Environmental History of the Hudson River : Human Uses That Changed the Ecology, Ecology That Changed Human Uses

Biologists, historians, and social scientists explore the reciprocal relationships between humans and the Hudson River. The diverse contributions to Environmental History of the Hudson River examine how the natural and physical attributes of the river have influenced human settlement and uses, and how human occupation has, in turn, affected the ecology and environmental health of the river. The Hudson River Valley may be America's premier river environmental laboratory, and by bringing historians and social scientists together with biologists and other physical scientists, this book hopes to foster new ways of looking at and talking about this historically, commercially, and aesthetically important ecosystem. Native people's influences on the ecological integrity of aquatic and shoreline communities were generally local and minor, and for the first 12,000 years or so of human use, the Hudson River was valued mainly as a source of water, food, and transportation. Since the arrival of European colonists, however, commerce has been the engine that has driven development and use of the river, from the harvesting of beaver pelts and timber to the siting of manufacturing industries and power plants, and all of these uses have had pervasive effects on the river's aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In the meantime, aesthetic movements such as the Hudson River School of painting have sought to recover and preserve the earlier pastoral landscape, anticipating the more recent efforts by environmentalists that have led to dramatic improvements in water quality, shoreline habitats, and fish populations. Despite the pervasive forces of commerce, the Hudson River has retained its world-class scenic qualities. The Upper Hudson remains today a free-flowing, tumbling mountain stream, and the Lower Hudson a fjord penetrated and dominated by the Hudson Highlands. The Hudson's unique history continues to affect current uses and will surely influence the future in remarkable ways. Foreword / Frances F. Dunwell-- Introduction / Robert E. Henshaw -- The Hudson River Watershed: An Abbreviated Geography / Robert E. Henshaw -- Part I: History And Biology: Providing Explanations / Robert E. Henshaw -- Historical Facts/biological Questions / Robert E. Henshaw -- Linkages Between People And Ecosystems: How Did We Get From Separate To Equal? / Stuart Findlay -- Symbioses Between Biologists And Social Scientists / Lucille Lewis Johnson -- Part Ii: River Of Resources / Robert E. Henshaw -- Hudson River Fisheries: Once Robust, Now Reduced / Robert A. Daniels, Robert E. Schmidt, And Karin R. Limburg -- Herpetofauna Of The Hudson River Watershed: A Short History / Alvin R. Breisch -- Human Impacts On Hudson River Morphology And Sediments: A Result Of Changing Uses And Interests / Frank O. Nitsche, Angela L. Slagle, William B. F. Ryan, Suzanne Carbotte, Robin Bell, Timothy C. Kenna, And Roger D. Flood -- The Earliest Thirteen Millennia Of Cultural Adaptation Along The Hudson River Estuary / Christopher R. Lindner -- Archaeological Indices Of Environmental Change And Colonial Ethnobotany In Seventeenth-century Dutch New Amsterdam / Joel W. Grossman -- Linking Uplands To The Hudson River: Lake To Marsh Records Of Climate Change And Human Impact Over Millennia / Dorothy M. Peteet, Elizabeth Markgraf, Dee C. Pederson, And Sanpisa Sritrairat -- Vegetation Dynamics In The Northern Shawangunk Mountains: The Last Three Hundred Years / John E. Thompson And Paul C. Huth -- Agriculture In The Hudson Basin Since 1609 / Simon Litten -- Ecology In The Field Of Time: Two Centuries Of Interaction Between Agriculture And Native Species In Columbia County, New York / Conrad Vispo And Claudia Knab-vispo -- The Introduction And Naturalization Of Exotic Ornamental Plants In New York's Hudson River Valley / Chelsea Teale -- Part Iii: River Of Commerce / Robert E. Henshaw. -- The Rise And Demise Of The Hudson River Ice Harvesting Industry: Urban Needs And Rural Responses / Wendy E. Harris And Arnold Pickman -- Human Sanitary Waters And Waste Treatment In New York City / David J. Tonjes, Christine A. O'connell, Omkar Aphale, And R. L. Swanson -- Foundry Cove: Icon Of The Interaction Of Industry With Aquatic Life / Jeffrey S. Levinton -- River City: Transporting Commerce And Culture / Roger Panetta -- Out Of The Fray: Scientific Legacy Of Environmental Regulation Of Electric Generating Stations In The