A detailed handbook giving clear descriptions and full historical information about the trees that grow in North America--Résumé de l'éditeur.

An indispensable illustrated source of information for hundreds of species of North American trees This authoritative reference on native and non-native trees of North America, by Smithsonian veteran W. John Kress, provides an unprecedented appraisal of more than 325 common species. More than a field guide, it includes ● over 300 range maps and 3,000 photographs of leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, and bark; ● an in-depth introduction to the biology of trees, their value, structure, evolution, classification, ecology, and conservation; ● descriptions of each species, organized by genus and family; ● a reflection on the consequences of environmental change on the health of trees, now and in the future; ● a presentation, based on the latest technologies, of North American trees in a planetary and evolutionary perspective. Smithsonian Trees of North America, ten years in the making, marries science and art to provide an insightful and compassionate exploration of the diversity, structure, form, and beauty of trees.

First comprehensive guide to Florida's amazing variety of trees, both natives and exotics, from scrub oak to mangroves, from bald cypress and gumbo limbo, from sabal palm to the Florida yew. Serves as both a reference and a field guide. Includes suggested field sites for observing the species described. Color photos were color is important in identification, as well as line drawings. Useful to the naturalist, professional botanist, landscape architect, and weekend gardener.

From roots to canopy, a lush, verdant history of the making of California. California now has more trees than at any time since the late Pleistocene. This green landscape, however, is not the work of nature. It’s the work of history. In the years after the Gold Rush, American settlers remade the California landscape, harnessing nature to their vision of the good life. Horticulturists, boosters, and civic reformers began to "improve" the bare, brown countryside, planting millions of trees to create groves, wooded suburbs, and landscaped cities. They imported the blue-green eucalypts whose tangy fragrance was thought to cure malaria. They built the lucrative "Orange Empire" on the sweet juice and thick skin of the Washington navel, an industrial fruit. They lined their streets with graceful palms to announce that they were not in the Midwest anymore. To the north the majestic coastal redwoods inspired awe and invited exploitation. A resource in the state, the durable heartwood of these timeless giants became infrastructure, transformed by the saw teeth of American enterprise. By 1900 timber firms owned the entire redwood forest; by 1950 they had clear-cut almost all of the old-growth trees. In time California’s new landscape proved to be no paradise: the eucalypts in the Berkeley hills exploded in fire; the orange groves near Riverside froze on cold nights; Los Angeles’s palms harbored rats and dropped heavy fronds on the streets below. Disease, infestation, and development all spelled decline for these nonnative evergreens. In the north, however, a new forest of second-growth redwood took root, nurtured by protective laws and sustainable harvesting. Today there are more California redwoods than there were a century ago. Rich in character and story, Trees in Paradise is a dazzling narrative that offers an insightful, new perspective on the history of the Golden State and the American West.

Descriptions of 204 species; 204 drawings of leaves and fruit, 204 distribution maps, and simple key.

Winter is the season that most tests our mettle. There are the obvious challenges of the weather-freezing rain, wind chill, deep snow, dangerous ice-but also the psychological burdens of waiting for spring and the enduring often false starts that accompany its eventual return. On the surface, perhaps, winter might seem an odd season for a nature book, but there is plenty of beauty and life in the woods if only we know where to look. The stark, white landscape sparkles in the sunshine and glows beneath the moon on crisp, clear nights; the opening up of the forest makes it easy to see long distances; birds, some of which can be easily seen only in winter, flock to feeders; and animals-even those that should be hibernating-make surprise visits from time to time. Appalachian Winter offers acclaimed naturalist Marcia Bonta's view of one season, as experienced on and around her 650-acre home on the westernmost ridge of the hill-and-valley landscape that dominates central Pennsylvania. Written in the style of a journal, each day's entry focuses on her walks and rambles through the woods and fields that she has known and loved for over thirty years. Along the way she discovers a long-eared owl in a dense stand of conifers, tracks a bear through an early December snowfall, explains the life and ecological niche of the red-backed vole, and examines the recent arrival of an Asian ladybug. These are but a few of the tidbits sprinkled throughout the book, interwoven with the human stories of Bonta's family, as well as the highway builders and shopping-mall developers that threaten the idyllic peacefulness of her mountain. This is the fourth and final volume of Bonta's seasonal meditations on the natural history of the northern Appalachian Mountains. Her gentle, charming accounts of changing weather and of the struggles faced by plants, animals, and insects breathe new warmth into the coldest months of the year.

