{"product_id":"introduction-to-california-chaparral-volume-90-9780520245662","title":"Introduction to California Chaparral: Volume 90","description":"The characteristic look of California Chaparral--a soft bluish-green blanket of vegetation gently covering the hills--is known to millions who have seen it as the backdrop in movies and television productions. This complex ecological community of plants and animals is not just a feature of the hills around Hollywood, but is a quintessential part of the entire California landscape. It is a highly resilient community adapted to life with recurring fires and droughts. Written for a wide audience, this concise, engaging, and beautifully illustrated book describes an ancient and exquisitely balanced environment home to wondrous organisms: Fire Beetles that mate only on burning branches, lizards that shoot blood from their eyes when threatened, Kangaroo Rats that never drink water, and seeds that germinate only after a fire, even if that means waiting in the soil for a 100 years or more. Useful both as a field guide and an introductory overview of the ecology of chaparral, it also provides a better understanding of how we might live in harmony, safety, and appreciation of this unique ecological community.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e* Identifies chaparral's common plants, animals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e* Features 79 color illustrations, 56 black-and-white photographs, and 3 maps\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e* Examines the role of humans and fire in chaparral, covering the placement and design of homes, landscaping, and public policy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRonald D. Quinn\u003c\/b\u003e is Professor of Biological Sciences at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He has written widely on effects of chaparral wildfires \u003cb\u003eSterling C. Keeley\u003c\/b\u003e is Professor of Botany at the University of Hawaii and editor of \u003ci\u003eThe California Chaparral: Paradigms Re-examined\u003c\/i\u003e (1989).\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of California Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50503436108050,"sku":"9780520245662","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_9e033bc7-b7f6-461f-8817-87db547970d6.jpg?v=1730791395","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/introduction-to-california-chaparral-volume-90-9780520245662","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}