Sonoran Desert Plants: An Ecological Atlas

Sonoran Desert Plants
An Ecological Atlas
By Raymond M. Turner; Janice E. Bowers; Tony L. Burgess
501 pp. / 8.50 in x 11.00 in / 2005
Paper (978-0-8165-2519-5) [s]

Related Interest
- Biological & Ecology

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

A goldmine of information that represents more than three decades of careful compilation.

—Economic Botany

Marvellous introductions to the ecology of each species. . . . A must-have for the serious naturalist and field ecologist working in the Sonoran.

—Tree

A most remarkable mine of information.

—Cactus and Succulent Journal

The new reference list alone is probably reason enough for any plant ecologist who has worked in the southwestern deserts to rush out and get this book.

—Plant Science Bulletin

To anyone interested in Sonoran Desert flora, this book is probably the best and most current reference.

—Academic Library Book Review

It's a welcome whiff of mission in an otherwise technical manual-and the call-out to citizen scientists is more relevant now than ever.

—High Country News

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Sonoran Desert Plants is a monumental work, unlikely to be superseded in the next generation.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.

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