The best
Ecology books:
Reddit reviews
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
The following content includes affiliate links for which I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase.
The best of Ecology books by number of unique Reddit comments:
Top Reddit reviews mentioning Ecology books:
Well it’s not simple. You need to first figure out which types of mushrooms you are interested in picking, then you need to figure out which trees they grow with, then you need to figure out which forest zones in your area have those types of trees, then you need to visit those areas throughout the appropriate “season” for the mushrooms you are looking for (here in the pnw we have a fall and spring mushroom season both feature distinctly different types of mushrooms, in different areas, with different tree hosts) to see if there are actually mushrooms fruiting in that place at that time. It actually takes years to develop this knowledge and skill set but you should invest in a couple books to help you along your way: this and this. As far as actually seeing where to “dig” for porcinis, there will usually be a more mature specimen in the area that is protruding above the ground and serves as a “flag” to signal where to look for a patch (which isn’t always forthcoming). There will be bumps in the ground where the growing mushrooms are pushing up the surface and that is where you will find the primo specimens to harvest to eat. Hope that helps.
This will be good. If you have interest in this topic and famous Brits, you should read Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams (Author of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy).
He travels the world and experiences some of the most endangered animals and writes about them and the experience in the way that ONLY he can. (it was written in the late 80s, so some species he writes about are in fact now extinct)
A friend took me when I was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed college kid. I took our findings to a mycologist on campus who spent 20 minutes describing proper browning-in-butter protocol. I was hooked- both on mushrooming and the goofy people involved. I already collect field identification books, so I have a shelf in my bookcase just for mushroom ID and foraging. Every time i go out i try to ID a new mushie. Anything im super lost on i take to a mycologist friend in town, or i email the prof at OSU (which is 30 minutes drive) and bug them with it.
I also have permits for personal collection of mushrooms in all the local national forests (most were free) and researched the county and state park rules for collection on their property. Gotta be responsible, yo.
I recommend picking up All That Rain Promises and More (link) and the unabridged Mushrooms Demystified link2 because i reference both a TON, The first one is waterproof, and David is a certified goofball.
Try reading, Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan. It will make you realize plants have been manipulating us. You'll never look at them the same again.
Not a new thing in my reality. I remember reading about the origins of corn in Charles Mann's "1491" book, where it is described to be very colorful
Regarding autism you can start here for example. For the wider aspect of what we lost when we broke up with nature I recommend the classic book Food of the gods by ethnobotanist Terence McKenna. The starting point is psychedelic plants but it's really a book about communication and dialogue between primitive humans and nature and how it influenced our intellectual and genetic evolution.
Have you guys ever read The World Without Us ? If I remember correctly, the Pyramids could last a million years, Mount Rushmore over 2 million. By far the oldest human structures.
You should read 1491 and America Before. Also there a numerous journal entries that have been published about the true history of Columbus and westward expansion.
Edit: words and formatting
Like the buildings are described in the book, The World Without Us but with people still living in the buildings. The moisture and the roots will get into the cracks in the concrete and tear the building's apart. This will be a shitshow.
https://www.amazon.com/All-That-Rain-Promises-More/dp/0898153883 And this is the west coast mushroom hunters’ bible. It has all the info you need to know which mushrooms to pick, and what time of year to look for them!
Buy this book. And the answer is yes, but it will take time.
Ecology of the Planted Aquarium: A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist
Imma shill this book in a parent comment as well because it deserves it. It questions and addresses a lot of misconceptions about the Americas before European contact - especially in regards to population size and levels of "advancement" of civilizations in the hemisphere. Also because I'm passionate about all things history related and in general, a nerd.
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles Mann.
Probably my favorite book I read in college because it's genuinely interesting and written for a broad audience.
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus is well regarded and very readable.
He also wrote a long-form essay on it for The Atlantic if you want a bit of the flavor before purchasing: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2002/03/1491/302445/
Since you have a love of plants, you might enjoy a low-tech, natural planted aquarium. Diana Walstad’s book <em>Ecology of the Planted Aquarium</em> is what got me into the hobby. This method appeals to me because it attempts to replicate the plants’ natural environment and avoids extra equipment, additives, and maintenance. It’s basically potted plants under water. In fact, she keeps some aquariums with plants in terracotta pots.
