Land of Chamise and Pines

Land of Chamise and Pines
Author: Richard A. Minnich
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 190
Release: 1998-11-04
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780520915886

In marked contrast to California's landscape of urban sprawl, expansive agriculture, and wildlands altered by protectionist management systems, many landscapes in neighboring Baja California would still be recognizable to the first European explorers. This book shows that the vegetation of present-day Baja California is remarkably similar to that observed in the 18th and 19th centuries, and that historical fire and grazing management has done little to alter the region's resilient mediterranean-type shrublands and forests.

Terrestrial Vegetation of California, 3rd Edition

Terrestrial Vegetation of California, 3rd Edition
Author: Michael Barbour
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 732
Release: 2007-07-17
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0520249550

"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

Five Suns

Five Suns
Author: Stephen J. Pyne
Publisher: University of Arizona Press
Total Pages: 335
Release: 2024-04-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 0816553408

A climate defined by wet and dry seasons, a mostly mountainous terrain, a biota prone to disturbances, a human geography characterized by a diversity of peoples all of whom rely on burning in one form or another: Mexico has ideal circumstances for fire, and those fires provide a unique perspective on its complex history. Narrating Mexico’s evolution of fire through five eras, historian Stephen J. Pyne describes the pre-human, pre-Hispanic, colonial, industrializing (1880–1980), and contemporary (1980–2015) fire biography of this diverse and dynamic country. Creatively deploying the Aztec New Fire Ceremony and the “five suns” that it birthed, Pyne addresses the question, “Why does fire appear in Mexico the way it does?” Five Suns tells the saga through a pyric prism. Mexico has become one of the top ten “firepowers” in the world today through its fire suppression capabilities, fire research, and industrial combustion, but also by those continuing customary practices that have become increasingly significant to a world that suffers too much combustion and too little fire. Five Suns completes a North American fire-history trilogy written by Pyne over the past 40 years, complementing his histories of Canada and the United States.

California’s Fading Wildflowers

California’s Fading Wildflowers
Author: Richard A. Minnich
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 361
Release: 2008-06-18
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0520934334

Early Spanish explorers in the late eighteenth century found springtime California covered with spectacular carpets of wildflowers from San Francisco to San Diego. Yet today, invading plant species have devastated this nearly forgotten botanical heritage. In this lively, vividly detailed work, Richard A. Minnich synthesizes a unique and wide-ranging array of sources—from the historic accounts of those early explorers to the writings of early American botanists in the nineteenth century, newspaper accounts in the twentieth century, and modern ecological theory—to give the most comprehensive historical analysis available of the dramatic transformation of California's wildflower prairies. At the same time, his groundbreaking book challenges much current thinking on the subject, critically evaluating the hypothesis that perennial bunchgrasses were once a dominant feature of California's landscape and instead arguing that wildflowers filled this role. As he examines the changes in the state's landscape over the past three centuries, Minnich brings new perspectives to topics including restoration ecology, conservation, and fire management in a book that will change our of view of native California.

California Friendly

California Friendly
Author: Douglas Kent
Publisher:
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2017-03-09
Genre:
ISBN: 9780692800263

California Friendly® is California's future. Water reliability is dependent on using water wisely. We need to create sustainable gardens that rely on less water. This maintenance guide will help you support California's future:*Uncover the secrets of efficient irrigation.*Explore the techniques for irrigating with recycled water.*Get the maintenance tips for hundreds of California Friendly® plants.*Discover the methods and means of managing weed and pest infestations.*Learn how to maintain rainwater capture opportunities.This book has been written for every landscaper, gardener and land manager in Southern California. It has been produced by the very first collaboration between three Southern California organizations, LADWP, MWD and SoCalGas. Grab a copy--they are free--use the information in your garden and help us create a beautiful, thriving and sustainable future.