A coherent, readable summary of the technical information available on savannas, barrens and rock outcrop plant communities.

Plant Life of Kentucky is the first comprehensive guide to all the ferns, flowering herbs, and woody plants of the state. This long-awaited work provides identification keys for Kentucky’s 2,600 native and naturalized vascular plants, with notes on wildlife/human uses, poisonous plants, and medicinal herbs. The common name, flowering period, habitat, distribution, rarity, and wetland status are given for each species, and about 80 percent are illustrated with line drawings. The inclusion of 250 additional species from outside the state (these species are “to be expected” in Kentucky) broadens the regional coverage, and most plants occurring from northern Alabama to southern Ohio to the Mississippi River (an area of wide similarity in flora) are examined, including nearly all the plants of western and central Tennessee. The author also describes prehistoric and historical changes in the flora, natural regions and plant communities, significant botanists, current threats to plant life, and a plan for future studies. Plant Life of Kentucky is intended as a research tool for professionals in biology and related fields, and as a resource for students, amateur naturalists, and others interested in understanding and preserving our rich botanical heritage.

Insights on current research and recent developments in understanding global savanna systems Increasingly recognized as synonymous with tropical grassy biomes, savannas are found in tropical and sub-tropical climates as well as warm, temperate regions of North America. Savanna Woody Plants and Large Herbivores examines the interactions between woody plants and browsing mammals in global savannas—focusing primarily on the C4 grassy ecosystems with woody components that constitute the majority of global savannas—and discusses contemporary savanna management models and applications. This much-needed addition to current research examines topics including the varying behavior of browsing mammals, the response to browsing by woody species, and the factors that inhibit forage intake. Contributions from an international team of active researchers and experts compare and contrast different savanna ecosystems, offering a global perspective on savanna functioning, the roles of soil and climate in resource availability and organism interaction, and the possible impacts of climate change across global savannas. Fills a gap in literature on savanna management issues, including biodiversity conservation and animal production Applies concepts developed in other biomes to future savanna research Complements contemporary books on savanna or large herbivore ecology Focuses on the woody component of savanna ecosystems and large herbivore interactions in savannas Compares tree-mammal systems of savannas and other eco-systems of temperate and boreal regions Provides numerous case studies of plant-mammal interactions from various savanna ecosystems Savanna Woody Plants and Large Herbivores is a valuable addition to those in fields such as ecology, wildlife and conservation biology, natural resource management, and environmental science.

Thorough, detailed dendrological coverage of North American trees, shrubs, and vines This comprehensive field guide/procedural handbook provides extraordinarily detailed descriptions of trees, shrubs, and vines of North American forests. Written at a more detailed level than most field guides, it introduces basic taxonomic concepts and methods and explains the rationale behind taxonomic classification systems. Entries include Latin and common names for each species as well as physical descriptions at various levels of maturity and for different seasons. Also noted are regional and state distributions, soil conditions, cover types, shade tolerances, and common diseases and pests. This remarkably thorough and reliable reference includes: * Detailed descriptions of more than 800 species * Hundreds of additional varieties and cultivars * 550 exquisitely detailed line drawings of leaves, bark, fruit, and seeds * Broad coverage of commercial and noncommercial species * An emphasis on the silvical features of each species * A unique section on forest community ecology and cover types * The new North American Classification System Well-organized and practical, this authoritative guide is an immensely useful resource for foresters, wildlife and field biologists, naturalists, environmental scientists, and land managers.

In North America, Juniperus woodlands occupy approximately 55 million hectares, an area larger than the state of Texas. This title addresses various aspects of the biology, ecology, and management of Juniperus woodlands and savannas, synthesizing past and current research findings as well as proposed research. The book provides ecologists, land managers, and foresters with a solid foundation in Juniperus ecosystems, enabling them to manage the communities for maximum sustained productivity and diversity.

This book addresses an important problem in ecology: how are communities assembled from species pools? This pressing question underlies a broad array of practical problems in ecology and environmental science, including restoration of damaged landscapes, management of protected areas, and protection of threatened species. This book presents a simple logical structure for ecological assembly and addresses key areas including species pools, traits, environmental filters, and functional groups. It demonstrates the use of two predictive models (CATS and Traitspace) and consists of many wide-ranging examples including plants in deserts, wetlands, and forests, and communities of fish, amphibians, birds, mammals, and fungi. Global in scope, this volume ranges from the arid lands of North Africa, to forests in the Himalayas, to Amazonian floodplains. There is a strong focus on applications, particularly the twin challenges of conserving biodiversity and understanding community responses to climate change.