There’s definitely tradeoffs which Walstad points out in the book. Natural tanks aren’t going to look like pristine, untouched islands. There’s soil and decomposition involved but I think that’s it’s own kind of beauty.
One aspect of planted aquariums I find fascinating is how to deal with algae. Walstad details how to find plants to complement the ones you already have to create a balanced ecosystem that out-competes algae for the limited resources that all plants need. It gets quite nerdy if you want to go deeper. Most of the science and chemistry sections go over my head but it’s fascinating nonetheless. At it’s core, the book is full of practical, specific advice written for people who want to keep aquatic plants successfully.
Good luck! This is a fun hobby. 😄
This wouldn't surprise, they have the tech, but this pandemic is a hoax
A book called the Invisible Rainbow about the Spanish flu pandemic suggests it was caused by the new radio towers that were going up everywhere at the time. We're roughly 70% water, obviously radiation can have an adverse effect on us.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Invisible-Rainbow-History-Electricity-Life/dp/1645020096
From what I understand, there is a reasonable amount of evidence that there was a relatively large civilization living in the Amazon. 1491 talks about it.
The way of life that they must have lived was relatively different from what is described by /u/firedrops. For one thing, cutting down a tree with a stone axe is terribly difficult, and clearing an area large enough to farm takes far too long to be useful - you'd basically be spending all your time chopping down trees.
Instead, precolumbian Indians discovered how to make very productive soil and planted large orchards.
You could have a PhD...doesn't mean you know the health implications!
And many PhDs, make that the vast majority - have zero clue.
but try that...
https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Rainbow-History-Electricity-Life/dp/1645020096
Depends on what region you are in. For the one where I live this is the best book and for mushroom identification and general information if you are on the west coast, this is your bible
There are a couple of interesting books regarding the latest discoveries in the American continents:
1491 toches the population topic for example https://www.amazon.com/1491-Revelations-Americas-Before-Columbus/dp/1400032059
Are you experienced with Aquariums in general?
And what the heck is that lady's name that wrote the book decades ago about this? Dang, if I figure it out I will post back.
EDIT: Found it... https://www.amazon.com/Ecology-Planted-Aquarium-Diana-Walstad/dp/0967377366
Try your local library to see if they can locate a copy for you to borrow to see if it is something you would want to buy as a reference moving forward.
This book isn’t nano specific, but I keep a 3 gallons and a 10 gallon tank, and this book has been super helpful
I also really like the aquarium co-op website blog. I linked a specific article here about 5 gallon stocking ideas, but they pretty much always give solid advice about everything.
Beautiful! I hope you get it sorted out haha, I love blue dream shrimp. Also, I’ve found this book pretty helpful in dealing with my tiny 3 gallon planted tank, if you’re interested.
Good luck!
This might be a bit advanced for high school (depending on students of course), but its worth a read regardless. 1491 by Charles Mann. Here's an Atlantic article about it. Here's the Amazon link to his book.
The links in the reddit sidebar and Advancedplantedtank are free resources.
Diana Walstad's <em>Ecology of the Planted Aquarium</em> can be bought on amazon and is more textbook like.
I highly recommend 1491 by Charles C Mann. Ironically from Amazon.com for more info about pre-Columbian societies. He has a whole section on the Amazon and how the plants are purposefully selected, not completely wild as many assumed.
For anyone looking for literature on this particular subject (colonization's effects on the native population and what the Americas were like pre European contact), I highly recommend1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles Mann.
It's a great read, accessible, and very informative.
If you're interested in this, you may like the book <em>The World Without Us</em> by Alan Weisman. It looks at how long signs of our civilization would endure if all humans disappeared overnight.
If there is anyone who hasn't acquired any new information on Native Americans since high school (in particular, but it's universally useful and fascinating information) I super suggest you read about the people who use to dominate these continents - it's fucking awesome. 1491 by Charles Mann is a really broad and informative read that works great as an American Anthropology Sparknotes.
The older ones have read Mushroom Rain Promises. I flipped when I read it, and prescribed it. They geeked out, too. Then, naturally, the little kids to follow..
