Terrestrial Vegetation of California, 3rd Edition [Hardcover]

Michael Barbour (Editor), Todd Keeler-Wolf (Editor), Allan A. Schoenherr (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0520249550 | ISBN-13: 978-0520249554 | Publication Date: July 17, 2007 | Edition: 1

This thoroughly revised, entirely rewritten edition of what is the essential reference on California's diverse and ever-changing vegetation now brings readers the most authoritative, state-of-the-art view of California's plant ecosystems available. Integrating decades of research, leading community ecologists and field botanists describe and classify California's vegetation types, identify environmental factors that determine the distribution of vegetation types, analyze the role of disturbance regimes in vegetation dynamics, chronicle change due to human activities, identify conservation issues, describe restoration strategies, and prioritize directions for new research. Several new chapters address statewide issues such as the historic appearance and impact of introduced and invasive plants, the soils of California, and more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A landmark publication."--Fremontia

From the Inside Flap

"This completely new edition of Terrestrial Vegetation of California clearly documents the extraordinary complexity and richness of the plant communities and of the state and the forces that shape them. This volume is a storehouse of information of value to anyone concerned with meeting the challenge of understanding, managing or conserving these unique plant communities under the growing threats of climate change, biological invasions and development."--Harold Mooney, Professor of Environmental Biology, Stanford University

"The plants of California are under threat like never before. Traditional pressures of development and invasive species have been joined by a newly-recognized threat: human-caused climate change. It is essential that we thoroughly understand current plant community dynamics in order to have a hope of conserving them. This book represents an important, well-timed advance in knowledge of the vegetation of this diverse state and is an essential resource for professionals, students, and the general public alike."--Brent Mishler, Director of the University & Jepson Herbaria and Professor of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 730 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (July 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520249550
• ISBN-13: 978-0520249554
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #691,759 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars David Bixler PhD, January 1, 2009

By 

David Bixler "Bishop Andrew David" (Tower, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Terrestrial Vegetation of California, 3rd Edition (Hardcover)

This book is a seminal reference work on the California ecosystems. It is not a reading book but a resource for anybody in the field. It is cited consistently by Resource Managers, Botonists, Field Biologists and Ecological Scientists as a major environmental sourcebook. I am familier with the authors and their work and they are recognized as authorities in their field. I keep it on a nearby shelf as a very useful reference for specific scientific notes on CA ecology, and keep copies in the lab for students. Yes if you are not an ecological scientist I can see why one would find any technical book esoteric- they were not written for mass reading. I am a CA ecologist and feel that any person in this field or related field should have this on their shelf.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CA Terrestrial Vegetation, April 7, 2008

By 

Scott M. Kruse "Biophysical Geographer" (Fresno, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Terrestrial Vegetation of California, 3rd Edition (Hardcover)

Third edition of an excellent text-reference that is critical to understanding California vegetation and ecosystems. This is a comprehensive look at vegetation, in the context of geography, elevation, aspect, effective moisture, perturbations such as periodic fire. Each section and the entire text is a "labor of love" in that the authors know their subject areas first-hand. The California Floristic Province, Cascades and Great Basin are too complex and large to intimately understand - but this gives you a solid reference to work from. Should be on the shelf of every student, instructor, bureaucrat and politician. I constantly refer to it to refresh what I have forgotten or should have known. Treatment of climate is weak, but then climatic water budget analysis is intimidating and demanding. This text does an excellent job of putting it all together.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource, June 13, 2010

By 

Joshua M. Brokaw - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Terrestrial Vegetation of California, 3rd Edition (Hardcover)

I can't believe I hadn't heard about this book. It is a huge bargain at less than $40 but a little sad that the impressive effort couldn't be translated into a financial success. Even the original price would have been a bargain for a textbook, which is what it is, a great resource for botanists in graduate level programs.