Download or read book The Nature of Desert Nature written by Gary Paul Nabhan and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2020-11-10 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this refreshing collection, one of our best writers on desert places, Gary Paul Nabhan, challenges traditional notions of the desert. Beautiful, reflective, and at times humorous, Nabhan’s extended essay also called “The Nature of Desert Nature” reveals the complexity of what a desert is and can be. He passionately writes about what it is like to visit a desert and what living in a desert looks like when viewed through a new frame, turning age-old notions of the desert on their heads. Nabhan invites a prism of voices—friends, colleagues, and advisors from his more than four decades of study of deserts—to bring their own perspectives. Scientists, artists, desert contemplatives, poets, and writers bring the desert into view and investigate why these places compel us to walk through their sands and beneath their cacti and acacia. We observe the spines and spears, stings and songs of the desert anew. Unexpected. Surprising. Enchanting. Like the desert itself, each essay offers renewed vocabulary and thoughtful perceptions. The desert inspires wonder. Attending to history, culture, science, and spirit, The Nature of Desert Nature celebrates the bounty and the significance of desert places. Contributors Thomas M. Antonio Homero Aridjis James Aronson Tessa Bielecki Alberto Búrquez Montijo Francisco Cantú Douglas Christie Paul Dayton Alison Hawthorne Deming Father David Denny Exequiel Ezcurra Thomas Lowe Fleischner Jack Loeffler Ellen McMahon Rubén Martínez Curt Meine Alberto Mellado Moreno Paul Mirocha Gary Paul Nabhan Ray Perotti Larry Stevens Stephen Trimble Octaviana V. Trujillo Benjamin T. Wilder Andy Wilkinson Ofelia Zepeda

Download or read book Ecology of Desert Systems written by Walter G. Whitford and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2019-08-20 with total page 473 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nearly one-third of the land area on our planet is classified as arid or desert. Therefore, an understanding of the dynamics of such arid ecosystems is essential to managing those systems in a way that sustains human populations. This second edition of Ecology of Desert Systems provides a clear, extensive guide to the complex interactions involved in these areas. This book details the relationships between abiotic and biotic environments of desert ecosystems, demonstrating to readers how these interactions drive ecological processes. These include plant growth and animal reproductive success, the spatial and temporal distribution of vegetation and animals, and the influence of invasive species and anthropogenic climate change specific to arid systems. Drawing on the extensive experience of its expert authors, Ecology of Desert Systems is an essential guide to arid ecosystems for students looking for an overview of the field, researchers keen to learn how their work fits in to the overall picture, and those involved with environmental management of desert areas. Highlights the complexity of global desert systems in a clear, concise way Reviews the most current issues facing researchers in the field, including the spread of invasive species due to globalized trade, the impact of industrial mining, and climate change Updated and extended to include information on invasive species management, industrial mining impacts, and the current and future role of climate change in desert systems

Download or read book D is for Desert written by Barbara Gowan and published by Sleeping Bear Press. This book was released on 2012-06-25 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: D is for Desert: A World Deserts Alphabet uses the alphabet to explore desert regions around the world, explaining the science behind what determines a desert and showcasing fascinating features and desert inhabitants. Budding scientists will traverse the rocky deserts of Mongolia astride the Bactrian camel, spy on the poisonous Gila monster and other lizards in the Sonoran Desert, discover geological wonders in Bryce Canyon National Park, and learn about desert weather phenomena such as dust storms and flash floods, and much more. A glossary of key desert-science terms and concepts is included.

Download or read book Deserts written by Nicola Davies and published by Pan Macmillan. This book was released on 2007 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An illustrated introduction to some of the deserts of the world, their weather, flora and fauna.

Download or read book The Science of Deserts written by Louise Spilsbury and published by Gareth Stevens Publishing LLLP. This book was released on 2019-12-15 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are many kinds of deserts, and not all are hot and sandy. In fact, there's a desert in Antarctica! This eye-opening book takes readers into various deserts around the world where they'll learn about the incredible adaptations that make desert life possible. They'll also discover much about desert food webs and the interactions that plants and animals depend on to survive in this ecosystem. Flowcharts help crystalize new concepts, such as how carrion beetles are the cleaning machines of the desert. There's plenty of similar lively facts and vivid photographs of wildlife in action to keep readers captivated by this fascinating habitat.

