Ecology of Desert Systems

W. G. Whitford 2002. Ecology of Desert Systems. Academic Press, an Elsevier Science Imprint, San Diego, California, 343 pp. ISBN 0-12-747261-4, price (cloth), 74. 95. Deserts seem to fascinate scientists and lay-people alike; perhaps it is the extreme nature of the desert habitat, its stark beauty, or the history of mankind in desert regions. For whatever reason, there are many books available on deserts. Recent volumes have ranged from pictorial overviews to travel adventures to philosophical books dealing with the mysteries of the desert. Botanists, geomorphologists, mammalogists, and others have provided books dealing with landforms, an encyclopedia of deserts, and detailed descriptions of the ecology of individual deserts, particularly those in the United States. Whitford's book is different. It is designed to illustrate the concept of a desert at its most basic level: that of function. It provides the reader with a highly detailed description of the component parts that make up a desert system and the factors that make it function with time. One cannot understand the desert without understanding these fundamental principles, regardless of the type of science one might study in arid or semiarid habitats. This book contains 12 chapters that deal with topics important for understanding the structure and function of desert ecological systems. These include basic concepts related to desert ecosystem function; landforms, geomorphology, vegetation; climate; effects of wind and water; animal and plant adaptations; primary and secondary productivity; nutrient cycling; desertification; and management. Walt Whitford writes with authority about desert ecology because he has dedicated his life to …