Savannas, Barrens, and Rock Outcrop Plant Communities of North America

by Roger C. Anderson, James S. Fralish, Jerry M. Baskin

Overview

Savannas and barrens were major components of the historic North American landscape before it was extensively altered by agricultural and urban development during the past century. Rock outcrop plant communities and serpentine barrens are of interest because they are refuges for endemic species adapted to extreme environmental conditions. Many of these communities are currently reduced to less than one percent of their original area and are imperiled ecosystems. This book provides a coherent and readable summary of the technical information available on savannas, barrens, and rock outcrop plant communities. It is organized by region, into four parts: eastern/southeastern region, central/midwest region, western/southwestern region, and northern region. Written by internationally recognized regional specialists, each chapter includes a description of the climate, geology, and soils associated with the community, and information about its historic and current vegetation. This book will be a useful text for graduate and advanced undergraduate students studying vegetation ecology, as well as a valuable reference for professional and amateur naturalists interested in the conservation, restoration, and management of these communities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521035811
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/20/2007
Pages:	484
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.10(d)

Table of Contents

List of contributors; Introduction Roger C. Anderson, James S. Fralish, and Jerry M. Baskin; Part I. Eastern/Southeastern Region: 1. Ecology and conservation of Florida scrub Eric S. Menges; 2. Southeastern pine savannas William J. Platt; 3. New Jersey pine plains: the 'true barrens' of the New Jersey pine barrens David J. Gibson, Robert A. Zampella and Andrew G. Windisch; 4. Vegetation, flora, and plant physiological ecology of serpentine barrens of eastern North America R. Wayne Tyndall and James C. Hull; 5. The mid-Appalachian shale barrens Suzanne H. Braunschweig, Eric T. Nilsen and Thomas F. Weiboldt; 6. Eastern granite outcrops Donald J. Shure; 7. High-elevation outcrops and barrens of the southern Appalachian mountains Susan K. Wiser and Peter S. White; Part II. Central/Midwest Region: 8. Dry soil oak savanna in the Great Lakes region Susan Will-Wolf and Forest Stearns; 9. Deep-soil savannas and barrens of the Midwestern United States Roger C. Anderson and Marlin L. Bowles; 10. Open woodland communities of southern Illinois, western Kentucky and middle Tennessee James S. Fralish, Scott B. Franklin and David D. Close; 11. The big barrens region of Kentucky and Tennessee Jerry M. Baskin, Carol C. Baskin and Edward W. Chester; 12. Cedar glades of southeastern United States Jerry M. Baskin and Carol C. Baskin; 13. Savanna, barrens and glade communities of the Ozark Plateaus Province Alice Long Heikens; 14. The cross timbers B. W. Hoagland, I. H. Butler, F. L. Johnson and S. Glenn; Part III. Western/Southwestern Region: 15. Ponderosa and limber pine woodlands Dennis H. Knight; 16. The sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii) communities of the Llano Estacado: history, structure, ecology and restoration Shivcharn S. Dhillion and Michelle H. Mills; 17. Oak savanna in the American Southwest Mitchel P. McClaran and Guy R. McPherson; 18. Juniper-Piñon savannas and woodlands of western North America Neil E. West; 19. Serpentine barrens of western North America A. R. Kruckeburg; 20. California oak savanna Barbara Allen-Diaz, James W. Bartolome and Mitchell P. McClaran; Part IV. Northern Region: 21. Jack pine barrens of the northern Great Lakes region Kurt S. Pregitzer and Sari C. Sanders; 22. The cliff ecosystem of the Niagara escarpment D. W. Larson, U. Mattes-Sears and P. E. Kelley; 23. Alvars of the Great Lakes region Paul M. Catling and Vivian R. Brownell; 24. The flora and ecology of southern Ontario granite barrens Paul M. Catling and Vivian R. Brownell; 25. The aspen parkland of Canada O. W. Archibold; 26. Subarctic lichen woodlands E. A. Johnson and K. Miyanishi; Index of plants; Index of animals; Topic index.

Editorial Reviews

"This book is long overdue and provides valuable information on many lesser known and imperiled ecosystems...This text is a valuable resource sure to satisfy the interests of conservationists, naturalists, and students of professionals in vegetation ecology, biogeography, and similar disciplines." Natural Areas Journal

"It is an excellent source book for anybody wanting to find out about these plant communities in 'North America'. For anybody studying or managing these vegetation types it will be an invaluable reference book. Researchers working in other areas of the world, even if they do not find their own work cited, will find many interesting ideas and a wealth of information...Congratulations to the editors on making so much information available in this single volume." Annals of Botany

"The three ecologists serving as editors of this treatise on savannas and related communities have provided an excellent, multi-authored summary of a voluminous and scattered literature...In summary, I found Anderson et al.'s book to be an outstanding collection of very interesting papers on diverse landscapes, most of which need urgent and aggressive protection. The text is a fine addition to the libraries of professional managers, ecologists, systematics, and anyone interested in these unique habitats." Plant Science Bulletin

"The authors and editors can be proud of having produced a very valuable compendium of information that will be useful for decades." Quarterly Review of Biology

From the Publisher