Fragile Giants: A Natural History of the Loess Hills (A Bur Oak Original)

Rating:
Summary: An excellent study of an unknown wonder
Review: The loess hills of Iowa and Missouri are the gift of Ice Age dust storms, which deposited this very fertile soil in large piles on the East Bank of the Missouri River. Essentially, loess is dust that has been recompacted into soil. It is easily eroded once channel cutting starts, and the present hills are the result of these processes.

The book capably discusses these matters, and also addresses the biota and human history of the region. You will be amazed at the variety of plants, going from chestnut trees to prickly pear cacti.

The photos are helpful and pretty much follow the well written, well organized text. The book closes with an examination of the efforts being made to preserve these landforms, and a plea to continue them. I recommend this most interesting book for any traveler, geographer, or geologist, as well as anyone who lives in the Midwest.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent study of an unknown wonder
Review: The loess hills of Iowa and Missouri are the gift of Ice Age dust storms, which deposited this very fertile soil in large piles on the East Bank of the Missouri River. Essentially, loess is dust that has been recompacted into soil. It is easily eroded once channel cutting starts, and the present hills are the result of these processes.

The book capably discusses these matters, and also addresses the biota and human history of the region. You will be amazed at the variety of plants, going from chestnut trees to prickly pear cacti.

The photos are helpful and pretty much follow the well written, well organized text. The book closes with an examination of the efforts being made to preserve these landforms, and a plea to continue them. I recommend this most interesting book for any traveler, geographer, or geologist, as well as anyone who lives in the Midwest.