Front Flap:The delta of the future may be vastly different from the delta of today. Whatever its future, it is likely to remain a spectacular place of natural drama, an evolving stage where species rise and fall and water is the main actor in the play, where the wolf packs follow the bison herds and peregrine falcons careen out of the sky. It is also a stage on which humans have come to play a larger role. Therein lies the broader drama. We have a choice. Our future and that of the delta are entwined. How we act may determine the outcome of the play. --From Chapter 12This book systematically brings together significant contributions by scientists and non-scientists--such as trappers, fishermen, wardens, naturalists--and incorporates substantial field observations by the author and colleagues.

Hence, the "portrait" is an amazing synthesis of the combined efforts of hundreds of people. Nothing else like it exists. --George H. La Roi, Emeritus Professor of Plant Ecology and Vegetation Science, University of Alberta Back Flap:Kevin P. Timoney, ecologist, researcher, teacher, and writer, is committed to solving complex environmental and ecological problems. He has devoted more than two decades to studying the ecology and dynamics of the Peace-Athabasca Delta. He lives in Ardrossan, Alberta.Back Cover:In the delta, water is boss, change is the only constant, and creation and destruction exist side by side.

--From the Introduction The Peace-Athabasca Delta in northern Alberta is a globally significant wetland that lies within one of the largest unfragmented landscapes in North America. Arguably the world's largest boreal inland delta, it is renowned for its biological productivity and is a central feature of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yet the delta and its indigenous cultures lie downstream of Alberta's bitumen sands, whose exploitation comprises one of the largest industrial projects in the world. Kevin Timoney provides an authoritative synthesis of the science and history of the delta, describing its ecology, unraveling its millennia-long history, and addressing its uncertain future. Scientists, students, leaders in the energy sector, government officials and policy makers, naturalists, and environmentally aware citizens everywhere should read this lively work.As Dr. Timoney makes perfectly clear in this beautifully written and illustrated book, the Peace-Athabasca Delta is a world treasure. The author has written a book based on scientific evidence, and he has done so with passion.

This is an important book that should be read by scientists, naturalists, and anyone who is concerned about the environmental degradation of our planet. --John P. Smol, OC, PhD, FRSC, Department of Biology, Queen's University.