Sierra Nevada Natural History

By Robert L. Usinger, Tracy Irwin Storer, David Lukas

Book Overview

The magnificent and much-loved Sierra Nevada, called the "Range of Light" by John Muir, is the dominant feature on the California landscape. First published forty years ago, this handbook has become an enduring natural history classic, used by thousands to learn more about virtually every aspect of this spectacular mountain range--from its superb flora and fauna to its rugged topography. Comprehensive yet concise and portable, the book describes hundreds of species: trees and shrubs, flowering plants and ferns, fungi and lichens, insects and fish, amphibians and reptiles, and birds and mammals. Now completely updated and revised, it will continue to be the essential guide to the Sierra Nevada for a new generation of hikers, campers, tourists, naturalists, students, and teachers--everyone who wants to know more about this unique and beautiful mountain range.

* Describes more than 750 of the species most likely to be encountered with more than 500 new color photographs and 218 detailed black-and-white drawings

* Includes engaging and accessible introductory sections on Sierra Nevada topography, climate, geological history, and human history

* The compact, updated species accounts make identification easy, provide informative remarks on ecology and life history, and note which species are threatened or endangered

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520240960
• ISBN13: 9780520240964
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 439 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.1" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Great Tool for Hikers and Campers

This book provides a broad overview of the major flora and fauna you will find in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Not only does it do a fantastic job of describing weather patterns and climatic conditions throughout the mountain range, it also gives the reader a detailed look at the various plants and animals that reside in the Sierras. There are anatomically accurate, scientifically correct descriptions of most of the plant and animal life one would encounter in the range, along with excellent descriptions of their placement within the Sierra ecosystem. A must for anyone who enjoys backcountry hiking or skiing, and a great addition to any biology student's personal library.

Awesome!

This book arrived in good timing and in very good condition. Price was awesome and great for my college course

Sierra Nevada Natural History

Just what I was looking for, All the plants and wild life in the Sierras.

A useful guide

Bought this book for some friends, and they've gotten quite a bit of use out of it for identifying trees and wildlife in the numerous parks in the Sierra Nevada near where they live. Sounds like a winner to me.

A True Classic

This is the book that took me through too many nights, and early morning units of biology and on into my Masters Studies. A quick reference book that has most of your common everythings on it -- it gets you into a ballpark and usually that is close enough for almost everyone. Plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, insects --- it is all here in one place and the big bonus is that it weighs about 300 pounds less than a set of professional reference books. If I could take only one book with me camping or hiking in the Sierra, this would be the one. And don't forget your 5x and 10x Loupes.