Download or read book The California Deserts written by Bruce M Pavlik and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2008-07-02 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This highly readable, spectacularly illustrated compendium is an ecological journey into a wondrous land of extremes. The California Deserts explores the remarkable diversity of life in this harsh yet fragile quarter of the Golden State. In a rich narrative, it illuminates how that diversity, created by drought and heat, has evolved with climate change since the Ice Ages. Along the way, we find there is much to learn from each desert species-- whether it is a cactus, pupfish, tortoise, or bighorn sheep--about adaptation to a warming, arid world. The book tells of human adaptation as well, and is underscored by a deep appreciation for the intimate knowledge acquired by native people during their 12,000-year desert experience. In this sense, the book is a journey of rediscovery, as it reflects on the ways that knowledge has been reclaimed and amplified by new discoveries. The book also takes the measure of the ecological condition of these deserts today, presenting issues of conservation, management, and restoration. With its many sidebars, photographs, and featured topics, The California Deserts provides a unique introduction to places of remarkable and often unexpected beauty.

Download or read book Sonoran Desert Plants written by Raymond M. Turner and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2022-02-08 with total page 523 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Sonoran Desert, a fragile ecosystem, is under ever-increasing pressure from a burgeoning human population. This ecological atlas of the region's plants, a greatly enlarged and full revised version of the original 1972 atlas, will be an invaluable resource for plant ecologists, botanists, geographers, and other scientists, and for all with a serious interest in living with and protecting a unique natural southwestern heritage. An encyclopedia as well as an atlas, this monumental work describes the taxonomy, geographic distribution, and ecology of 339 plants, most of them common and characteristic trees, shrubs, or succulants. Also included is valuable information on natural history and ethnobotanical, commercial, and horticultural uses of these plants. The entry for each species includes a range map, an elevational profile, and a narrative account. The authors also include an extensive bibliography, referring the reader to the latest research and numerous references of historical importance, with a glossary to aid the general reader. Sonoran Desert Plants is a monumental work, unlikely to be superseded in the next generation. As the region continues to attract more people, there will be an increasingly urgent need for basic knowledge of plant species as a guide for creative and sustainable habitation of the area. This book will stand as a landmark resource for many years to come.

Download or read book Desert Plants written by Kishan Gopal Ramawat and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-12-16 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deserts appear very fascinating during our short visits. However, the lives of plants and animals are very dif?cult under the harsh climatic conditions of high tempe- ture and scant water supply in deserts, sometimes associated with high concent- tions of salt. The editor of this book was born and brought up in the Great Indian Desert, and has spent much of his life studying the growth and metabolism of desert plants. It is very charming on a cool summer evening to sit at the top of a sand dune listening only to blowing air and nothing else. It has been my dream to prepare a volume on desert plants encompassing various aspects of desert plant biology. In this book, I have tried to present functional and useful aspects of the vegetation resources of deserts along with scienti?c input aimed at understanding and impr- ing the utility of these plants. The scant vegetation of deserts supports animal life and provides many useful medicines, timber and fuel wood for humans. Therefore, there are chapters devoted to medicinal plants (Chap. 1), halophytes (Chaps. 13, 14), and fruit plants (Chaps. 17, 20). Desert plants have a unique reproductive biology (Chaps. 9–11), well-adapted eco-physiological and anatomical charact- istics (Chap. 7), and specialised metabolism and survival abilities. These plants are dif?cult to propagate and pose many problems to researchers developing biote- nological approaches for their amelioration (Chaps. 18–20).

Download or read book Deserts written by Yvonne Franklin and published by Teacher Created Materials. This book was released on 2009-09-07 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deserts may seem like harsh, uninhabitable places, but actually they support a diverse quantity of plant and animal life. And, they aren't always hot! Deserts serve an important role in Earth's existence, too. Readers learn about hot and cold deserts alike, as well as semi-arid and coastal deserts in this Spanish-translated title. From the Horned Lizard to the Saguaro cactus rooted in rich soil, the desert biome will amaze readers.

Download or read book Deserts written by Seymour Simon and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 1997-09-22 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the nature and characteristics of deserts, where they are located, and how they are formed.

