Amazon.com
More than 300 species of trees are found in the United States and Canada west of the Rocky Mountains, some introduced from other continents but many native to the region. This handsome guidebook covers them all, with photographs that enable identification by easily discernible characteristics: by, for example, the shape of the leaf or needle, by the fruit, or by the flower or cone. The photographs are linked to texts that describe a tree's physical characteristics, habitat, and range. Some of the trees covered in this volume are exceedingly rare, such as the Monterey pine; others are locally abundant but limited in range, such as the Joshua tree; still others, such as the quaking aspen, are widespread. This guidebook is an essential addition to any western outdoor enthusiast's collection. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
All 933 identification pictures are full-color photos of significant details of virtually all native trees and many cultivated species as you see them in their natural habitat.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book !!!.......2006-11-03
These Audubon books are the best ones for learning about the subject matter, ie: trees. Colored pictures are a MUST and these books have pictures that allow you to identify your tree easily. I have purchased a number of them over the years and will do so in the future.
North American trees, West........2004-12-14
If your going to be stuffing your field guide into your pocket, glove box, daypack or backpack, the "turtleback" binding used by Audubon is perfect. Personally, I don't use it that way. When I encounter a species I cannot identify, I take notes (usually of the mental variety) -- leaf characteristics, bark characteristics, size, form, habitat, seeds, flowers, etc. -- and identify it when I return home. The photos and drawings in this volume are generally excellent. So far as I can recall, the Audubon guide has yet to fail me. It doesn't include very many introduced (non-native) trees, that's not it's purpose, of course, so it may not help you identify the trees that have been planted in your yard. The Sunset Western Garden Book, or perhaps your local nurseryman, will fit that niche.
Could the book be better? Well, the obvious answer is always yes, I suppose, but I don't know how. Would some kind of a 'flow-chart' for identifying specimens improve this edition? Well, there is one, created quiet simply in the way the book is organized; refer to the "How to Use this Guide" section in the front. I won't claim to be a connoisseur of guidebooks, but this one has worked very nicely for me for several years and I recommend it without hesitation.
Dissappointing: Very hard to identify unknown trees.......2004-11-29
I spent $20 on this at a local bookstore (that was a mistake: it is only $14 here on Amazon) and got it home and went into my backyard. An hour later, I was only able to identify one of the three trees in the yard.
I got the book because it had the Audobon name, and it included some sharp color photos. I should have got the Peterson guide instead.
What the Audobon book is missing is an algorithm or process to identify an unknown tree (they call this "differential diagnosis" in medicine). I was expecting something like: "If it has 5 needles per cluster turn to page 45, if it has grey bark turn to page 64, etc" until you pinpoint your tree.
I would even be happy if it had some illustrations like Silbeys bird book ... with arrows pointing to the discriminating features that distinguish the tree from similar trees.
But in the Audobon book, the reader is expected to browse thru dozens of photos and try to match your tree to the photo. But SURPRISE, the photos of similar trees all look alike and what then? You are expected to browse the the dense textual (!) descriptions and flip back and forth reading minutae like "two white strips on the undersides of the needles"
How about some color illustrations? How about a list of similar trees a given tree is often confused with? How about a handful of distinguishing characteristics of each tree?
Try Petersons book instead!
Quite reliable for outdoor travellers........2004-07-11
The Audubon Guide to Western Trees will prove a long lasting reference for outdoor lovers and tree finders. This easily equals the excellent Eastern Region guide in quality, detail, number of species listed, and beautiful photographs. However, if you want a heavy duty instant identification tool, hold off on this and purchase the Peterson Guides to Trees. However, if you love to marvel at trees and identify them in any amount of time at all, buy this along with the Eastern Guide. The quality binding of this newly updated edition is nice quality, and easy to carry. The earlier, out of print, hardback Economy Press edition was bulky, but contained more species listings. Still that difference is hardly noticeable, and buy this edition at good costs. This guide, (compared to the Petersons) will please a patient outdoor searcher attempting to identify any tree they find. Though the Peterson Guide to Trees should be bought prior to this, it is still an excellent and reliable addition to your collection.
Nice guide for at home or the field........2002-03-26
This book offers excellent photographs and very extensive information on trees. I use it often and have had great success identifying trees that otherwise I wouldn't know what they were. nicely organized and easy to use. The compact size is awesome for travelling and taking it hiking. Another great Audobon guide.
Book Description
This newly designed field guide features detailed descriptions of 387 species, arranged in six major groups by visual similarity. The 47 color plates and 5 text drawings show distinctive details needed for identification. Color photographs and 295 color range maps accompany the species descriptions.
