Natural History of the Islands of California

Natural History of the Islands of California
Author: Allan A. Schoenherr
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 504
Release: 2003-07-10
Genre: History
ISBN: 0520239180

A book on California's islands that deals with their natural history and geology as well as the history of human habitation.

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

Ecosystems of California

Ecosystems of California
Author: Harold Mooney
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 1009
Release: 2016-01-19
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0520962176

This long-anticipated reference and sourcebook for California’s remarkable ecological abundance provides an integrated assessment of each major ecosystem type—its distribution, structure, function, and management. A comprehensive synthesis of our knowledge about this biologically diverse state, Ecosystems of California covers the state from oceans to mountaintops using multiple lenses: past and present, flora and fauna, aquatic and terrestrial, natural and managed. Each chapter evaluates natural processes for a specific ecosystem, describes drivers of change, and discusses how that ecosystem may be altered in the future. This book also explores the drivers of California’s ecological patterns and the history of the state’s various ecosystems, outlining how the challenges of climate change and invasive species and opportunities for regulation and stewardship could potentially affect the state’s ecosystems. The text explicitly incorporates both human impacts and conservation and restoration efforts and shows how ecosystems support human well-being. Edited by two esteemed ecosystem ecologists and with overviews by leading experts on each ecosystem, this definitive work will be indispensable for natural resource management and conservation professionals as well as for undergraduate or graduate students of California’s environment and curious naturalists.

The Island Chumash

The Island Chumash
Author: Douglas J. Kennett
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 312
Release: 2005-04-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 0520243021

"Kennett explores trends in demography, dietary expansion, economic intensification, and increasing sociopolitical sophistication evident in the archaeological record. By combining empirical findings based on new archaeological and paleoclimatic work and a thorough synthesis of earlier studies, Kennett argues that the social and political complexity evident among the island Chumash historically was ultimately a product of individual responses to demographic expansion, human impact on marine habitats, and periods of rapid climatic change."--BOOK JACKET.

Exploring Methods of Faunal Analysis

Exploring Methods of Faunal Analysis
Author: Michael Glassow
Publisher: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2012-12-31
Genre: History
ISBN: 1938770536

How does the practice of archaeology benefit from faunal analysis? Michael Glassow and Terry Joslin's Exploring Methods of Faunal Analysis: Insights from California Archaeology addresses this question. Contributors to this volume demonstrate how faunal remains can be used to elucidate subsistence, settlement, technological systems, economic exchange, social organization, adaptation to variability in resource distribution and abundance, and the impacts of historic land use. The sheer prevalence of faunal remains in California archaeological sites means that most archaeologists working in the state inevitably must give these resources their close attention-and yet methodological challenges remain. The chapters in this thoughtfully edited volume tackle these challenges, providing strategies for identifying and mitigating sample bias and recommending quantitative techniques borrowed from a variety of disciplines. The volume also presents examples that illustrate the use of faunal data to test hypotheses derived from microeconomic theory, the applicability of bone and shell chemistry to faunal analysis, and the relevance of faunal data to addressing issues in biology.

The Archaeology and Historical Ecology of Small Scale Economies

The Archaeology and Historical Ecology of Small Scale Economies
Author: Victor D. Thompson
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2019-03-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0813063914

Most research into humans' impact on the environment has focused on large-scale societies; a corollary assumption has been that small scale economies are sustainable and in harmony with nature. The contributors to this volume challenge this notion, revealing how such communities shaped their environment—and not always in a positive way. Offering case studies from around the world—from Brazil to Japan, Denmark to the Rocky Mountains—the chapters empirically demonstrate the substantial transformations of the surrounding landscape made by hunter-gatherer and limited horticultural societies. Summarizing previous research as well as presenting new data, this book shows that the environmental impact and legacy of societies are not always proportional their size. Understanding that our species leaves a footprint wherever it has been leads to both a better understanding of our prehistoric past and to deeper implications for our future relationship to the world around us.

Ecology and Management of Terrestrial Vertebrate Invasive Species in the United States

Ecology and Management of Terrestrial Vertebrate Invasive Species in the United States
Author: William C. Pitt
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 426
Release: 2017-10-25
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1498704859

Vertebrate invasive species are important ecologically, socially, and scientifically throughout much of the globe. However, the interdiction and options for management of invasive species are driven by localized regulation at the country or even state level and thus the management of species must be framed within that context. This book is focused around the management of invasive vertebrate species in the United States, although readers will find much of the material broadly applicable to invasive species in other regions. Vertebrate invasive species cause damage to agriculture, property, natural resources, and threaten human health and safety. However, most of these species occur in the United States resulting from human-mediated activities, often being released intentionally. For the first time, the wealth of scientific information about vertebrate invasive species in the United States is summarized and synthesized in a single volume to be easily accessible to ecologists and natural resource managers. With a focus on prominent terrestrial invasive species that have a history of policy and management and highlighting contemporary issues and management, this book consists of 18 chapters written by experts from across the United States. The first section of the book focuses on overarching policy and management topics associated with vertebrate invasive species; including biosecurity threats and risk assessment, policy and regulation, and the economics of their management. The second section provides in-depth reviews of noteworthy invasive mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. After finishing this book, the reader should understand the complexity of managing invasive species, the unique challenges that each new species may present, and the steps forward that may decrease the impact of these species on the environment, human health, and the economy.