A Californian may vacation in Yosemite, Big Sur, or Death Valley, but many of us come home to an oak woodland. Yet, while common, oak woodlands are anything but ordinary. In a book rich in illustration and suffused with wonder, author Kate Marianchild combines extensive research and years of personal experience to explore some of the marvelous plants and animals that the oak woodlands nurture. Acorn woodpeckers unite in marriages of up to ten mates and raise their young cooperatively. Ground squirrels roll in rattlesnake skins to hide their scent from hungry snakes. Manzanita's rust-colored, paper-thin bark peels away in time for the summer solstice, exposing sinuous contours that are cool to the touch even on the hottest day. Conveying up-to-the-minute scientific findings with a storyteller's skill, Marianchild introduces us to a host of remarkable creatures in a world close by, a world that "rustles, hums, and sings with the sounds of wild things."

This publication offers a comprehensive look at the management of oaks in urban areas. As development moves into oak woodland areas, more and more oaks are becoming "urban" oaks. Oaks are highly valued in urban areas for their aesthetic, environmental, economic and cultural benefits. However, significant impacts to the health and structural stability of oaks have resulted from urban encroachment. Changes in environment, incompatible cultural practices, and pest problems can all lead to the early demise of our stately oaks. Using this book you'll learn how to effectively manage and protect oaks in urban areas - existing oaks as well as the planting of new oaks. Three key areas are addressed: selection, care, and preservation. You'll learn how cultural practices, pest management, risk management, preservation during development, and genetic diversity can all play a role in preserving urban oaks. Arborists, urban foresters, landscape architects, planners and designers, golf course superintendents, academics, and Master Gardeners alike will find this to be an invaluable reference guide.

FULL COLOR and Enlarged Edition - California has more than twenty-five native species, natural hybrids, and varieties of oaks (Quercus species). The form of these oaks ranges from large trees, up to about 25 m tall, to shrubs no taller than about 1.5 m. California's native oaks include representatives of three oak subgroups or subgenera (Table 1). Hybridization only occurs between oaks in the same subgroup. In addition, some insects, pathogens, and other agents may selectively colonize or damage oaks in certain subgroups.

"This exciting book belongs on every naturalist's bookshelf. The excellent color photos and clear text will endear it to the amateur while the accurate identifications will please the professional. This book is an ideal gift for anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors."--Katherine Schick, Essig Museum of Entomology, University of California, Berkeley "This identification guide, with its summaries of the science and lore of galls and their causative organisms, engagingly draws one into another barely explored world, one presently known only to a few. With the publication of this book, many more can now appreciate these fascinating plant growths."--Raymond J. Gagne, Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA "This comprehensive, descriptive, and beautifully illustrated guide to plant galls of the West will appeal to both professional and amateur."--Diane M. Erwin, Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley "A great book for entomologists, plant pathologists, and would-be naturalists who are curious about the amazing insect-plant relationships illustrated by plant galls."--Charles Dailey, Sierra College