Excellent and engaging book! Even though, unfortunately, it's not for my region. The enthusiasm is contagious. And the reference to a bigger book are useful!
https://www.amazon.com/All-That-Rain-Promises-More/dp/0898153883
All that the Rain Promises and More by David Arora is the 'classic' I think. It's a great resource, but also like, super funny and charming and great to just sit there and read through. It applies to Western US mushrooms so it should be perfect.
Those are some very racist and ignorant assumptions. I hope that you're just trolling, but if not, please read up on pre-Columbian society in the Americas and how much inhumanity the colonizers brought. It's nothing anyone should associate with a just god.
This is actually a thing. You should read Food Of The Gods by Terence McKenna if you get chance.
This is actually a thing. You should read Food Of The Gods by Terence McKenna if you get chance.
The Walstead method is what you're trying to do. There are websites that describe it but you can get a kindle version of the book.
All That the Rain Promises and More is an excellent guide for the area. It isn’t specific to the redwood coast, but the author is from the area. It has a bit of an edibles focus, but is a good general purpose pocket guide with good photos.
The same author published Mushrooms Demystified, which is the classic field guide to west coast fungi, but it’s very much a comprehensive field guide, it’s a giant brick of a book with dense text and dichotomous keys and not a lot of photos.
The Invisible Rainbow is a book. You can buy it most anywhere books are sold.
https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Rainbow-History-Electricity-Life/dp/1645020096
Its not a "conspiracy" book. But it does discuss how humans and other wildlife are effected by EM radiation, and with every advancement of technology we seem to see an epidemic, pandemic, or have some other die off event (birds, bees, etc) until things adapt to the new fields. Usually respiratory or neurological ailments.
The book was published in 2017 (my copy atleast), and in the last 10 pages hes talking about the 5G rollout in Dec19/Jan20 and and some Starlink deployment and how we will no doubt see some kind of pandemic coincide with it.
The Invisible Rainbow is a book. You can buy it most anywhere books are sold.
https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Rainbow-History-Electricity-Life/dp/1645020096
Its not a "conspiracy" book. But it does discuss how humans and other wildlife are effected by EM radiation, and with every advancement of technology we seem to see an epidemic, pandemic, or have some other die off event (birds, bees, etc) until things adapt to the new fields. Usually respiratory or neurological ailments.
The book was published in 2017 (my copy atleast), and in the last 10 pages hes talking about the 5G rollout in Dec19/Jan20 and and some Starlink deployment and how we will no doubt see some kind of pandemic coincide with it.
https://www.amazon.ca/All-That-Rain-Promises-More/dp/0898153883 go buy this book! Also, sign up for a foray here when they start doing it: https://www.vanmyco.org There’s also an open house in the Fall at VanDusen
Try "Terence McKenna
Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution"
https://www.amazon.com/Food-Gods-Original-Knowledge-Evolution/dp/0553371304
I'm a biologist/ecologist and have experience creating open and enclosed ecosystems. Algae prefer good water and act as filters, stabilizing the water and any live plants in the aquarium. Copepods are sensitive to water parameters and like clean, stable water. Copepods show up weeks after establishing a tank, from my experience. I recommend taking a gander at Diana Walstad's Book "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium: a Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise." It's not an easy read at first, but it is pretty eye-opening. I also recommend checking out "Father Fish" on youtube; before modern filters and heaters, people kept their fish alive more naturally, which is arguably better.
It's actually not that simple. Even with a photo book it's easy to misidentify things, and there's a few dopplegangers that are straight up deadly. This is the best book at least for the western US: https://www.amazon.com/All-That-Rain-Promises-More/dp/0898153883
I LOVE Douglas Adam's take on this bird, in the wonderful book Last Chance to See.
This is going to be a very different recommendation from what others have posted here, but take a look at The Invisible Rainbow by Arthur Firstenburg. What you are describing could very well be caused by a high sensitivity to RF (radio-frequency emissions), and EMF (electromagnetic fields). So this would be from things like cell phones, routers, Bluetooth headphones, baby monitors, a cell phone towers.
It's something that can develop over time, and then suddenly get worse and manifest itself via various neurological symptoms.
This may not be the issue at all, but I try to mention this whenever I can as it's severely overlooked in the U.S., and our safety guidelines are outdated.
A good insight! The idea that the "fruit" Eve ate to open her eyes was actually mushrooms is a key claim in Terence McKenna's book Food of the Gods. The book's subtitle is: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge.
