National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida Regional Guide: Birds, Animals, Trees, Wildflowers, Insects, Weather, Nature Preserves, and More

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9780679446774
• ISBN10: 067944677X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-05-26
• Publisher: Knopf

Summary

Filled with concise descriptions and stunning photographs, theNational Audubon Society Field Guide to Floridabelongs in the home of every Florida resident and in the suitcase or backpack of every visitor. This compact volume contains: An easy-to-use field guide for identifying 1,000 of the state's wildflowers, trees, mushrooms, mosses, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, butterflies, mammals, and much more; A complete overview of Florida's natural history, covering geology, wildlife habitats, ecology, fossils, rocks and minerals, clouds and weather patterns and night sky; An extensive sampling of the area's best parks, preserves, beaches, forests, islands, and wildlife sanctuaries, with detailed descriptions and visitor information for 50 sites and notes on dozens of others. The guide is packed with visual information -- the 1,500 full-color images include more than 1,300 photographs, 14 maps, and 16 night-sky charts, as well as 150 drawings explaining everything from geological processes to the basic features of different plants and animals. For everyone who lives or spends time in Florida, there can be no finer guide to the area's natural surroundings than theNational Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida.

Author Biography

Peter Alden, principal author of this series, is a birder, naturalist, author, and lecturer. He has led nature tours to more than 100 countries and is the author of books on North American, Latin American, and African wildlife. Peter organized an event called Biodiversity Day, the first of which took place in his hometown of Concord, Massachusetts.<br><br>Rick Cech, author of several sections of this guide, is a nature writer, photographer, and founder of the North American Butterfly Association's newsletter, <i>The Anglewing</i>.<br><br>Gil Nelson, regional consultant and author of the habitats, flora, and parks and preserves sections of this guide, is a naturalist, writer, and educator who has contributed articles to many national and regional magazines. He lives in Tallahassee, Florida.

Table of Contents

Overview
Natural Highlights	p. 10
Topography and Geology	p. 12
Inland Topography	p. 12
Ocean and Coastal Topography	p. 14
The Interaction of Water and Land	p. 18
Minerals and Natural Resources	p. 20
Rocks	p. 22
Fossils	p. 24
Habitats	p. 28
Reefs, Keys, and Tropical Seas	p. 30
Beaches, Dunes, and Barrier Islands	p. 32
Salt Marshes	p. 34
Mangrove Swamps	p. 36
Rivers, Swamps, and Lakes	p. 38
Freshwater Marshes	p. 40
Prairies	p. 42
Upland Wooded Areas	p. 44
Conservation and Ecology	p. 48
The Impact of Human Settlement	p. 48
The Price of Progress	p. 50
The Impact on Flora and Fauna	p. 52
Weather	p. 54
Seasons	p. 58
Typical Clouds	p. 60
Night Sky	p. 62
Our Solar System	p. 62
Stars and Deep-sky Objects	p. 64
Sky Maps: Winter	p. 66
Sky Maps: Spring	p. 68
Sky Maps: Summer	p. 70
Sky Maps: Fall	p. 72
Flora and Fauna
How to Use the Flora and Fauna Section	p. 76
Flora	p. 78
Mushrooms	p. 78
Algae	p. 83
Lichens	p. 83
Spore Plants	p. 85
Ferns	p. 86
Trees and Shrubs	p. 89
Gymnosperms	p. 92
Broadleaf Trees and Shrubs	p. 96
Large Broadleaf Trees	p. 97
Small Broadleaf Trees and Shrubs	p. 110
Leaf Shapes	p. 136
Flower Types	p. 137
Wildflowers	p. 138
Invertebrates	p. 194
Marine Invertebrates	p. 195
Freshwater and Land Invertebrates	p. 212
Spiders and Kin	p. 214
Insects	p. 218
Vertebrates	p. 250
Fishes	p. 251
Saltwater Fishes	p. 253
Freshwater Fishes	p. 272
Amphibians	p. 276
Reptiles	p. 281
Birds	p. 297
Mammals	p. 359
Parks and Preserves
Northwestern Florida	p. 381
Northern Florida	p. 391
Central Florida	p. 402
Southern Florida and the Keys	p. 417
Appendices
Acknowledgments	p. 432
Picture Credits	p. 433
Index	p. 437
County Map	p. 447
Converting to Metric	p. 447
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