Firefly Guide to Deserts

by Warren, Andrew

• ISBN13: 9781554072132
• ISBN10: 1554072131
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-10-09
• Publisher: Firefly Books Ltd

Summary

Guide to Deserts is an authoritative guide to the world's deserts. Detailed illustrations accompany concise information on desert development, threats arising from increased desertification, and what can be done to counter the impact of climate change. This comprehensive resource explains the fascinating ecology of deserts with detailed sections on how plants, animals and human societies have adapted to survive in deserts and exploit their natural resources. Detailed, full color maps of the world's major deserts, List of desert locations to visit for archeological, cultural and historic features, More than 170 color photographs and informative illustrations, Foreword by Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Andrew Warren is a geomorphologist at University College, London, with a specialty in desert sand and dunes. Tony Allan is a professor at King's College, London, and specializes in water policies for desert regions.

Andrew Warren is a geomorphologist at University College, London, with a specialty in desert sand and dunes.

Tony Allan is a professor at King's College, London, and specializes in water policies for desert regions.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 4
What are deserts?	p. 6
Defining deserts	p. 8
Why are there deserts?	p. 12
Climate	p. 14
Deserts of the past	p. 16
Water in the desert	p. 20
Drought	p. 22
Dry Landscapes	p. 24
Desert landforms	p. 26
Water at work	p. 29
Floods	p. 32
Wind at work	p. 34
Dust	p. 36
Dunes	p. 40
Wind erosion	p. 44
Soils	p. 46
Life in the Desert	p. 48
Plants and water	p. 50
Small desert plants	p. 53
Desert invertebrates	p. 55
Desert mammals	p. 57
Adapting to extremes	p. 60
The desert ecosystem	p. 62
Living in Deserts	p. 64
Desert peoples	p. 66
Shelter	p. 69
Shelter: the Islamic tradition	p. 70
Clothing	p. 72
Food and nutrition	p. 74
Tools and implements	p. 76
Customs and religion	p. 78
Islam	p. 80
Towns and cities	p. 82
Growth with wealth	p. 84
Desert Resources	p. 88
The riches of the desert	p. 90
Herding and ranching	p. 93
Traditional farming	p. 96
Modern water strategies	p. 99
Reshaping the land	p. 102
Remote groundwater	p. 105
Oil and gas	p. 108
Mining and minerals	p. 110
Visiting Deserts	p. 112
The first desert tourists	p. 114
Visiting desert regions	p. 123
The Atlas	p. 128
The world's deserts	p. 130
The Sahara	p. 132
The Horn of Africa	p. 139
The Kalahari and Namib	p. 141
The Arabian Peninsula	p. 144
Iran, Pakistan and India	p. 148
Central Asia	p. 152
The Gobi desert	p. 156
Tibet	p. 160
The Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts	p. 162
The Great Basin	p. 166
Arizona and California	p. 170
Coastal Chile and Peru	p. 174
The Andes and Patagonia	p. 178
Deserts of Australia	p. 182
The Challenge of Conservation	p. 188
Deserts on the brink	p. 190
Human impacts	p. 192
Exploitation and development	p. 194
Conserving deserts	p. 196
Glossary	p. 202
Index	p. 204
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