Introduction to California Soils and Plants: Serpentine, Vernal Pools, and Other Geobotanical Wonders

California Natural History Guides #86

by Arthur R. Kruckeberg

Carnivorous pitcher plants, pygmy conifers, and the Tiburon jewel flower, restricted to a small patch of serpentine soil on Tiburon Peninsula in Marin County, are just a few of California's many amazing endemic plants―species that are unique to particular locales. California boasts an abundance of endemic plants precisely because it also boasts the richest geologic diversity of any place in North America, perhaps in the world. In lively prose, Arthur Kruckeberg gives a geologic travelogue of California's unusual soils and land forms and their associated plants―including serpentines, carbonate rocks, salt marshes, salt flats, and vernal pools―demonstrating along the way how geology shapes plant life. Adding a fascinating chapter to the story of California's remarkable biodiversity, this accessible book also draws our attention to the pressing need for conservation of the state's many rare and fascinating plants and habitats.

*148 outstanding, accurate photographs, more than 100 incolor, illustrate California's diverse flora

*Covers a wide range of locations including the Channel Islands, the Central Valley, wetlands, bristlecone pine forests, and bogs and fens

*Provides selected trip itineraries for viewing the state's geobotanical wonders

*Includes information on human influences on the California landscape from the early Spanish explores through the gold rush and to the present

Genres: Nature, Geology

296 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2006

Reviews

[Ken-ichi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adequate for what it is, perhaps, but disappointingly introductory for me. I wanted more about the actual chemical interactions that connect rocks to soils to plants, but that constituted a few paragraphs.

[Scott Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arthur Kruckeberg is noted for his captivation with the "kooky soils" of California, especially the effect of nickel-rich, nutrient-poor serpentine rocks on plant life. Key words in this study are "endemic" (plants only found in the California floristic province), "geodaphic" (geological soils and landforms impact on plant life) and "neo-Darwinism" (concept of natural selection linked with hereditary/genetic variability). The sum total of these terms is that there are geological or landform "islands" which frequently host plants which have uniquely evolved (mutated) from neighboring "parent" plants. Besides the educational benefit of this book, I also recommend the 148 incredible photographs Kruckeberg included, plus his last chapter on unique California places to visit. Regarding the latter, I also highly recommend "California's Wild Gardens: A Guide to Favorite Botanical Sites" by Phyllis Faber.