Customer Reviews:
Explore a New World.......2006-11-06
I am a birder but always wanted to ID the trees that the birds were perched in. I first took this book out in the field to the Arboretums in San Francisco and Berkeley. I found the book easy to use for IDing native trees. I also took this book with me on a trip to the eastern Sierras and trees that I have previously looked at as "pines" turned into Lodgepole, Mountain Hemlock, Whitebark, Red and White Fir, and Jerrery Pine. It really opened up a new world for me. And naming nature is one way to understanding the wonderfully diverse tree species of the west.
learning at the max.......2000-09-13
this tree book is amazing.while i hate science, this book got me into it. its still not my favorite subject, but now i like it.
Amazon.com
Covering the vast region from Alaska to California and east to the Great Plains, this well-produced, compact guidebook contains color plates depicting more than 650 wildflower species grouped by flower color to suit the needs of inexperienced enthusiasts. The plates are keyed to texts that offer physical descriptions of the flowers and their leaves and, where applicable, fruit, along with notes on habitat and range and, often, further notes on the flower's name (e.g., "The common name, Clammyweed, refers to the sticky, moist glands on the surface of this plant"). Expertly written and photographed, this guide is just the book to have on hand when traversing western wildflower country. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
Nothing is as colorful as a field of wildflowers in full-bloom so what could be more appropriate than a magnificent field guide with beautiful full-color photographs? More than 1,000 species are covered in full detail, with notes on more than 400 others. The 700 identification photographs show wildflowers-including grasses and sedges, and many flowering vines and shrubs-in their natural habitats.
Note: the Western Edition covers the Rocky Mountain range and all the states to the west of it, while the Eastern Edition generally covers states east of the Rocky Mountains.
Customer Reviews:
National Audubon Society Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region - Revised Edition.......2007-08-08
This book is excellent. It's photos of flowers and leaves are close up and clear. The introduction is filled with information on flower and leaf parts with diagrams. The information, description, and where each flower can be found is very detailed.
Great for general curiosity.......2007-07-05
This book is great for those who like to know what they're looking at when they're out on a hike away from home. Since it covers the entire western U.S., it won't have every single flower you come across, but it can often help you get at least to the right family. I have a book that covers every single plant that I could come across right around where I live, but when I go more than a couple hours from home, this is a fun book to have. Great pictures, and great info on each plant in the back.
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region - Revised Edition (National Audubon Society F.......2007-06-27
As in all the National Audubon Society Field Guides the book is great. National Audubon Society Field Guides are my favorite of all the guide books. The color photos are clear and close up for easy identification of the plant. Descriptions are in-depth for information and assistance in identification. I highly recommend this book.
Awesome!!.......2007-01-04
The illustrations are fabulous. I have seen many wildflower books where all the pictures are in black and white. This book has actual photos of the flowers as well as detailed descriptions to help you learn. I recommend this book!
Wildflowers: Western Region by Audubon Society.......2006-11-04
This is an excellent reference book for those interested in identifying wildflowers. It is well organized and is the right size to carry into the field.
Average customer rating:
- Field Guide to Eucalypts Vol. 1 Southeastern Australia
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Field Guide to Eucalypts, Volume 2: South-Western & Southern Australia (Field Guide to Eucalypts)
M.I.H. Brooker
Manufacturer: Bloomings Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1876473282 |
Book Description
Australia is one of the few countries in the world generally associated with a single group of plants, namely - the eucalypts.
The genus Eucalyptus includes over 800 species and over 326 are described in this volume. In particular it is significant as it features the colorful eucalypts of Western Australia, which have been widely used for landscaping. The area covered includes the Great Victoria Desert, and extends across the Nullabor Plain, to most of South Australia and into areas of New South Wales which lie to the north and west of the River Darling.
Since the first edition of Volume 2 was published in 1990, many new species have been formally named. The numerous subsequent discoveries are included in the Appendix of the Volume. In addition, the layout of the book has been updated and reorganized to be consistent with the latest formal classification of the genus. Important features are emphasized in bolder type and color illustrations show the tree or mallee and its bark, buds and fruit. Botanical terms are explained and illustrated.
ILLUSTRATIONS:
Approx 1500 color plates
CATEGORIES:
Landscaping, Botany,
Gardening, Forestry,
Natural History
Customer Reviews:
Field Guide to Eucalypts Vol. 1 Southeastern Australia.......2002-02-20
Have second edition updated 1999
Good key, discussion of bark catagories, leaf phases, & other distinguishing features.
For each tree has:
Good photo of overall tree shape/form
Good photo of bark characteristics
Excellent photo of bud
some with bud and flower (maybe one out of 6-7 trees)
Excellent photo of fruit
Very few photos of leaves.
Would have liked to see juvenile and mature leaves.
