Free Downloads Steppes: The Plants And Ecology Of The World's Semi-arid Regions
Steppes—semi-arid biomes dominated by forbs, grasses, and grass-like species, and characterized by extremes of cold and heat—occupy enormous areas on four continents. Yet these ecosystems are among the least studied on our planet. Given that the birth and evolution of human beings have been so intimately interwoven with steppe regions, it is amazing that so few attempts have been made to compare and quantify the features of these regions. In this ground-breaking volume, five leading voices in horticulture—all staff members of Denver Botanic Gardens—examine the plants, climate, geology, and geography of the world’s steppes: central Asia, central and intermountain North America, Patagonia, and South Africa. Drawing upon their first-hand experience, the writers illuminate the distinctive features of each region, with a particular emphasis on the striking similarities between their floras. Each chapter includes a primer of species of horticultural interest—a rich resource for readers with an interest in steppe plants.
Hardcover: 360 pages
Publisher: Timber Press (July 15, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1604694653
ISBN-13: 978-1604694659
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 1.1 x 10.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #427,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #32 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Gardening & Landscape Design > By Climate > Desert #142 in Books > Science & Math > Agricultural Sciences > Horticulture #319 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Gardening & Landscape Design > Landscape
First of ll, this book just looks great on your bookshelf without even reading it. It has a great and high-quality look and feel to it and is nicely put together. Inside, it is a first-class effort. While I am not totally into all the plant species that it mentions, the physical descriptions of all the steppe areas and constituent geographical regions is excellent and very well-written throughout. It is a virtual geography tour of this most under-appreciated part of our planet. The pictures and maps are also first rate and it is a very good read throughout. If you like physical geography this is a wonderful book. Plus, at 's excellent price, this book is a no-brainer!
Excellent feast for the eyes. Written brilliantly with no pretense. Not dry and boring but exciting and down to earth information fromscholars who appeal to educated horticulturalists AND your everyday homegrown gardener. Rock alpine is my particular favorite andthere is a goldmine of information here. A treasure trove that Panayoti Kelaidis and his renowned colleagues welcome you to visit and learnAbout the world's semi-arid regions and the plants that proliferate there.
This is a wonderful read! It has a dual purpose: first, to introduce readers to an environment that most of us have never thought much about, and second, to introduce us to plants growing in these places that have potential for ornamental use for water-restricted areas. When I was a kid (and a bored adult attending interminable meetings in a conference room with a giant map on the wall), I used to stare at the map and wonder about the places that didn't have many roads or cities. Many of those are located in the great steppe areas of the world. Now I know that there's a wealth of living, growing, fascinating plants there. I loved this book--so much that I had to buy a copy for a friend. (I'm not giving up my copy!)
On page 47 we are informed that people migrated across the Caucasus Mountains and found the great plains of Moldavia. On page 40 we are told that Lake Issyk Kul is south of the Himalayas. I think the author knows more about weeds than geography. The reader is expected to know the difference between Berberidaceae and Boraginacaea. Descriptions of plants found in different regions are little more than lists since plant distributions are not linked to anything else.
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