Rocky Mountains

by Elias, Scott A.

• ISBN13: 9781588340429
• ISBN10: 1588340422
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-09-17
• Publisher: Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press

Summary

The Rocky Mountains are one of the Earth's most spectacular geological features, containing vast stretches that remain wild and untamed. In his comprehensive natural history of the backbone of the continent, Scott A. Elias examines their physical environment and ecology, examining in detail everything from geology and fossils to flora and fauna. Elias also includes a history of the native peoples and a synthesis of activities since the Spanish colonial period in the Southern Rockies before concluding with thoughtful recommendations on pressing conservation topics for this national treasure.

Author Biography

Scott A. Elias is a fellow and research scientist in the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Table of Contents

Editor's Note	vii
Preface	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
Backbone of a Continent	1	(4)
Mountain Building	5	(26)
Fossils	31	(12)
Plant Life	43	(38)
Animals	81	(42)
First Peoples	123	(18)
The Written History	141	(16)
Epilogue: A Legacy to Preserve	157	(2)
Index	159