The Writings of Ferdinand Lindheimer

The Writings of Ferdinand Lindheimer PDF Author: John E. Williams
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
ISBN: 1623498775
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 475

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Book Description
Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer is known as the “father of Texas botany.” While he was not the first botanist to collect plants for scientific examination in Texas, his collections are credited with helping botanists around the world to understand the nature, extent, and significance of the diversity of plants in the state. In partnership with Asa Gray of Harvard University, Lindheimer spent eight years collecting Texas plants to distribute to a list of paying subscribers—including places like the British Museum, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and the Smithsonian Institution. Today, no fewer than 362 plant names are based, at least in part, on Lindheimer collections, and 65 plants have been named in his honor. Lindheimer was a founding settler of New Braunfels, raising his family on the banks of the Comal River while he continued to collect and ship plant specimens. He was “elected” as the first editor of the Neu-Braunfelser Zeitung (still published today as the Herald-Zeitung), and served from 1852 to 1872. He wrote a number of articles for the Zeitung on topics ranging from plants, climate, and agriculture to Texas Indian affairs, optimism, and teaching schoolchildren. In the last year of Lindheimer’s life, one of his students worked with him to collect an assortment of his essays and articles from the Zeitung. In 1879, the collection was published as Aufsätze und Abhandlungen von Ferdinand Lindheimer in Texas (Essays and Articles of Ferdinand Lindheimer in Texas). John E. Williams now offers the first English translation of these essays, which provides valuable insight into the natural and cultural history of Texas.

The Writings of Ferdinand Lindheimer

The Writings of Ferdinand Lindheimer PDF Author: John E. Williams
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
ISBN: 1623498775
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 475

Get Book Here

Book Description
Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer is known as the “father of Texas botany.” While he was not the first botanist to collect plants for scientific examination in Texas, his collections are credited with helping botanists around the world to understand the nature, extent, and significance of the diversity of plants in the state. In partnership with Asa Gray of Harvard University, Lindheimer spent eight years collecting Texas plants to distribute to a list of paying subscribers—including places like the British Museum, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and the Smithsonian Institution. Today, no fewer than 362 plant names are based, at least in part, on Lindheimer collections, and 65 plants have been named in his honor. Lindheimer was a founding settler of New Braunfels, raising his family on the banks of the Comal River while he continued to collect and ship plant specimens. He was “elected” as the first editor of the Neu-Braunfelser Zeitung (still published today as the Herald-Zeitung), and served from 1852 to 1872. He wrote a number of articles for the Zeitung on topics ranging from plants, climate, and agriculture to Texas Indian affairs, optimism, and teaching schoolchildren. In the last year of Lindheimer’s life, one of his students worked with him to collect an assortment of his essays and articles from the Zeitung. In 1879, the collection was published as Aufsätze und Abhandlungen von Ferdinand Lindheimer in Texas (Essays and Articles of Ferdinand Lindheimer in Texas). John E. Williams now offers the first English translation of these essays, which provides valuable insight into the natural and cultural history of Texas.

Herbarium

Herbarium PDF Author: Barbara M. Thiers
Publisher: Timber Press
ISBN: 1604699302
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
“A sweeping history of the origins, development, and future of herbaria and their role in plant consternation.” —The American Gardener Since the 1500s, scientists have documented the plants and fungi that grew around them, organizing the specimens into collections. Known as herbaria, these archives helped give rise to botany as its own scientific endeavor. Herbarium is a fascinating enquiry into this unique field of plant biology, exploring how herbaria emerged and have changed over time, who promoted and contributed to them, and why they remain such an important source of data for their new role: understanding how the world’s flora is changing. Barbara Thiers, director of the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium at the New York Botanical Garden, also explains how recent innovations that allow us to see things at both the molecular level and on a global scale can be applied to herbaria specimens, helping us address some of the most critical problems facing the world today.

