Author: Judith X. Becerra Publisher: University of Arizona Press ISBN: 0816551952 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 273
Book Description
Predominantly native to the U.S. Southwest, Mexico, and the Caribbean, the various species of Bursera have been prized throughout history for their distinctive aromas, medicinal properties, workable wood, and attractive appearance. Despite its extensive past and current use as incense in religious ceremonies, and its resourceful antiseptic ability to treat a range of maladies, no comprehensive book exists on this vital yet overlooked plant. Highlighting bursera’s importance and impact within the desert Southwest and Mexico, this volume will be the first book to describe the ecology, evolution, ethnobotany, and peculiar chemistry of the many species of Bursera. In the United States, Bursera is represented by the short, contorted, and aromatic elephant tree of the hot Sonoran Desert and the stately and colorful gumbo limbo of southern Florida, while in the torrid lowlands of southern Mexico, the engines of evolution have produced forests dominated by dozens of species of Bursera, each with a peculiar ecological slot. This evolutionary tableau presents a complicated sex life that puzzles scientists. Recent research also reveals a gripping narrative of an epic struggle between trees and the insects that would subsist on their leaves: the insects seeking to exploit a food resource, the trees reacting with ever-changing, dramatic counter strategies. In addition to the fascinating and intricate workings of the genus’s ecological adaptations, burseras play a formative role in the lives of indigenous populations. Native peoples relish the plants’ aromatic resin, workable wood, and often colorful bark as a source for endless human applications. Written in an engaging style, enhanced with two hundred color photographs, and complete with a compendium of species descriptions, this book will be an essential reference on a significant North American plant.
Author: David Yetman Publisher: University of Arizona Press ISBN: 0816542457 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 225
Book Description
Natural Landmarks of Arizona celebrates the vast geological past of Arizona’s natural monuments through the eyes of a celebrated storyteller who has called Arizona home for most of his life. David Yetman shows us how Arizona’s most iconic landmarks were formed millions of years ago and sheds light on the more recent histories of these landmarks as well. These peaks and ranges offer striking intrusions into the Arizona horizon, giving our southwestern state some of the most memorable views, hikes, climbs, and bike rides anywhere in the world. They orient us, they locate us, and they are steadfast through generations. Whether you have climbed these peaks many times, enjoy seeing them from your car window, or simply want to learn more about southwestern geology and history, reading Natural Landmarks of Arizona is a fascinating way to learn about the ancient and recent history of beloved places such as Cathedral Rock, Granite Dells, Kitt Peak, and many others. With Yetman as your guide, you can tuck this book into your glove box and hit the road with profound new knowledge about the towering natural monuments that define our beautiful Arizona landscapes.
Author: Gil Nelson Publisher: Pineapple Press Inc ISBN: 1561644749 Category : Gardening Languages : en Pages : 434
Book Description
Presents a guide to Florida's trees, including descriptions of nearly five hundred species, illustrations, and outlines that help to identify specific trees based on their physical characteristics.
Author: Theodore H. Fleming Publisher: University of Arizona Press ISBN: 0816540217 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 386
Book Description
A collection of writings on the ecology, evolution, and conservation of columnar cacti and their vertebrate mutualists, demonstrating that the survival of these cacti depends on animals who pollinate them and disperse their seeds.
Author: Andrew K. Koeser Publisher: Ifas Under Ufp ISBN: 9781683400158 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
"This handy, pocket-sized guide will help you identify trees in your home landscape, parks, and natural areas around the state."--Page [4] of cover.
Author: William Allen Publisher: ISBN: 0195161777 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 349
Book Description
Can we prevent the destruction of the world's tropical forests? In the fire-scarred hills of Costa Rica, science writer William Allen found an answer: we can not only prevent their destruction - we can bring them back to their former glory. 'Green Phoenix' reveals how the tropical forests in the northwestern section of the country were saved.
Author: Robert P. Adams Publisher: Trafford Publishing ISBN: 1426953828 Category : Junipers Languages : en Pages : 439
Book Description
The Junipers of the World contains a synthesis of data on evolution by examining: Geographic Variation: Pan-Arctic variation in Juniperus communis, etc. Speciation in sections of the genus: Species concepts, Speciation in Juniperus section Juniperus, etc. In addition, Keys to Juniperus are provided by region: Eastern Hemisphere, Europe (including Azores, Canary Islands, Asia Minor and Africa), Central Asia (Turkmenistan to western Himalayas), China, Far East (Japan, Korea, Sakhalin Island, Taiwan), Western Hemisphere, Continental North America, United States and Canada, Mexico and Guatemala, and the Caribbean. Also included are Species' Descriptions, Distribution Maps and Plant Photos, and chapters on Hybridization, Ecology, Cultivated Junipers, Commercial uses of leaf and wood oils of Juniperus, a Cross Indexed Synonymy of Juniperus, and Tables on the Leaf essential oils by species in sections. This book supplements the web site www.juniperus.org and the reader will find literature citations and a detailed discussion of data that is not present on the web site. The Junipers of the World is now the authoritative reference for Juniperus Prof.Adams has presented arguments for the recognition of species and varieties by showing the data analyses that led to taxonomic decisions. This is one of the few treatments that really integrates data and the reasoning behind taxonomic decisions. In addition, Prof. Adams is candid in admitting that the recognition of some taxa are not well supported and deserve additional study. An essential reference book that will be useful for herbaria, museums, wildlife biologists, Range scientist, foresters, ecologists and all who are involved in identification and study of Juniperus species.
Author: Stephen J. Pyne Publisher: University of Arizona Press ISBN: 0816532141 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 550
Book Description
From a fire policy of prevention at all costs to today's restored burning, Between Two Fires is America's history channeled through the story of wildland fire management. Stephen J. Pyne tells of a fire revolution that began in the 1960s as a reaction to simple suppression and single-agency hegemony, and then matured into more enlightened programs of fire management. It describes the counterrevolution of the 1980s that stalled the movement, the revival of reform after 1994, and the fire scene that has evolved since then. Pyne is uniquely qualified to tell America’s fire story. The author of more than a score of books, he has told fire’s history in the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe, and the Earth overall. In his earlier life, he spent fifteen seasons with the North Rim Longshots at Grand Canyon National Park. In Between Two Fires, Pyne recounts how, after the Great Fires of 1910, a policy of fire suppression spread from America’s founding corps of foresters into a national policy that manifested itself as a costly all-out war on fire. After fifty years of attempted fire suppression, a revolution in thinking led to a more pluralistic strategy for fire’s restoration. The revolution succeeded in displacing suppression as a sole strategy, but it has failed to fully integrate fire and land management and has fallen short of its goals. Today, the nation’s backcountry and increasingly its exurban fringe are threatened by larger and more damaging burns, fire agencies are scrambling for funds, firefighters continue to die, and the country seems unable to come to grips with the fundamentals behind a rising tide of megafires. Pyne has once again constructed a history of record that will shape our next century of fire management. Between Two Fires is a story of ideas, institutions, and fires. It’s America’s story told through the nation’s flames.
Author: Judith X. Becerra
Author: Penny Dale
Author: David Yetman
Author: Gil Nelson
Author: Theodore H. Fleming
Author: Andrew K. Koeser
Author: William Allen
Author: Robert P. Adams
Author: Stephen J. Pyne
Author: John Orvel Sawyer