A natural history of the Sonoran Desert / edited by Steven J. Phillips and Patricia Wentworth Comus (first edition), Mark A. Dimmitt, Patricia Wentworth Comus, and Linda M. Brewer (second edition).
Edition:
Second edition.
Publisher:
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Press ;
Copyright Date:
2015
Description:
xii, 575 pages, 24 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps (some color) ; 26 cm
Originally published: 2000. Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents:
1. Welcome to the Sonoran Desert -- Part One. The Big Picture. 2. Biomes and communities of the Sonoran Desert region ; 3. Sky Islands ; 4. Sea of Cortez ; 5. Sonoran Desert natural events calendar ; 6. Nature watching in the Sonoran Desert region ; 7. Desert storms ; 8. Desert air and light ; 9. Deep history of the Sonoran Desert ; 10. Geologic origin of the Sonoran Desert ; 11. Desert soils ; 12. Human ecology of the Sonoran Desert ; 13. Conservation issues in the Sonoran Desert region : protecting our future ; 14. Pollination in the Sonoran Desert region ; 15. Biodiversity : the variety of life that sustains our own -- Part Two. Plants. 16. Plant ecology of the Sonoran Desert region ; 17. Flowering plants of the Sonoran Desert ; 18. Desert grasses -- Part Three. Animals. 19. A vertebrate looks at arthropods ; 20. Desert adaptations of birds and mammals ; 21. Desert adaptations of amphibians and reptiles ; 22. Sonoran Desert arthropods ; 23. Sonoran Desert birds ; 24. Sonoran Desert mammals ; 25. Sonoran Desert fishes ; 26. Sonoran Desert reptiles and amphibians.
Summary:
"This book takes readers deep into the Sonoran Desert, looking closely at the relationships of plants and animals with the land and people, through time and across landscapes. Beginning with its deep biotic and geologic history, the text unveils fascinating ecological adaptations to this desert. The book focuses on the Arizona Upland Subdivision but also touches upon other subdivisions of the Sonoran Desert and associated biotic communities. In clearly accessible language, dozens of naturalists and/or scientists have spelled out the basic concepts of this desert's biodiversity, geology, weather, plants, and animals (from invertebrates to fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals). It explains phenomena of desert light, Sky Islands, and rainfall patterns, flowering and pollination, human impacts and much more. Details on the form, habits, and habitat for hundreds of Sonoran Desert species are presented in accounts covering nearly two-thirds of the volume's 600-plus pages. As in the original publication, the new edition includes color plates highlighting Sonoran Desert landscapes, as well as maps, figures, and more than 400 black and white illustrations. Chapters on when and where to watch the spectacular nature of the region have been updated in this edition for readers inspired to journey over its lands and waters to peruse it in three dimensions"-- 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.