North American deserts : ecology of our arid lands / Sean P. Graham.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Graham, Sean P., author.

Series:

W.L. Moody Jr. natural history series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Desert ecology--North America.

Desert ecology.

Arid regions ecology--North America.

Arid regions ecology.

Desert animals--Adaptation--North America.

Desert animals.

Desert plants--Adaptation--North America.

Desert plants.

Physical Description:

x, 440 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), maps ; 24 cm.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

College Station : Texas A&M University Press, [2025]

Summary:

"Deserts cover about one third of the earth's surface and are the largest terrestrial ecosystem in the world. They are the only biome that is actually expanding, largely due to human activities and climate change. In the United States, six unique desert ecosystems stretch across the country: the Great Basin, Mojave, Chihuahuan, Sonoran, Peninsular, and the Painted Desert. Both a travelogue and science writing, North American Deserts: Ecology of Our Arid Lands is a celebration of these ruthlessly beautiful landscapes. Readers will be transported from the enchanting saguaro forests of Arizona and the precipitous red walls of the Grand Canyon to the monotonous, yet impressive landscapes of Nevada's Great Basin and Texas' Chihuahuan Desert. More than 190 vivid, color photographs accompany the lively writing. Biologist Sean P. Graham has extensive field experience in the deserts of the Southwest and Mexico, and in North American Deserts, he takes readers on a journey through both sides of the border. The first half of the book focuses on global climate patterns giving rise to desert regions, and it then delves into how plants and animals survive the physical and biological characteristics of these ecosystems. The second half, which is split into cold and warm regions, features portraits of each desert that explore the unique flora and fauna. Although the work is focused on deserts in the United States, it also surveys the semiarid landscapes that extend into Canada and Mexico"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

The Desert Planet: Introduction

Every Family's Canyon: Desert Landforms

Toast the Solitario: Plant Adaptations

The Devil's Hand: Animal Adaptations

Coyotes and Creosote: Widespread Species

Down to Zero: Desert Communities

This New Old Desert: Biogeography Cold Deserts

Hasting's Cutoff: Great Basin Desert

John Ford's America: Painted Desert Warm Deserts

One Tree Hill: Mojave Desert

Zona del Silencio: Chihuahuan Desert

El Gran Desierto: Sonoran Desert

Just the Place for a Snark: Peninsular Desert

The Secret Gallery of Hoon' Naqvut: Past, Present, Future

Appendix: For Desert Rats, How I Drew the Desert Boundaries.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 381-418) and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Graham, Sean P. North American deserts

ISBN:

9781648432217

1648432212

OCLC:

1435617548

Publisher Number:

90101290622