The book makes some very speculative claims but many parts of it are truly genius. I'd highly, highly recommend!
https://www.amazon.com/Food-Gods-Original-Knowledge-Evolution/dp/0553371304
Very nice!
I highly suggest for anyone interesting mushrooming in the PNW to grab a copy of All That the Rain Promises and More.
I use this all the time out on the trails to identify different mushrooms. Great photos and descriptions of PNW specific mushrooming.
I encourage everyone to read a book called “The Invisible Rainbow: A History of Electricity and Life” by Arthur Firstenberg
Half of the 576pages are cited sources It is a profound read to say the least that should raise a handful of questions.
Book: Amazon Link
If the government disappeared tomorrow, we'd be enslaved by someone else before long, and would basically recreate a government eventually because the need would still be there.
As for the human race, you're right, the earth will continue just fine without us. There's even a book about this, "The World Without Us," about how nature would reclaim the earth if humans weren't here.
I'll just note that 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus uses "Indians" for the express reason that this was, in the author's experience, the most common and widespread self-reference.
These are more than likely irrigation works. The native people of the Americas were incredible agriculturalists, they even bioengineered the Amazon rainforest (I.e they created it). Unfortunately around 90% of them were killed in the 100 years post contact through plague/illness.
This is an incredible book if you’re interested in the subject.
If you want IDs for the mushrooms you find, you'll have to get better photos.
Here's a few additional pieces of advice:
- You probably already know this, but do not eat mushrooms unless you are 100% confident in your ID, regardless of what someone on the internet tells you.
- Don't waste your time on reddit. People here are way too eager throwing out bad IDs and dangerous misinformation. As hated as Facebook is, I've found that Facebook mycology groups are going to yield far better/quicker results than anywhere else. Not only because they're a larger community that's more active, but the standards for posting accurate information are far higher there.
- Your photos should include as much detail as possible, including the cap, stem, gills, etc. If you smell something in particular or notice staining, those details help too.
- You've done this well here, but capture the mushrooms in their environment. If you found it growing on or near a tree, include a photo of the tree as well.
- Get a mushroom ID book that's relevant to your region, and read the shit out of it. General mushroom ID books can be very helpful, too (see All That the Rain Promises and More).
Good luck IDing your mushrooms!
https://www.amazon.ca/1491-Second-Revelations-Americas-Columbus/dp/1400032059
Great read on pre-colonial societies. Take a dive into the North American civilizations specifically, and you'll get practical examples of socialist economies operating within democratic institutions. There was a widespread tradition of communal economic systems and proto-democratic structures that were functionally operable for centuries prior to the introduction of Eurasian style authoritarianism.
Not a blog but I liked 1491 about pre-columbian societies. My main takeaway was just how hard it is to know anything for certain about those societies, with so many records not just lost but actively destroyed.
There is a book called “ecology of the planted aquarium” by Diana Walstad. It goes over the “Walstad Method” of using a dirted tank to grow plants with fish. Although I haven’t read the book, I have used the Walstad method and have seen numerous guides online. There’s even r/walstad
Here is a link to her book on Amazon.
I just finished reading Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution and it absolutely fascinating how different kind of drugs heavily influenced the development of different religions.
For me, it's pre-U.S. history. Native Americans have a fascinating history that is unfortunately unknown or misunderstood by most Americans. The book 1491 was a good introduction to the topic a few years ago for me. Since then, I've made it a point to stop at Native American museums and cultural centers whenever I travel across the U.S. Moundville in Alabama and the Cherokee Heritage Center in Oklahoma are two of my favorites.
I hear you, that test might tell me that it doesn't happen every time. But as long as it's not too time consuming, I just try and avoid additional exposure (I realize it's basically everywhere at this point, and will only get more intense).
This book may open a perspective on it for you "The Invisible Rainbow: A History of Electricity and Life" https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Rainbow-History-Electricity-Life/dp/1645020096 But I acknowledge it's pervasiveness, similar to cigarette smoke before they banned indoor smoking. It was everywhere and almost pointless in trying to avoid it. It's crazy the amount of downvotes you get for even suggesting that it might pose a problem.
I usually go into airplane mode when sleeping.
