Cheyenne Bottoms: Wetland in Jeopardy

Conservationists estimate that more than half of our country's original 120 million acres of wetlands have now been lost to development and agriculture. Zimmerman, a Kansas State professor of biology and ornithology, in bringing to life the Cheyenne Bottoms Natural Area in central Kansas describes for us what is lost to us when wetlands are destroyed. Millions of migratory shore birds use this high plains marshland every spring and fall; Zimmerman expands the ecological frame to include the insects, fish and mammals that make wetlands ``the quiet furnace of life.'' This larger view encompasses past and potential threats to the ecosystem from water-use policies, pollution and the greenhouse effect. There are only a few moments when the author's wonder breaks through the solid science--``Close up, the marsh is a joy''--but the sheer ecological significance of these 20,000 acres of marsh gives his description weight and importance to naturalists and especially birders. Illustrations. (Dec.)