Hudsonriver Valley / John R. Young And William P. Dey -- Part Iv: River Of Inspriration / Robert E. Henshaw. -- Birth Of The Environmental Movement In The Hudson River Valley / Albert K. Butzel -- The Influence Of The Hudson River School Of Art In The Preservation Of The River, Its Natural And Cultural Landscape, And Evolution Of The Environmental Law / Harvey K. Flad-- Thy Fate And Mine Are Not Repose: The Hudson And Its Influence / Geoffrey L. Brackett -- The Past As Guide To A Successful Future / Robert E. Henshaw -- Afterword / Robert E. Henshaw. Edited By Robert E. Henshaw ; With A Foreword By Frances F. Dunwell. Includes Bibliographical References, Webography And Index. Winner of the 2012 Award for Excellence presented by the Greater Hudson Heritage NetworkThe diverse contributions to Environmental History of the Hudson River examine how the natural and physical attributes of the river have influenced human settlement and uses, and how human occupation has, in turn, affected the ecology and environmental health of the river. The Hudson River Valley may be America's premier river environmental laboratory, and by bringing historians and social scientists together with biologists and other physical scientists, this book hopes to foster new ways of looking at and talking about this historically, commercially, and aesthetically important ecosystem.Native people's influences on the ecological integrity of aquatic and shoreline communities were generally local and minor, and for the first 12,000 years or so of human use, the Hudson River was valued mainly as a source of water, food, and transportation. Since the arrival of European colonists, however, commerce has been the engine that has driven development and use of the river, from the harvesting of beaver pelts and timber to the siting of manufacturing industries and power plants, and all of these uses have had pervasive effects on the river's aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In the meantime, aesthetic movements such as the Hudson River School of painting have sought to recover and preserve the earlier pastoral landscape, anticipating the more recent efforts by environmentalists that have led to dramatic improvements in water quality, shoreline habitats, and fish populations.Despite the pervasive forces of commerce, the Hudson River has retained its world-class scenic qualities. The Upper Hudson remains today a free-flowing, tumbling mountain stream, and the Lower Hudson a fjord penetrated and dominated by the Hudson Highlands. The Hudson's unique history continues to affect current uses and will surely influence the future in remarkable ways. The diverse contributions to Environmental History of the Hudson River examine how the natural and physical attributes of the river have influenced human settlement and uses, and how human occupation has, in turn, affected the ecology and environmental health of the river. The Hudson River Valley may be America's premier river environmental laboratory, and by bringing historians and social scientists together with biologists and other physical scientists, this book hopes to foster new ways of looking at and talking about this historically, commercially, and aesthetically important ecosystem. Native people's influences on the ecological integrity of aquatic and shoreline communities were generally local and minor, and for the first 12,000 years or so of human use, the Hudson River was valued mainly as a source of water, food, and transportation. Since the arrival of European colonists, however, commerce has been the engine that has driven development and use of the river, from the harvesting of beaver pelts and timber to the siting of manufacturing industries and power plants, and all of these uses have had pervasive effects on the river's aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In the meantime, aesthetic movements such as the Hudson River School of painting have sought to recover and preserve the earlier pastoral landscape, anticipating the more recent efforts by environmentalists that have led to dramatic improvements in water quality, shoreline habitats, and fish populations. Despite the pervasive forces of commerce, the Hudson River has retained its world-class scenic qualities. The Upper Hudson remains today a free-flowing, tumbling mountain stream, and the Lower Hudson a fjord penetrated and dominated by the Hudson Highlands. The Hudson's unique history continues to affect current uses and will surely influence the future in remarkable ways.