Discovering the Desert: The Legacy of the Carnegie Desert Botanical Laboratory

by William G. McGinnies

Overview

Now you can share the experiences of the first U.S. scientists who set about discovering the nature of North American deserts. "This is a fascinating account of how these pioneer ecologists laid the foundations for our modern knowledge of plant adaptation to desert environments. . . . It is well done." (American Scientist)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780816536788
Publisher:	University of Arizona Press
Publication date:	12/15/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	295
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

William G. McGinnies, an internationally recognized authority on arid lands, first became acquainted with the desert in 1918, when he moved from Colorado to Tucson to attend the University of Arizona. It was later, as a member of the faculty of the College of Agriculture, that he developed a close association with personnel at Carnegie's Desert Botanical Laboratory. Soon after the Laboratory had closed in 1940, McGinnies left Arizona, but he returned to the University in 1960 to become head of tree ring studies and arid land activities. He was founder and director of the Office of Arid Lands Studies, which he continued to serve as a consultant after his retirement.

Table of Contents

Contents

List of Illustrations

Foreword

Preface

Beginning of an Era

Early Transportation

The Carmel Laboratory

Desert Laboratory, 1910–25

Closing of the Desert Laboratory

What Is a Desert?

Evolution of Deserts

Deserts of North America

Deserts of Southern Mexico

General Description

Lower Colorado Valley

Arizona Upland

Plains of Sonora

Foothills of Sonora

Central Gulf Coast of Sonora

Baja California

Vizcaíno Region

Magdalena Region

Cape Region

Chapter 4. Desert Mountains

Desert Region

Encinal Region

Forest Region

Santa Catalinas Compared With Other Mountains

Precipitation

Temperature

Evapotranspiration

Chapter 6. Desert Soils and Physiographic Conditions

Sandy Areas

Desert Pavement

Caliche

Soil Studies

General Environmental Relationships

Plant Life Forms

Common Names–Scientific Names

Scientific Names–Common Names

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

Index

Editorial Reviews

"McGinnies's book is an excellent review of all aspects of the Sonoran desert and its mountains: geographic, climatic, and geologic."—American Scientist

"This book provides a fascinating introduction to desert life in the Southwest."—True West

"This true labor of love by an outstanding arid lands authority will broaden horizons, deepen understanding, and heighten awareness of the debt we owe to the founders of the Desert Laboratory."—Arizona Highways

"A great source of revelation. . . . Easy and enjoyable to read and has left me with a great respect for the diversity of ways in which desert plants adapt to extremes."—Sylvia Martinelli, Journal of Arid Environments

 

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From the Publisher