Discussion of distribution gives clues to type of soil tree is adapted to.
Would have liked to seen some comment if trees adapt to cultivation or are invasive etc.
Overall, best Eucalyptus book I've seen to date.
Average customer rating:
- A 'must' for any who would discover the history and nature of the West's last stands of big trees.
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Giant Trees of Western America and the World
Al Carder
Manufacturer: Harbour Publishing
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Binding: Paperback
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The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring
ASIN: 1550173634 |
Book Description
As a child growing up in the Fraser Valley, Al Carder was awed by the ancient Douglas fir forests and spent hours staring up at trees that commonly stood over 300 feet high. Sixty years later, after retiring from his career as a plant biologist, he set out to find the trees that had transfixed him in his youth. Discovering many of them felled by storms or loggers, he determined to document those that were left before they could vanish from our memories as well as from our landscapes. The catalogue Dr. Carder compiled is a definitive record of the West's record-sized trees of all species, including such legends as BC's 400-plus foot Lynn Valley fir and California's massive redwood, the Eureka Tree. Next, Dr. Carder set out to answer the question, how do the giant trees of the West stack up against the great trees of the world?
The result, Giant Trees of Western America and the World, reveals outstanding examples from each of the most noteworthy tree species Dr. Carder found--including some that are thousands of years old and over 300 feet high. Featuring more than 40 scale drawings, this collection of giant trees outlines the intriguing characteristics of each species, such as the resiliency of the English oak, which can endure lightning strikes and widespread rot for hundreds of years and still thrive; and the "grotesque" appearance of the African "upside-down tree," the baobab, whose width can exceed its height. Dr. Carder also describes the histories of famous trees, including the stump of a BC western red cedar so wide that eight men and women danced a quadrille on it in 1887, and the Sicilian Tree of 100 Horses, well-known for sheltering Joan, Queen of Aragon and 100 of her horsemen in a storm. Carder's enthusiasm and expertise informs and entertains even as he urges us to appreciate and protect what is left of these fascinating "monsters of the past."
Customer Reviews:
A 'must' for any who would discover the history and nature of the West's last stands of big trees........2007-01-07
Al Carder spent sixty years as a plant biologist but never forgot the ancient Douglas fir forests which enthralled him as a child: when he retired he set out to find the trees, only to discover many had been felled by loggers or storms. GIANT TREES OF WESTERN AMERICA AND THE WORLD is his attempt to document those which remain and provides a catalog of the West's big trees of all species, from BC's 400-plus foot Lynn Valley fir to the massive redwoods of California. Some are thousands of years old and over 300 feet high: the author's scale drawings accompany discussions of observation history and plant biology. A 'must' for any who would discover the history and nature of the West's last stands of big trees.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Average customer rating:
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Frontiers of Forest Biology: Proceedings of the 1998 Joint Meeting of the North American Forest Biology Workshop and the Western Forest Genetics Association
Alan K., Ed. Mitchell
Manufacturer: Haworth Press
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1560220791 |
Book Description
Two genuine classics of natural history, "A Natural History of Western Trees" and its eastern counterpart, "A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America", are the most eloquent, informative, and entertaining books ever written about trees of North America. Each volume covers all of the native American trees of its region. After a succinct, nontechnical description of each species--its leaves, flowers, fruit, bark, wood, geographic range--Donald Culross Peattie focuses, in a essay of one hundred to several thousand words, on the relations between tree and people over the course of American history. These essays, unique in style and viewpoint, contain an incomparable richness of natural history.
Customer Reviews:
Worthy companion to "Eastern Trees".......2000-06-17
In the same grand style as in his "A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America" the writer continues with unsurpassed stories on trees, in this case the trees of Western North America, where the greatest living trees on the world can be found. What can I add to this? [see also my review on "Eastern Trees"]
It is a great pity Donald Culross Peattie was unable to follow through on his plan for a volume on Southern Trees. [For a few brief notes on the life and the untimely death of the writer see the afterword by his son Noel in the 1991 Indiana University Press reprint of "Flowering Earth"]
Book Description
Princess Royal Island--an uninhabited spot of land off the coast of British Columbia--is the home of the rare Kermode bear, a variety of grizzly bear. Also called the white, ghost or spirit bear, it has long been the subject of myth, curiousity and fascination to humans. Until recently, these animals had never been exposed to civilization. Now reissued with an introduction by the author, Spirit Bear is the story of Charles Russell's quest to forge a unique relationship of mutual trust with the rare spirit bear of Princess Royal Island. Russell was on the island to help Jeff and Sue Turner with their film, Island of the Ghost Bear. During the course of the shoot, he became intrigued with, and eventually befriended the shy young Spirit Bear who was the subject of the film. Russell has spent many years studying bears in their natural habitat. In this book he describes his early encounters with bears in the Rockies and Alaska, shared with his father, well-known writer Andy Russell, and his encounters with grizzlies in British Columbia's Khutzeymateen Valley. This wonderful book, which is illustrated with 100 breathtaking colour photographs, is part of an ongoing effort by conservationists to save Princess Royal Island as a sanctuary for the Kermode bear.
