Synopses & Reviews
and#160;The landscape of the Sonoran Desert Regionand#160;varies dramatically from parched desert lowlands to semiarid tropical forests and frigid subalpine meadows. Covering southeasternmost California, much of southern and central Arizona, most of Baja California, and much of the state of Sonora, Mexico, it is home to an extraordinary variety of plants and animals.
A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert takes readers deep into its vast expanse, looking closely at the relationships of plants and animals with the land and people, through time and across landscapes.
In accessible language, more than forty scientists and/or naturalists examine the regionandrsquo;s biodiversity, geology, weather, plants, and animals (from invertebrates to fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals), as well as potential threats to the species and habitats. The text is supplemented throughout with anecdotes, essays, photographs, maps, diagrams, and 450 finely renderedand#160;drawings.
This new edition adds chapters on the Sky Islands, Sea of Cortez, desert pollinators, and conservation issues. Taxonomic nomenclature has been updated and new color plates and figures have been added. This comprehensive natural history, like the original edition, will surely become an invaluable companion for nature enthusiasts, birdwatchers, hikers, students, naturalists, and anyone interested in the desert Southwest. and#160;
Review
andquot;If I were forced to limit my southwestern library to one book, this would be it. In just under 600 pages, handsomely illustrated with color and black-and-white photographs, and prcise pen-and-ink drawings, 35 experts share their considerable knowledge of man and nature in the Sonoran Desert.andquot;and#160;
Review
andquot;An indispensable guide for any desert visitor. . . . It offers a complete look at Sonoran Desert ecology, with details on individual species and essays that bring the desert alive.andquot;
Review
andquot;The award-winning text includes a calendar of natural events highlighting animal migrations, full moons, and the Sonoran Desertand#39;s awesome spring flower show.andquot;and#160;
Review
andquot;A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert is a monumental work, accessible to amateurs and professionals alike; it is a must for anyone planning to visit the deserts of southwestern United States.andquot;
Review
andquot;. . . immaculately produced. . . . Put together by the museumand#39;s exceptional academic and curatorial staff, Natural History is a storybook, a field guide, a lay geology, paleontology, and human ecology textbook, and a handy encyclopedia - and it reads as enjoyable as fiction.andquot;and#160;
Review
andquot;If I am exiled to a desert isle, I now have that proverbial one book to take along: A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert. . . . Itand#39;s all here. Itand#39;s like sitting on the patio with the best experts and having a private tutorial.andquot;
Review
andquot;Never before has a book appeared that so deserved a place on the bookshelf of every desert aficionado. . . . This book is destined to become the bible of Sonoran Desert nature literature.andquot;
Review
andquot;This compendium [is] destined to become the mandatory reference for the Sonoran Desert for years to come.andquot;
Review
andquot;. . . an authoritative introduction to the Sonoran Desert. . . . remarkably thorough . . . the one book on the Sonoran Desert Iand#39;d recommend to both novice and experienced naturalists.andquot;and#160;
Review
andquot;This book is the next best thing to going there. . . . Thought the emphasis is on the well-known and often-seen organisms of the region, the depth of coverage of those organisms is remarkable for its completeness.andquot;and#160;
Review
andquot;Everything the traveler, birdwatcher, hiker, student, desert-dweller and desert-lover will ever need to know about this region . . . is painstakingly presented in clear prose, maps and pictures.andquot;and#160;
Review
andquot;This book is a long, long, love letter. . . . [It] tells you just about all you can think to ask about this lush and most beautiful of Americaand#39;s four deserts.andquot;
Synopsis
Praise for the First Edition
andquot;An indispensable guide for any desert visitor.andquot;andmdash;Sunset Magazine
andquot;The award-winning text includes a calendar of natural events highlighting animal migrations, full moons, and the Sonoran Desertand#39;s awesome spring flower show.andquot;andmdash;Outside Magazine
andquot;Never before has a book appeared that so deserved a place on the bookshelf of every desert aficionado. This book is destined to become the bible of Sonoran Desert nature literature.andquot;andmdash;The Desert Sun
andquot;Everything the traveler, birdwatcher, hiker, student, desert-dweller, and desert-lover will ever need to know about this region is painstakingly presented in clear prose, maps and pictures.andquot;andmdash;Rocky Mountain Newsand#160;
andquot;Immaculately produced. Put together by the museumand#39;s exceptional academic and curatorial staff, Natural History is a storybook, a field guide, a lay geology, a paleontology and human ecology textbook, and a handy encyclopediaandmdash;and it reads as enjoyably as fiction.andquot;andmdash;The Americus Journal
About the Author
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, located fourteen miles west of Tucson, is an internationally recognized leader in natural history interpretation and innovative exhibitry. The new edition of A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert is the result of the expert contributions of more than forty accomplished scholars, scientists, and naturalists, a third of whom are current or former staff members at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Each contributor provides unique expertise in relevant areas including ecology, geology, geomorphology, paleoecology, human impacts, ethnobotany, botany, invertebrate zoology, ornithology, mammalogy, ichthyology, and herpetology.