wetlands, and other habitats. In addition to serving as a stunning photographic record of Kentucky's rare plants, the book examines ecological communities and the ways in which they are threatened. The authors also explain how various plants have become endangered over the decades and suggest concrete steps for conservation and preservation at both the government and private level. The book also includes references, a list of scientific and common species names, and a list of each plant's endangered status that is especially useful to gardeners, botanists, and horticultural professionals. Rare Wildflowers of Kentucky is both a celebration and a call to action to save the plants that are a vital part of Kentucky's natural heritage.

Rock Climbing in Kentucky's Red River Gorge

Rock Climbing in Kentucky's Red River Gorge PDF Author: James N. Maples
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781952271144
Category : Red River Gorge Region (Ky.)
Languages : en
Pages : 248

Book Description
"Documents fifty years of oral history from the rock-climbing community in Red River Gorge, Kentucky. Includes policy recommendations for building partnerships among climbers, local communities, and public land managers to encourage community development, ecotourism, and preservation"--