Bayou-Diversity

<p>Louisiana's bayous and their watersheds teem with cypress trees alligators crawfish and many other life forms. From Bayou Tigre to Half Moon Bayou these sluggish streams meander through lowlands marshes and even uplands to dominate the state's landscape. In Bayou-Diversity conservationist Kelby Ouchley reveals the bayou's intricate web of flora and fauna.<br>Through a collection of essays about Louisiana's natural history Ouchley details an amazing array of plants and animals found in the Bayou State. Baldcypress orchids feral hogs eels black bears bald eagles and cottonmouth snakes live in the well over a hundred bayous of the region. Collectively Ouchley's vignettes portray vibrant and complex habitats. But human interaction with the bayou and our role in its survival Ouchley argues will determine the future of these intricate ecosystems. <br>Bayou-Diversity narrates the story of the bayou one flower one creature at a time in turn illustrating the bigger picture of this treasured and troubled Louisiana landscape.</p>