A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert

by Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Steven John Phillips, Patricia Wentworth Comus

The landscape of the Sonoran Desert Region varies dramatically from parched desert lowlands to semiarid tropical forests and frigid subalpine meadows. Covering southeasternmost California, much of southern and central Arizona, most of Baja California, and much of the state of Sonora, Mexico, it is home to an extraordinary variety of plants and animals. A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert takes readers deep into its vast expanse, looking closely at the relationships of plants and animals with the land and people, through time and across landscapes.

In accessible language, more than forty scientists and/or naturalists examine the region’s biodiversity, geology, weather, plants, and animals (from invertebrates to fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals), as well as potential threats to the species and habitats. The text is supplemented throughout with anecdotes, essays, photographs, maps, diagrams, and 450 finely rendered drawings.

This new edition adds chapters on the Sky Islands, Sea of Cortez, desert pollinators, and conservation issues. Taxonomic nomenclature has been updated and new color plates and figures have been added. This comprehensive natural history, like the original edition, will surely become an invaluable companion for nature enthusiasts, birdwatchers, hikers, students, naturalists, and anyone interested in the desert Southwest.

Published in association with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
 

Genres: Natural History, Nonfiction, Nature, Ecology, Science, Biology, Reference

592 pages, Paperback

First published December 22, 1999

Reviews

[Clay Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best resource on the Sonoran Desert for any one who wants to learn about this region. A very beautiful book cover.

[Ken-ichi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish every bioregion had an overview like this. I particularly appreciated the sections on climate, geology, and plants. The animal sections were a bit underwhelming, as they seemed either too broad and too generic, e.g. entire insect orders treated together with quite a bit of text spent on general descriptions of the group. I also suspect a fairly strong bias toward southeastern Arizona where the Desert Museum (and most of the authors) are based, but that worked well for me since that's probably the part of the Sonoran Desert I wanted to learn about. Of course, now I want to visit more Sky Islands, the Sierra Madres, more of Baja.

[Sarah Stubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for class. This is a great book for those wanting to learn about the Sonoran Desert!

[Tinea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish every ecosystem would receive the same care from attentive, loving scientists and observers wishing to describe and share their home. This book is a treasure. Chapter by chapter on hydrology, climate, geology, food webs, human societies and interactions with the land over time, and distinct plant and animal evolutionary adaptations to this small part of the world. The experts get scientific, diving into the biochemistry you need to understand how plants adapt photosynthesis to the arid desert heat. I love it. They also get silly, explaining how light refraction causes mirages in the desert air by way of tour through the Prieta Cabeza Wildlife Reserve on VW microbus, a nod to Ms. Frizzle's magic school bus. I am hiking ten days of every month in this glorious southwest Arizona Sonoran desert and thornscrub, and this book provides answers to all the Why's and What's and How's that come up when you stare at sharp black-rock mountains hovering over dry but lushly vegetated washes, when you're picking jumping cholla cactus spines out of your calf. If only I had a guidebook like this for Central Africa-- deeper than plant identification, this book takes the reader step by step through interlocking processes that together create a unique whole place. I want this for every place I've ever or will ever live.

The first 150 pages are chapters delving into processes, the last 350 are longform descriptions of plants and animals, guidebook-style. I borrowed my copy so only read that first section; if I had my own I'd debate walking with it everywhere; it's pretty heavy to carry on your back.

For New England, try the Nature Guide to the Northern Forest: Exploring the Ecology of the Forests of New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.

[Nancy Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays written by various people associated with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, covering everything from the geological history of the region to the natural histories of Sonoran plants and animals to the human impact on the desert.

Fun Facts: Hummingbirds have no sense of smell, and bees can't see red.

[Pat Rolston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an encyclopedic review of deserts and their attributes, inhabitants (plant and animal), and their origins. I started this earlier than posted, but it wouldn’t register as such so that is misleading. I don’t read that fast and wouldn’t want to breeze though this masterpiece of pictures and verbiage. We just moved to the Southwest and it is a wonderful eduction regarding our new surroundings. When I hike it has resulted in a new world of insights and wonders. All folks living in the arid regions of desert would be well advised to pick this up and hopefully already have to be enlightened and entertained. If you hail from other non desert areas it is still a fascinating read if you find environmental studies fascinating.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not easy to pull together a reference work like this one. The editors managed to be comprehensive without going over-board. And the line drawings add value and beauty while keeping the price low. The contributors share the excitement of their particular specialties while walking the tight-rope of accessibility and scholarliness. Finally, the book is well organized and well indexed making it a reference I will turn to again and again.

[Mike Parkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up for a hiking trip to the Tucson/Sky Islands region of Arizona. Touted as the natural history bible for the region and written by the folks at the (awesome) Sonoran desert museum near Tucson. The first half of this book is a collection of essays on different natural history topics and the factors that make this desert ecoregion unique, the second half is descriptions of key species. I enjoyed most of the essays in the first half of the book. The species descriptions in the second half mostly just have black-and-white line drawings. A casual visitor might prefer a more traditional field guide with some colour photos, which would also fit in your pack a bit easier than this hefty tome.

[Krista Marson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I owned this book for YEARS before I actually sat down to read it. For the longest time, I simply treated it as a reference book, but I got a wild hair a few months ago and really started to read it from the beginning. The version that I read dated from the year 2000, and it was interesting (or should I say shocking) to learn how much the climate has changed in the intervening 21 years. Most of the information in the book stands the test of time, but certain passages did read like an environmental time capsule. I truly love the Sonoran Desert, and this book is a must read for those who want to preserve it for the future.

[M Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't read the entire book but read 1/2 or more, specifically about the geology, animals and the maJor types of plants found in the Sonoran desert. Gave me a good background so I was well prepared for my trip to the desert!

[SJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone interested in the Sonoran Desert. The whole book is very informative. There's several essays as well as sections identifying species that I'll definitely be coming back to for reference frequently.

[William J. Wood Jr MD · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a bible for anyone who loves the Sonoran and wants to explore it.

[Rebecca Sheedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mmm . . . I love natural history. This is a must-have guide to the flora and fauna of any Sonoran Desert visitor or dweller.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great resource for anyone who is curious about the creatures, plants, and abiotic environment of the Sonoran Desert.

[Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bible of Sonoran Desert natural history. Must have reference book for those who explore the desert.

[Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE classic field guide/non-fiction treatment of the Sonoran Desert. I have two copies, one at work, the other at home. As a resident of the Sonoran Desert, I could not get along without this book.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best guide I could have asked for while doing fieldwork in the Sonoran this summer. Impressive work and a wealth of information.

[Nranger7]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13956243

[Álvaro Malo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had several copies, gave them away to friends and visitors. Got a new copy, I'm keeping this — a naturalist sourcebook for my residence on earth.