Includes bibliographical references (pages 211-224) and index.
Contents:
Deer Creek long ago -- The south fork of Deer Creek: January 2004 -- The Willow Fire and its aftermath: June 2004 and April 2005 -- Returning to Deer Creek: December 2008 -- Spring revival: May 2009 -- Post-monsoon: September 2009 -- The lupine season: March 2010 -- Spring on Deer Creek: early April 2010 -- Dodder and hedgehogs: late April 2010 -- Golden eagles: early June 2010 -- Great spreadwings: October 2010 -- The puzzle of dioecy: January 2011 -- Deerbrush and recovery after fire: April 2011 -- Mites, glochids and thunderstorms: July 2011 -- A day full of predators: September 2011 -- Daddy water bugs: November 2011 -- Mountaintop snow: December 2011 -- ¿spring¿ is here: January 2012 -- The creek is running: February 2012 -- So much for spring: April 2012 -- An illegal hike?: July 2012 -- Another illegal hike?: August 2012 -- Sprangletop heaven: September 2012 -- Fall in Deer Creek: October 2012 -- The cold carpenter bee: December 2012 -- The leafhopper walk: January 2013 -- The coyote chorus: February 2013 -- Another spring: March 2013 -- Back to Deer Creek: October 2013 -- Winter, Arizona-style: December 2013 -- Robins in winter: February 2014 -- Yet another spring: March 2014 -- Plant colors and plant visitors: April 2014 -- Back to Deer Creek for the tenth anniversary of the Willow Fire: October 2014.
Summary:
"Very few people have ever returned again and again to the site of a natural but disastrous wildfire. John Alcock is such a returnee who recorded the aftermath of the Willow Fire, which burned a large part of the Mazatzal Mountains in central Arizona in the summer of 2004. His book on the subject, Wildfire on the Mountain, describes what happened to the lower reaches of the Mazatzals in the following decade or so. By walking along the South Fork of Deer Creek in all seasons as the years passed, he was rewarded by seeing a remarkable recovery of plant life, which in turn fostered an equally satisfying return of animals to the area ranging from small insects to large mammals. In this book you will find an accessible account of what is known about the response of chaparral plants to fire and the creatures that re-inhabit these plants as they come back from a ferocious blaze. In a series of short chapters, the author introduces us to what he observed on his many walks along the South Fork where he saw the great spreadwing damselfly, the western meadowlark, the reintroduced elk, and many more animals. The questions stimulated by his observations led him to explore the relevant scientific literature which he decodes for his readers. This is a book of biological discovery, a celebration of the capacity of living things to re-occupy a devastated location, and an encouragement for others to engage the natural world, even one that has been burnt to the ground." Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.