So many trees, so little time. What's a nature lover to do? If you can't tell the difference between an Eastern hemlock and a scrub pine, or a cottonwood and a black willow, 101 Trees of Indiana is the field guide for you. 101 Trees of Indiana contains all you need to identify a tree in the Hoosier State, whatever the season. Not since Dr. Charles Deam's Trees of Indiana was published in 1953 has the subject been covered so thoroughly. Ecologist Marion T. Jackson has selected approximately 101 species of trees, mostly native to the state but also others that are widely naturalized or planted extensively. Jackson's comments about individual trees alone are worth the price of the book. Illustrations by Katherine Harrington provide clear and accurate botanical details. Ron Rathfon's vivid color photographs make identification in the field a breeze. Further aiding in identification are text descriptions and species keys for both summer and winter conditions. Distribution maps indicate the counties in which each tree has been found and recorded. These maps have been updated to include more than 2,000 new county records discovered by scientists, foresters, and naturalists since the publication of Deam's work. 101 Trees of Indiana will fit handily into a pocket or backpack, and the information for each tree, including drawings and photographs, is on facing pages—no flipping back and forth from text to picture. Naturalists, hikers, landscapers, and students will thoroughly enjoy this lovely and authoritative book.

Open The Urban Tree Book and discover the joys of forest trekking--right in your city or town. This first-of-a-kind field guide introduces readers to the trees on their block, in neighborhood parks, and throughout the urban landscape. Unlike traditional tree guides with dizzying numbers of woodland species, The Urban Tree Book explores nature in the city, describing some 200 tree types likely to be found on North America's streets and surrounding spaces, including suburban settings. With telling descriptions and precise botanical detail, this unique guide not only identifies trees but brings them to life through history, lore, anecdotes, up-to-date facts, and hundreds of fascinating characteristics. More than 175 graceful illustrations capture the charm of trees in urban settings and depict leaf, flower, fruit, and bark features for identification and appreciation. The Urban Tree Book will inform even the most knowledgeable plant person and delight urbanites who simply enjoy strolling beneath the shade of welcoming trees. An engaging excursion into the "urban forest," this complete guide to city trees will both entertain and enlighten nature lovers, urban hikers, gardeners, and everyone curious about their environment. Includes a tree planting-and-care section, tree primer, and exploration guide Is backed by the expertise of the renowned Morton Arboretum Incorporates new "urban forestry" perspectives Covers urban trees across the continent Lists key organizations and institutions for tree lovers Selects the best tree sites on the Internet Updates many guides by 20 years

The northern coniferous forests are the most extensive in the world, covering large tracts across the boreal regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. This updated edition (1st ed., CH, Dec'88, 26-2133) provides an overview of these forests from the perspective of North America. Pielou (The Energy of Nature, CH, Oct'01, 39-0997; Fresh Water, CH, Mar'99, 36-3926) discusses the types of trees present, the interactions of trees with other organisms, and the fate of forests in a changing environment. The book is aimed at general readers, who might include interested amateurs or students in an introductory forestry course. It introduces tree taxonomy and identification along with commentary on past and present distributions and the basic morphology of trees. Pielou outlines the importance of fungi and insects in interactions and environmental factors, such as storm damage and fire, that can modify the dynamics within forested ecosystems. He presents all information in an ecological context. Informative line drawings, including anatomical details of many organisms, support the text. Because this is an introductory work, suggestions for further reading would have been helpful; however, the book is still useful for newcomers to the subject. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and general readers. D. H. Pfister Harvard University--Choice Reviews.