Historical Agriculture and Soil Erosion in the Upper Mississippi Valley Hill Country

This book presents a detailed study of the human impact, both bad and good, on the hydrology and hydrography (and, in turn, on human activity) of a large region of the United States. It begins with a reconstruction of the primeval natural landscape with emphasis on landforms, streams, soils, and vegetation. It then shows how the land was taken up by Europeans who developed the landscape for agriculture using farming methods of the period. It analyzes the modes of agriculture, showing that available farming methods were inadequate to prevent severe impacts. The text introduces stages, basic principles of hydrology, geomorphology, soil conservation, and watershed management using real-world examples.