The Natural History of an Arctic Oil Field: Development and the Biota

In spite of the harsh conditions that characterize the Arctic, it is a surprisingly fragile ecosystem. The exploration for oil in the Arctic over the past 30 years has had profound effects on the plants and animals that inhabit this frozen clime. The Natural History of an Arctic Oil Field synthesizes decades of research on these myriad impacts. Specialists with years of field experience have contributed to this volume to create the first widely available synopsis of the ecology and wildlife biology of animals and plants living in close association with an actively producing oil field.

• First widely available synthesis of arctic oil field ecology and wildlife biology
• Concise yet readable treatment of a diverse polar ecosystem
• Useful for land managers, policy makers as well as ecologists, and population biologists
• Chapters authored by recognized authorities and contributions are peer-reviewed for accuracy and scientific rigor
• Illustrations attractively designed to enhance comprehension

Dr. Truett has worked much of the last 25 years conducting and managing research programs related to the response of arctic wildlife and habitats to industrial development. During much of this time he worked as senior biologist with LGL Ecological Research Associates and, later, as owner of Truett Research. Currently he is senior biologist with the Turner Endangered Species Fund. He has published numerous articles related to his arctic work and to an area of personal interest--environmental history. In the latter field, he has published two books, Land of Bears and Honey with D.W. Lay, from the University of Texas Press, 1984 and Circling Back: Chronicle of a Texas River Valley, from the University of Iowa Press, 1996.

Dr. Johnson has conducted and managed research projects on marine and terrestrial birds and mammals for the past 30 years in arctic and subarctic Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Svalbard. Since 1975, he has worked as a research ecologist with LGL Limited on projects related to impacts of industrial development on wildlife and their habitats. Currently he is Senior Vice President of LGL Limited with management and research responsibilities in Alaska, Canada, and Russia. He has published numerous scientific papers and reports related to his arctic work and is the co-author with D.R. Herter of a reference book on arctic birds, The Birds of Beaufort Sea from BP Exploration (Alaska), Inc., 1989.