Download or read book Under Desert Skies written by Melissa L. Sevigny and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2016-02-25 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The book tells the story of how an upstart planetary laboratory in Tucson, the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL), would help create the field of planetary science, breaking free from traditional astronomical techniques to embrace a wide range of disciplines necessary to study planets"--Provided by publisher.

Download or read book Deserts and Desert Environments written by Julie J Laity and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-01-28 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Taking a global perspective, this book provides a concise overviewof drylands, including their physical, biological, temporal, andhuman components. Examines the physical systems occurring in desert environments,including climate, hydrology, past and present lakes, weathering,hillslopes, geomorphic surfaces, water as a geomorphic agent, andaeolian processes Offers an accessible introduction to the physical, biological,temporal, and human components of drylands Investigates the nature, environmental requirements, andessential geomorphic roles of plants and animals in this stressfulbiological environment Highlights the impact of human population growth on climate,desertification, water resources, and dust storm activity Includes an examination of surface/atmosphere interactions andthe impact of ENSO events.

Download or read book Discover Science Deserts written by Nicola Davies and published by Kingfisher. This book was released on 2012-08-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Come explore the world's deserts, from the scorching North American southwest to the cold Gobi. Starting with natural forces such as wind and rain and moving through plant and animal life, as well as all the ways humans live and work with the desert, this is an accessible introduction to this fascinating environment. With included hands-on activities and key vocabulary defined in the glossary, Discover Science: Desert by Nicola Davies is a clear, easy-to-understand introduction to an important environmental topic.

Download or read book Plant Life of a Desert Archipelago written by Richard Stephen Felger and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2013-01-31 with total page 623 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The desert islands of the Gulf of California are among the world's best-preserved archipelagos. The diverse and unique flora, from the cardón forests of Cholludo to the agave-dominated slopes of San Esteban remain much as they were centuries ago, when the Comcaac (Seri people) were the only human presence in the region. Almost 400 plant species exist here, with each island manifesting a unique composition of vegetation and flora. For thousands of years, climatic and biological forces have sculpted a set of unparalleled desert worlds. Plant Life of a Desert Archipelago is the first in-depth coverage of the plants on islands in the Gulf of California found in between the coasts of Baja California and Sonora. The work is the culmination of decades of study by botanist Richard Felger and recent investigations by Benjamin Wilder, in collaboration with Sr. Humberto Romero-Morales, one of the most knowledgeable Seris concerning the region's flora. Their collective effort weaves together careful and accurate botanical science with the rich cultural and stunning physical setting of this island realm. The researchers surveyed, collected, and studied thousands of plants—seen here in meticulous illustrations and stunning color photographs—providing the most precise species accounts of the islands ever made. To access remote parts of the islands the authors worked directly with the Comcaac, an indigenous community who have lived off marine and terrestrial life in this coastal desert region for centuries. Invaluable information regarding indigenous names and distributions are an intrinsic part of this work. The flora descriptions are extraordinarily detailed and painstakingly crafted for field biologists. Conservationists, students, and others who are interested in learning about the natural wealth of the Gulf of California, desert regions, or islands in general are sure to be captivated by this rich and fascinating volume.

Download or read book Desert Biology written by G. W. Brown and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2013-10-02 with total page 654 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Desert Biology: Special Topics on the Physical and Biological Aspects on Arid Regions, Volume I covers the biology, geophysical characteristics, and ways of life in arid regions. This book is composed of 11 chapters, and begins with a brief description of a desert community, the Merkhiyat Jebels, with its diverse fauna and flora. The subsequent chapters look into the climate, geographical distribution, geologic and geomorphic aspects, and the evolution of desert community. These topics are followed by intensive discussions on desert plants, animals, and limnology. The last chapter describes the adaptive processes and human adaptation capacity to arid environments. This book will prove useful to upper division and graduate students in desert biology.

Download or read book Deserts A Very Short Introduction written by Nick Middleton and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-11-26 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Preface; 1 Desert Climates; 2 Desert Landscapes; 3 The Nature of Deserts; 4 People and Deserts; 5 Deserts Connections.

Download or read book Desert Ecology written by John Sowell and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Unlike books that merely identify which plants and animals live in the desert, Desert Ecology explores how these organisms live where they do.