Book review: Ecology of Dakota landscapes: Past, present, and future, by W. Carter Johnson and Dennis H. Knight

“Ecology of Dakota Landscapes” is an excellent example of fusing observation and scientific studies to describe the origins and development of the landscape of North and South Dakota, the impact of European settlement, the introduction of agriculture to the area, predictions for the future in the face of a changing climate, and a scientific framework for conservation and sustainability. Johnson and Knight bring to this book a personal fascination with this landscape. Their decades of experience and knowledge of the ecosystems of the Dakotas is exhibited in the well written and copiously illustrated thirteen chapters. This book blends observation, geology, biology, ecology, history, the transformation of this landscape by European settlement, and identifies the challenges that will be faced with climate change. Johnson and Knight are master storytellers that allow them to present these important concepts and ideas to a general audience.