In the Kinnickinnic: Stories of a River and Its Insect Life/Clarke Garry
Descriere
Description This is a story of biological exploration in the cold clear water of western Wisconsin's Kinnickinnic River. The unique nature of the stream-its high quality water, its insect and crustacean inhabitants, and its health and preservation-are major themes running through the thirty-two essays that comprise the book. Using narrative accounts the author depicts his experiences while studying the insect and crustacean life of this exceptional river. He shares the joys and rewards of finding representative organisms throughout the stream while sampling its diverse habitats. The stories characterize the "invisibility" associated with most of the river's invertebrate residents. While some insects-notably mayflies, caddisflies, and midges-become apparent briefly during emergence, they lead the other 99% of their lives underwater. Some inhabitants, such as scuds and aquatic sowbugs, spend their entire existence beneath the water surface. Hidden from everyday view, this array of organisms carries out important ecological roles, including interactions which promote a stable aquatic ecosystem. The reader will learn that much goes on that we do not readily see, that a complex food web connects these creatures with other stream residents, as well as with each other, and that certain insects can inform us-by their very presence-about the health of their aquatic environment. The collection is divided into four parts. Part I provides background on the history and natural attributes of the river. It describes how an aquatic insect survey was conceived and carried out to document prevalent river residents in time and space. In this section, too, is discussion of river invertebrate diversity and how we classify and name these animals. Essays making up Part II describe the lives of the stream's common macroinvertebrate residents, among them a selection of mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies, beetles, true flies, and crustaceans. Part III focuses on river insect ecology, aspects o