I have no bluetooth devices. Neighbor's wifi is not detectable in my house (I've measured it). Yes, cell towers are strong sources, but they lessen with distance. I'm not close to one.
The RF issue is an inconvenient truth. No one wants to believe it's harmful, especially not the industry. The default attitude is "if it was harmful, then why would it be allowed." If you want to believe regulators and industry value your health over a global scale innovation, then go ahead.
Unfortunately the technology has become too important and enmeshed to consider its effects anymore. Most people will do a 15 minute search on this, find some articles on Forbes and proceed to say EHS isn't a real illness, RF isn't ionizing energy so it doesn't affect us, etc. All complete nonsense.
If you're interested, this book is an incredible look at electricity from its beginnings to now, including effects on all living things: "The Invisible Rainbow: A History of Electricity and Life"
https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Rainbow-History-Electricity-Life/dp/1645020096
This is a good book for ignorant people like you: The Invisible Rainbow
https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Rainbow-History-Electricity-Life/dp/1645020096
Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World. Even the character Paul Staments, is named after the author of this book.
Star Trek has been borrowing theories and turned it into tech for the show since the start, the spore drive is no different, its just different.
I’m guessing you already have this book
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann
Although not perfect, and not exclusively about Caral, this is one of my favorite books to recommend.
Every person is born with an "immunity profile" -- a combination of antibodies inherited from their parents that reduce the chances of dying from certain diseases. If you were born in the 1490s in Europe, you had one of about 50 different immunity profiles. If you were born in the same time period in the Americas, you had one of 4.
*Source: 1491 by Charles C. Mann
This book is pretty highly recommended in the mushroom groups I follow on Facebook All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms https://www.amazon.com/dp/0898153883/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_HNBS78AE6RQRQNX67DD6
> I'm amazed how many people I know over the age of 60 genuinely don't accept that Columbus slaughtered natives.
It gets even worse!
Columbus was a shithead, but even if he had been a saint, he brought death with him - one of his sailors was carrying smallpox. The entirety of the population of the Americas had never been exposed before, there was zero immunity, and the consequences were... apocalyptic.
Columbus nearly depopulated both continents.
https://www.amazon.ca/1491-Second-Revelations-Americas-Columbus/dp/1400032059
try this book, 1491, while it does not specifically focus just on the south west, its one of the few unbiased works on the subject piecing together as much history as is known. https://www.amazon.com/1491-Revelations-Americas-Before-Columbus/dp/1400032059
It's difficult, I think this is partially why the narrative is taking so long to change. The information is scattered in hard-to-access scientific articles, indigenous wisdoms, European records, native historical writings, etc. I think the book 1491 is a good start, but it covers the whole of the Americas, and so can never really goes in-depth on anything, and has to leave out a lot. So I honestly don't have any good book recommendations on the overall topic, especially ones written in recent years with our knew influx of knowledge on the subject. This was a good book, but deals with more modern indigenous people in urban environments, and felt a little text-booky. I guess I'd recommend just following the links I posted above, and then following information that you find interesting.
- My absolute favorite book to recommend is Charles C. Mann's 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus. It's popular science, remarkably comprehensive for a massive topic, and brilliantly written. There are a few places where it exaggerates some achievements, or takes the positive side of an unclear debate in order to glorify Amerindian history - but many fewer than I would expect from a non purely academic book of that length. It also does an excellent job of citing sources, so you can go deeper into academic work from there if you hit upon a particularly interesting topic
- It definitely helped that my mom is a science teacher and my dad is a cultural anthropology professor. I always loved visiting old places and ruins, and liked being outside. And I was always most interested in the Pre-Columbian Americas - figuring out exactly where/when I want to study has been a struggle and is something I'm still doing, but I've leaned towards the central Andes because I've traveled there a bit and really fallen in love with so many things about that region and its past. I'm sure the same would have happened if I had simply gone to Mexico more than I did to Peru...but I didn't.
>Which makes me wonder why mainstream Western society is so obsessed with finding the environmental factors
sovereign is he who selects the null hypothesis.
And Harris should've Gregory Cochran on his show.
>Scientists have long believed that the "great leap forward" that occurred some 40,000 to 50,000 years ago in Europe marked end of significant biological evolution in humans. In this stunningly original account of our evolutionary history, top scholars Gregory Cochran and Henry Harpending reject this conventional wisdom and reveal that the human species has undergone a storm of genetic change much more recently. Human evolution in fact accelerated after civilization arose, they contend, and these ongoing changes have played a pivotal role in human history.
