Description

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From the preface:
"When the first Spanish and French explorers encountered the western Gulf Coast, they were confronted by an immense and continuous wetland zone that ranged from shallow brackish bays, densely vegetated marshes, and wooded swamps to wet and poorly drained prairies. Early land value assessments were often negative . . . . Today, the original, boundless, and nearly impenetrable wetlands are found in smaller patches, punctuated by levees, ditches, and roadways. There have been major changes in plant distribution and species composition and abundance across the western Gulf Coast."
This book, originally published by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department but unavailable for years, fills a longstanding need for a comprehensive, easy-to-use guide to the aquatic and wetland plants of the Gulf Coast from New Orleans to Brownsville (including all of the Texas coast). Charles D. Stutzenbaker, a retired wildlife biologist, describes the habitat requirements, wildlife values, propagation, and management possibilities for more than 200 plants, which are illustrated by pen-and-ink drawings that accompany habitat and scale photographs for field identification. The plants are arranged by growth characteristics, ranging from free-floating aquatics to shrubs, and each plant occupies a handy, two-page spread.

About the Author

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CHARLES D. STUTZENBAKER was born on a cotton farm in Fort Bend County, Texas, in 1934. He served in the U.S. Army and graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor of science degree in wildlife management. Stutzenbaker retired rom Texas Parks and Wildlife in 1995, after a thirty-six-year career as a research and management-oriented wildlife biologist dealing primarily with wetlands and migratory birds. The scope of his work involved activities at the local, state, national, and international levels. As a result, he is a widely recognized authority on migratory birds and wetland environments. A frequently published biologist, his major works include a textbook on wildlife management and the definitive work on the mottled duck.