Customer Reviews:
Spirit Bear:Encounters with White Bear of the Western Rainforest.......2007-10-02
amazing photographs and experiences by author. I did not know the Spirit Bear existed until read this book. L'Ohanna
Wow! Great for any bear lover.......1999-07-15
This is a fascinating story of rare and beautiful animals and the crew of research photographers who became intimately associated with them. It offers some startling revelations into the life and behavior of bears. The Spirit Bear, or Kermode Bear, is a white genetic variety of black bear, found only on Princess Royal Island off British Columbia. The region is also home to black bears and grizzly bears which are included in the book as well. What is most remarkable here is how the bears on the island, which had very little prior human contact, accepted the crew with an open gentleness allowing many close encounters to be documented. The book is written in an engaging first person style and beautifully photographed with close ups of bears in various activities. It will surely be a favorite addition to the library of any nature lover.
great content, credible author, fascinating photos.......1999-06-04
Spirit Bear is the best combination of a well-conceived book design, telling photography, and an exceptional storyline. The author's credibility is supported by a three-generation family history in grizzly bear country. His true experience, though, is reflected in his down-to-earth sincerity and simplicity of reporting. Reverence, balanced with pragmatic humor, sets a very ageeable tone for this fascinating book. With only one very moderately bloody-nosed bear photo, you could quite readily share this book with children. I grew up in bear country and now live in the heart of tree-hugging country and I found this book to be true to the core of both. And a darn fine read.
Fantastic!!!.......1999-03-29
This book will give you the chills! A mystical yet true story on the nature of "wild animals" and the mystical and spiritual link between "us" and "them".Gorgeous full color photography. The book ends with the impending destruction of the Spirit Bears habitat by logging and a plea to save this unique island ecosystem.
Studying the white bears of Princess Royal Island.......1998-05-14
Eyeing you from the dust jacket of Spirit Bear is a very relaxed, improbable looking white bear with a benign, even friendly, air. It is the embodiment of the main subject of the book.
The author begins by summarizing his own and his family's long history and experience with black and grizzly bears. In so doing he establishes his credibility before describing his encounters with' the Kermode bear, a rare white variant of the black bear that inhabits some of the largely undisturbed west coast islands. Russell was wise to open in this manner as the story that follows truly stretches the reader's credulity.
After recounting how he came to be on Princess Royal Island to film the white bears with Sue and Jeff Turner, we learn how they got to know the Spirit Bear, and how they developed an extraordinary relationship with him. The Spirit Bear not only "enjoyed" human company, but he fished with people, slept beside them, and allowed the author to scratch and even tickle him between his toes! Perhaps most incredible is the incident when men and bear play tug-of-war, with the bear attempting to initiate a wrestling match without harming his human friends.
After these amazing adventures, the last chapter is somewhat disappointing. We read about how the author and the Turners, after several months' absence from Princess Royal Island during the winter, returned and spent their last summer finishing their film. However, only one brief paragraph is devoted to their meeting with the Spirit Bear and the renewal of their extraordinary friendship.
Despite this disappointment, the book is well worth the price. Although not always technically perfect, the amazing photographs are generally very good and document some of the incredible events described in the narrative. The text not only provides fascinating insights into bear behaviour, but give? plenty of reasons to change preconceived notions about bear aggression. Underlying the story is a message about the importance of keeping an open mind when dealing ! with animals. But don't expect the next bear you meet to treat you as a long lost friend. THERESA ANISKOWICZ
Books:
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region (Eastern)
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region (Eastern)
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region (Eastern)
- National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Trees of North America : East (The Audubon S ociety Pocket Guides)
- Native Plants in the Coastal Garden: A Guide for Gardeners in the Pacific Northwest
- Necropsy Guide: RODENTS AND THE RABBIT
- New Eyes for Plants: A Workbook for Plant Observation & Drawing (Social Ecology Series)
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide
- Oak Forest Ecosystems: Ecology and Management for Wildlife
- Ozark Wildflowers
Books Index
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National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region - Revised Edition (National Audubon Society Field Guide)
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Western Region - Revised Edition (National Audubon Society Field Guide)
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region (Eastern)
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals: (Revised and Expanded) (Audubon Society Field Guide)
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders (Audubon Society Field Guide)
