"Birds of the Middle San Pedro Valley of Southeast Arizona" offers a fresh and unique view of bird life that is both personal and engaging. Not long after retiring from his practice as a medical doctor, Michael Whitt desired to publish a book on the birds that he and his wife, Barbara, had photographed on their property along the San Pedro River in southeast Arizona. With a sharp eye, excellent observational skills, and a keen intellect characteristic of those in his profession, Whitt gives us an intimate portrait of avian life backed by more than eighty years of wisdom and decades of close, astute observations in the outdoors. The beautifully eloquent lines of poetry that complement the text reveal an author with the insights of a true naturalist and a genuine passion for the birds and the wild lands that they require to survive.

"Birds of the Middle San Pedro Valley of Southeast Arizona" offers a fresh and unique view of bird life that is both personal and engaging. Not long after retiring from his practice as a medical doctor, Michael Whitt desired to publish a book on the birds that he and his wife, Barbara, had photographed on their property along the San Pedro River in southeast Arizona. With a sharp eye, excellent observational skills, and a keen intellect characteristic of those in his profession, Whitt gives us an intimate portrait of avian life backed by more than eighty years of wisdom and decades of close, astute observations in the outdoors. The beautifully eloquent lines of poetry that complement the text reveal an author with the insights of a true naturalist and a genuine passion for the birds and the wild lands that they require to survive.

"The multiple, vivid colors of scarlet macaws and their ability to mimic human speech are key reasons they were and are significant to the Native peoples of the southwestern U.S. and northwest New Mexico. Although the birds' natural habitat is the tropical forests of Mexico and Central America, they were present at multiple archaeological sites in the region. Leading experts in southwestern archaeology explore the reasons why"--

Woody wetlands constitute a relatively small but extremely important part of the landscape in the southwestern United States. These riparian habitats support more than one-third of the regionÕs vascular plant species, are home to a variety of wildlife, and provide essential havens for dozens of migratory animals. Because of their limited size and disproportionately high biological value, the goal of protecting wetland environments frequently takes priority over nearly all other habitat types. In The Ribbon of Green, hydrologists Robert H. Webb, and Stanley A. Leake and botanist Raymond M. Turner examine the factors that affect the stability of woody riparian vegetation, one of the largest components of riparian areas. Such factors include the diversion of surface water, flood control, and the excessive use of groundwater. Combining repeat photography with historical context and information on species composition, they document more than 140 years of change. Contrary to the common assumption of widespread losses of this type of ecosystem, the authors show that vegetation has increased on many river reaches as a result of flood control, favorable climatic conditions, and large winter floods that encourage ecosystem disturbance, germination, and the establishment of species in newly generated openings. Bringing well-documented and accessible insights to the ecological study of wetlands, this book will influence our perception of change in riparian ecosystems and how riparian restoration is practiced in the Southwest, and it will serve as an important reference in courses on plant ecology, riparian ecology, and ecosystem management.