1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910452857703321

Autore

Burney David A. <1950->

Titolo

Back to the future in the caves of Kaua'i [[electronic resource] ] : a scientist's adventures in the dark / / David A. Burney

Pubbl/distr/stampa

New Haven [Conn.], : Yale University Press, c2010

ISBN

0-300-16311-8

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (288 p.)

Disciplina

996.9/4102

Soggetti

Excavations (Archaeology) - Hawaii - Kauai

Caves - Hawaii - Kauai

Paleoecology - Hawaii - Kauai

Prehistoric peoples - Hawaii - Kauai

Human ecology - Hawaii - Kauai - History

Nature - Effect of human beings on - Hawaii - Kauai - History

Time - Philosophy

Electronic books.

Kauai (Hawaii) Antiquities

Kauai (Hawaii) Environmental conditions

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 181-188) and index.

Nota di contenuto

Time's most important moment -- Proverbial tracks -- Constructing a "poor man's time machine" -- Owl omens -- Opening ancient doors -- Characters and a stage, but no script -- Fishponds -- A snails' tale -- Mauka marshes -- So what happened, anyway? -- Greetings from old KauaŹ»i -- Irrigating the future -- The tour -- Right here, right now -- Finding a future in the past.

Sommario/riassunto

For two decades, paleoecologist David Burney and his wife, Lida Pigott Burney, have led an excavation of Makauwahi Cave on the island of Kaua'i, uncovering the fascinating variety of plants and animals that have inhabited Hawaii throughout its history. From the unique perspective of paleoecology-the study of ancient environments-Burney has focused his investigations on the dramatic ecological changes that began after the arrival of humans one thousand years ago, detailing not



only the environmental degradation they introduced but also asking how and why this destruction occurred and, most significantly, what might happen in the future.Using Kaua'i as an ecological prototype and drawing on the author's adventures in Madagascar, Mauritius, and other exciting locales, Burney examines highly pertinent theories about current threats to endangered species, restoration of ecosystems, and how people can work together to repair environmental damage elsewhere on the planet. Intriguing illustrations, including a reconstruction of the ancient ecological landscape of Kaua'i by the artist Julian Hume, offer an engaging window into the ecological marvels of another time. A fascinating adventure story of one man's life in paleoecology, Back to the Future in the Caves of Kaua'i reveals the excitement-and occasional frustrations-of a career spent exploring what the past can tell us about the future.