Publisher's Synopsis
Although the Great Basin is often thought of as a vast and barren desert, the massive mountain ranges that mark its boundaries and interior are home to a diverse group of trees which represent an important and beautiful part of the complex network of living organisms that enrich the Basin environment.;Throughout the region, a variety of hardy trees form a welcome cover of green and gold on the otherwise often stark landscape -- trees that are the oldest known to man, trees that withstand devastating droughts, and trees that tolerate sterile soils just above salt flats. In this highly readable, strikingly illustrated book, Ronald Lanner details the life histories of forty-seven native trees and discusses the fascinating ways their lives impinge on the birds and animals that live among them, including man. Lanner strives to show Great Basin trees as they truly exist: "sometimes dominating the landscape, sometimes dwarfed by it; sometimes homely and unprepossessing; often lovely, even breathtaking". Each species is illustrated with drawings and colour plates, and the book includes an appendix giving the derivations of botanical names. From the ancient bristlecone pines which cling to sheer cliffs above timberline to the elegant cottonwoods that grace the rivers and streams of the region, "Trees of the Great Basin" provides engrossing reading to anyone interested in western natural history.;"As an active field dendrologist for more than twenty years, Ronald Lanner has travelled throughout the Great Basin, the Southwest, and the Rocky Mountains studying the genetics, taxonomy, and growth habits of western trees. Author of "The pion pine: A natural and cultural history" (University of Nevada Press, 1981) and numerous articles for scholarly and popular journals, Lanner is currently an Associate Professor of Forestry at Utah State University.".