The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution
Check David Aurora’s field guide book: All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms https://www.amazon.com/dp/0898153883/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_939NACD4G67GTSZW1QXH?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by charles c mann. I highly recommend it. Very interesting read.
Depends on what you are looking for re: mushes.
This book by Paul Stamets is considered the Bible on mushrooms and how they work. It’s also easy to read and pretty quick to get through. There’s also an awesome doc on Netflix rn “Fantastic Fungi”
Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World https://www.amazon.com/dp/1580085792/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_3G3HWJATYDCARDCC7FYZ
If you are interested in identification, find a book that is as hyper local to your region as possible. Mushroom ID is hard, and the same species of mushroom can present wildly different depending on its age and region.
> ...cycling a Walstad takes ~6-8 weeks
This is absolutely incorrect (or at least very misleading). Provided you use the correct kind of soil, an adequate gravel layer, and enough plants, a Walstad can be ready for livestock in as few as a week or less. I usually wait a couple weeks to let the plants get rooted and do 1-2 90% ish water changes in that time to get rid of excess nutrients suspended in the water column. If you reading NH3 after a couple weeks in a Walstad, then the likely culprit is an inadequate gravel layer that is letting soil/nutrients into the water column, a soil that has added fertilizers or other additives, or not enough plants to uptake the NH3 (floaters are the best for this, especially early on).
Sure, you can definitely wait 6-8 weeks for it to cycle and that is totally fine. All I am saying is that a "by the book" Walstad can be ready for livestock within a week or two.
I've read it and am currently listening to it with my partner.
Douglas Adams’ “Last Chance to See” is a masterpiece of classic Douglas Adam’s humor, but with a sometimes deeply sad look at a handful of critically endangered animals.
Seeing the comments about plastics in the ocean and ecological responsibility this “Thanks for all the fish!” has spawned here, I can think of no better book to recommend to my fellow Doug Adams fans than this. I read it more than 20 years ago, but it is more relevant, and funny, than ever.
Read “The Invisible Rainbow” linked here all technological advancements have been detrimental to human health and safety
To piggyback; All the Rain Promises and More also by David Arora is nice to have while walking around although MD is a resource i find with more info. here
Basically, hard water is good for plants. Soft water plants can do well in hard water but hard water plants do not survive in soft water. I highly recommend Diana Walstad's book 'Ecology of the Planted Aquarium' for detailed information on that and many other areas of the Walstad method.
https://www.amazon.com/Ecology-Planted-Aquarium-Diana-Walstad/dp/0967377366/
Reading this will help you https://www.amazon.com/Ecology-Planted-Aquarium-Diana-Walstad/dp/0967377366
If you want to skimp on the reading you can just search online for the "The Walstad Method". This should help you in achieving a self sustaining aquatic ecosystem.
Last Chance To See by Douglas Adams.
Douglas Adams (same guy who wrote Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) spends a year with BBC's Chief Zoologist as they try to find the last of a few endangered species. Since writing the book, several of the species they track have indeed become extinct, so they truly documented humanity's last chance to see some of these animals.
Adams' approach is to essentially be the guy who doesn't know anything while Mark (the zoologist) takes him through these journeys. It's hilarious, it's powerful, and it's a pretty quick read. Can't recommend highly enough.
> land was primarily unsettled and unused
I would have disputed that, but recently read part of "1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus"
> "the books paints a picture of a hemisphere utterly devastated by plague following contact, and a cultural death spiral so rapid that both natives and colonizers largely forgot what the continents looked like before."
You really can't blame 15th century people - no knowledge of germ theory.
When looking at my other tanks, I only get algea blooms when I've either overfed, over-fertilized, or forgot to turn the light off for 24+ hours. I read somewhere (can't seem to find the article again) that the added co2 speeds up the growth of plants, but actually shortens their lives. The plants live hard and fast like addicts.
I have pretty neutral ph in this tank, so any decaying plants also add co2 naturally. The filter sucks up and houses a ton of plant bits decaying all the time. I do not gravel vac when I water change. The copepods, detritus worms and other critters aerate the soil, so I let it collect nutrients naturally.
