Feral Future: The Untold Story of Australia's Exotic Invaders - Hardcover

Low, Tim

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0226494195 ISBN 13: 9780226494197

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 2002

Synopsis

A decade ago, Tim Low journeyed to the remote northernmost tip of Australia. Instead of the pristine rain forests he expected, he found jungles infested with Latin American carpet grass and feral cattle. That incident helped inspire Feral Future, a passionate account of the history and implications of invasive species in that island nation, with consequences for ecological communities around the globe.

Australia is far from alone in facing horrific ecological and economic damage from invading plants and animals, and in Low's capable hands, Australia's experiences serve as a wake-up call for all of us. He covers how invasive species like cane toads and pond apple got to Australia (often through misguided but intentional introductions) and what we can do to stop them. He also covers the many pests that Australia has exported to the world, including the paperbark tree (Melaleuca) that infests hundreds of thousands of acres in south Florida.

About this title

About the Author:

Tim Low is a biologist, writer, and wildlife photographer. He is the author of the bestselling Bush Tucker and Bush Medicine, as well as a regular columnist for Australia's leading nature magazine,Nature Australia.

Review:

"Full of fascinating, appalling facts and stories about how drastically our environment has been changed by these invasions and by our farming and gardening practices, this is a gripping work that deserves a wide readership." - The Age (Melbourne) "A lucid and harrowing account of the background and implications of bioinvasion." - Sydney Morning Herald "This book will change your outlook on the world....A must for anyone who considers themselves a friend of the environment." - Wildlife Australia "A wake-up on the dangers of 'McDonaldising' world ecology." - The Australian "A mix of scientific rigour and colourful enthusiasm." - The Courier-Mail

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0226494195
• ISBN 13: 9780226494197
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 425