Research Catalog

Title

Deserts : the living drylands / Sara Oldfield ; photography by Bruce Coleman Collection ; foreword by Mark Rose.

Author

Oldfield, Sara, 1955-

Publication

Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press, ©2004.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

160 pages : color illustrations, color maps; 33 cm

Summary

• "Deserts represent the ultimate challenge to life on Earth. Their lack of water and extreme temperatures make survival difficult for both wildlife and people, yet deserts are rich in animal and plant life and culture. Their unique species and ancient civilizations include fragile treasures needing protection in a rapidly changing world. Deserts are among our planet's last great wilderness regions, and they continue to offer scientific puzzles and new discoveries."
• "Deserts: The Living Drylands is a celebration of the world's least understood ecosystems. In this illustrated book - featuring 180 color photographs - wildlife expert Sara Oldfield leads readers on a journey to some of the most remote places on earth, from the rolling sand dunes of the Arabian Peninsula's Empty Quarter to the ancient rock formations of central Australia. Deserts is both a inventory of spectacular images, facts, and stories and a source of reference. It brings to life our planet's unique arid habitats at a time when they are more in need of protection than ever."
• "The book begins with a survey of deserts around the world, describing desert exploration over the centuries, the geographical distribution and diversity of deserts, their ancient and evolving landscapes, water, desert ecology and adaptations, desert people, and desert resources. Deserts then explores deserts and drylands in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and the Americas, looking at wildlife, landforms, and traditional cultures. Finally, it focuses on the future of deserts, discussing conservation, desertification, protection of desert ecosystems and landscapes, tourism, and species conservation. The landscapes and highly adaptive biodiversity of deserts are brought to life by the text and photographs."--Jacket.

Subject

• Deserts
• Desert ecology
• Arid regions climate
• Ecology
• Desert Climate
• Ecology
• deserts
• desert climate
• ecology
• Arid regions climate
• Desert ecology
• Deserts
• Wüste
• Ökologie

Genre/Form

Bildband.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. 156) and index.

Contents

1. Deserts around the world -- Centuries of exploration -- Desert distribution and diversity -- Ancient and evolving landscapes -- Water in the desert -- Desert ecology and adaptations -- Desert people -- Desert resources -- 2. Africa -- The Sahara -- Desert margins -- East Africa and the Horn of Africa -- Plants and animals of African deserts -- The spiny forests of Madagascar -- The drylands of southern Africa -- The Okavango Delta : a precious wetland resource -- The Namib Desert and its unique plants -- 3. The Middle East -- The Arabian Desert, Empty Quarter and Yemen Highlands -- Islam : religion and way of life -- The Bedouin -- Marsh Arabs -- A network of trade routes -- Dryland plants and animals -- Nature conservation in Jordan -- Socotra : Yemen's biodiversity jewel -- 4. Asia -- The deserts of Central Asia -- Extraordinary animals of Asian Deserts -- Management of the desert ecosystem -- Conservation in the post-Soviet era -- The Thar Desert -- The Gobi Desert -- Tibet -- 5. Australia -- Sand deserts and ancient landforms -- Desert plants and animals -- Traditional desert livelihoods -- Conservation -- 6. The Americas -- Arizona and California -- The deserts of Mexico -- The coastal deserts of South America -- The arid lands of Brazil -- 7. The dryland future -- Conservation -- Desertification -- Protecting desert ecosystems and landscapes -- World Heritage sites -- Ramsar sites -- Tourism : the Grand Canyon and desert adventures -- Species conservation -- Sketch map of arid regions of the world -- Desert species of concern -- World Heritage sites located in arid environments -- Useful addresses -- Further reading -- Index.

ISBN

• 026215112X
• 9780262151122
• 1843307286
• 9781843307280

LCCN

2004044860

OCLC

• ocm54407726
• 54407726
• SCSB-14177861

Owning Institutions

Princeton University Library