I'm not an expert, but learned what I can about balancing the eco system from The Ecology of the Planted Aquarium by Diana Walstad
I too recently, by happenstance, came across a book written by a Paul Stamets about the mycelial network and I had a little giggle.
The World Without Us by Alan Weisman.
It really opened my eyes to the environmental damage individuals and societies create and their lasting effects. It taught me to be way more conscious about the waste I create.
No Logo by Naomi Klein.
A really great read that will help you understand how the marketing machine pushes you in all facets of your life. Also a great history of corporate America’s relationship with the consumer. It helped me make better decisions about my purchases and to always be wary about how I’m being influenced.
If you are interested to know more about pre-Columbian America I highly recommend reading the book "1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus" by Charles C. Mann. It's extremely objective (maybe a bit pro-Amerindian even, but it's barely noticeable).
If you are interested (I'm not trying to sell you anything, I rarely recommend books): https://www.amazon.com/1491-Revelations-Americas-Before-Columbus/dp/1400032059
Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save The World by American mycologist Paul Stamets. This book is full of hope, fascinating science, and a positive philosophy.
Those Chanterelles at 12 & 13 are probably the only thing worth eating. Clean em up and fry em up.
3 & 7 look to be Lobsters (edible but those look past their prime). 8 & 9 look like jelly fungi.
This book is great if you live out west in the US:
https://www.amazon.com/All-That-Rain-Promises-More/dp/0898153883
If you're thinking pre European colonization, 1491 was very informative for me. It goes over the major civilizations that existed before Spain established colonies.
Some people might suggest A People's History of the United States but I think Howard Zinn was pretty against US hegemony and it came through in his works. That said, his book goes over lots of things you wouldn't find in a US history book.
If you're not familiar with Tulip Mania, there's a good rabbit hole. As a complete aside, if you haven't read The Botany of Desire, it's an interesting argument about one species, spreading other species around the planet purely due to convenience and interest. Yes, tulips are included.
This is exactly the premise of the book "The World Without Us" https://www.amazon.com/World-Without-Us-Alan-Weisman/dp/0312427905
It talks about how long until various man made objects and systems fall into disrepair.
Maybe you can pick up a copy from a library, or order it online.
Check out the book "1491" - https://www.amazon.com/1491-Revelations-Americas-Before-Columbus/dp/1400032059
It's easy to forget that until the recent discovery of the Americas by the taught colonial history of today, we had no records or knowledge of the whole of human history carrying out simultaneously on the other side of the world.
Book is surprisingly engagingly written considering what most would call a stuffy subject. It basically proports that the Americas were tremendously evolved/advanced, and that western history as we know it has no understanding of how much human history lived and died on the other half of the globe.
It covers trade, culture, science, history of the Americas before Colombus.
The part about MASSIVE portions of the amazon rainforest being completely engineered blows my mind.
You could try identifying it with the book "If It Rains, It Spours," but I also wouldn't recommend eating it. I've wanted to learn to forage for mushrooms too, but several UCSC professors specializing in mushroom identification convinced me that it's a pretty bad idea b/c some poisonous and edible mushrooms look so alike. It's still fun to try to identify them with the book though! ~ happy foraging
Edit: this is the book
If you’re wanting to do a Walstad Method tank like this I highly suggest checking out this book:
Ecology of the Planted Aquarium: A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist https://www.amazon.com/dp/0967377366/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NKlJFb92PNKNB
Have you kept fish before?
Oh, yes, I've been reading <em>1491</em> (Charles C. Mann) and that was mentioned. The "Dark Emu" book has started me on a journey around the world, looking at cultures before and after European invasions.
First you need to understand historical flu in a new light. From 1870s onward. Do you like to read books?
Try this:
https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Rainbow-History-Electricity-Life/dp/1645020096
You are right. I should have worded that differently. I think you can thru blood to blood or injections.
I forget the doctors name but I will look it up. He has a pretty popular clip of him explaining what viruses are. He recommends the book Arthur Firstenberg The Invisible Rainbow: A History of Electricity and Life.
That book does a good job of explaining how these "pandemics" really happen.
The World Without US (Alan Weisman) is a fantastic read on this subject. The section on what would happen in New York City was amazing.