Quaternary Landscapes

The most recent geological time period, the Quaternary, encompasses approximately the past 1 to 2 million years. It is a part of Earth history marked by dramatic climate fluctuations and the repeated waxing and waning of continental ice sheets. These extreme climatic changes have had major effects on the world’s landscapes including the floral, faunal, and human populations. While understanding the present is the key to understanding the past, the reverse is also true. Research into Quaternary problems provides long-term insight on important and relevant issues such as surficial geology, climate change, modern plant and animal distributions and extinctions, the stability (or lack thereof) of biotic communities, ecological processes in lakes and wetlands, and the relationship of human history to the environment. The title Quaternary Landscapes reflects the broad sweep of environmental history examined in this collection of papers by leading academics within their respective disciplines. This reference work highlights the value of interdisciplinary studies and brings together in one volume current thinking on major Quaternary problems.