Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont

540 pp., 6 x 9, 361 color photos of plants and plant communities, 760 color thumbnails, 22 line drawings, 2 maps, bibl., index

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-8078-7172-0
Published: May 2011
E-book EPUB ISBN: 978-0-8078-7765-4
Published: May 2011
E-book PDF ISBN: 979-8-8908-7710-9
Published: May 2011

Southern Gateways Guides

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Southern Gateways Guides

Author Blog

This richly illustrated field guide serves as an introduction to the wildflowers and plant communities of the southern Appalachians and the rolling hills of the adjoining piedmont. Rather than organizing plants, including trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, by flower color or family characteristics, as is done in most guidebooks, botanist Tim Spira takes a holistic, ecological approach that enables the reader to identify and learn about plants in their natural communities. This approach, says Spira, better reflects the natural world, as plants, like other organisms, don't live in isolation; they coexist and interact in myriad ways.

Full-color photo keys allow the reader to rapidly preview plants found within each of the 21 major plant communities described, and the illustrated species description for each of the 340 featured plants includes fascinating information about the ecology and natural history of each plant in its larger environment. With this new format, readers can see how the mountain and piedmont landscapes form a mosaic of plant communities that harbor particular groups of plants. The volume also includes a glossary, illustrations of plant structures, and descriptions of sites to visit. Whether you're a beginning naturalist or an expert botanist, this guidebook is a useful companion on field excursions and wildflower walks, as well as a valuable reference.

Southern Gateways Guide is a registered trademark of the University of North Carolina Press

About the Author

Timothy P. Spira is professor of biology at Clemson University.
For more information about Timothy P. Spira, visit the Author Page.

Reviews

“A wonderful new source guide. . . . One of the finest contributions to regional plant studies in recent years"—Asheville Citizen Times

“Twenty-one major plant communities are described in detail, and the refreshing and easy-to-use format allows readers to explore each of the 340 featured plants in terms of their natural history, ecology, habitat, range, and uses— where applicable. Highly recommended.”—Virginia Wildlife

“With its color coded sections, [this field guide] is easy to use. . . . Recommended.”—CHOICE

"Whether you are a beginning naturalist or an expert botanist, this guidebook is a useful companion on field excursions and wildflower walks, as well as a valuable reference." —McCormick Messenger

"Full of gorgeous photography, this in-depth guide to plant communities and plant identification will be of immense interest to field naturalists as well as birders, wildflower enthusiasts, hikers, nature lovers, and photographers." —Peter White, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"Tim Spira's book breaks new and fertile ground in the field of natural history. Using what is quickly becoming the state-of-the-art approach to understanding native plants— by considering them fully within their natural communities—Spira has successfully created a wonderful field guide to the southern Appalachian region."—Robert Wyatt, Professor Emeritus of Botany and Ecology, University of Georgia