Flora of North America North of Mexico

Flora of North America North of Mexico PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 0190202750
Category : Bryophytes
Languages : en
Pages : 729

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Book Description


Unnatural Texas?

Unnatural Texas? PDF Author: Robin W. Doughty
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
ISBN: 162349706X
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
The story of introduced species in Texas is long (hogs were introduced by European settlers in the 1500s) and fraught with controversy. In Unnatural Texas? The Invasive Species Dilemma, Robin W. Doughty and Matt Warnock Turner introduce the “big hitters” of invasive species in the state. They profile the usual suspects—feral hogs, salt cedar, and fire ants—and also lesser known invasives, such as cats and sparrows. Blending natural and environmental history with geography, this book is a much-needed, balanced exploration of invasive species in Texas. The distinctions between native and invasive are not hard and fast, and perceptions of what is invasive have changed over the centuries. A striking example, free-ranging cats—domestic, stray, and feral—can wreak havoc on small mammal and bird populations. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution for invasives, and removal or complete eradication may not be possible or even desirable. The dilemma of what to do about invasive species also raises moral, social, economic, and cultural questions. This engaging introduction to the concept of invasive species in Texas will provide context for readers and will educate people on this important issue facing the state.

Double Helix of Phyllotaxis

Double Helix of Phyllotaxis PDF Author: Boris Rozin
Publisher: BrownWalker Press
ISBN: 1627347488
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 186

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Book Description
This book is devoted to anyone who is in search of beauty in mathematics, and mathematics in the beauty around us. Attempting to combine mathematical rigor and magnificence of the visual perception, the author is presenting the mathematical study of phyllotaxis, the most beautiful phenomenon of the living nature. The distinctive feature of this book is an animation feature that explains the work of mathematical models and the transformation of 3D space. The analysis of the phyllotactic pattern as a system of discrete objects together with the mathematical tools of generalized sequences made it possible to find a universal algorithm for calculating the divergence angle. In addition, it is serving as a new proof of the fundamental theorem of phyllotaxis and analytically confirming well-known formulas obtained intuitively earlier as well as casting some doubts on a few stereotypes existing in mathematical phyllotaxis. The presentation of phyllotaxis morphogenesis as a recursive process allowed the author to formulate the hydraulic model of phyllotaxis morphogenesis and propose a method for its experimental verification. With the help of artificial intelligence, the author offered methodology for the digital measurement of phyllotaxis allowing a transition to a qualitatively new level in the study of plant morphogenesis. Due to the successful combination of mathematical constructions and their visual presentation, the materials of this study are comprehensible to readers with high school advanced mathematical levels.

Cycad Biology and Conservation

Cycad Biology and Conservation PDF Author: Nan Li (Botanist)
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780893275389
Category : Cycads
Languages : en
Pages : 608

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Book Description


Amanitas of North America

Amanitas of North America PDF Author: Britt Bunyard
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780578675725
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
Amanitas of North America features images and descriptions of more than 120 species and species groups of Amanitas found in North America. Along with the most commonly seen species, rare or poorly known Amanita species are included. Plus, there are chapters on the history of mushroom research and mythology, mushroom physiology and chemistry, and toxicology. Amanitas of North America also features chapters on the genus Limacella, a small but closely allied group in the Amanitaceae, and on commonly encountered fungal parasites of Amanitas. Amanitas of North America is the first-ever complete reference for mushroom hunters and mycophiles, citizen scientists, and academics mycologists. Each species profile includes basic information on where and when this species is known to occur, ecology, edibility/toxicology, etymology, and detailed information on macro- and micro-morphology characters. And every species described is depicted with stunning photography.

The Restless and Relentless Mind of Wes Jackson

The Restless and Relentless Mind of Wes Jackson PDF Author: Robert Jensen
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN: 0700630554
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description
In more than four decades as president of The Land Institute, Wes Jackson became widely known as one of the founders of the sustainable agriculture movement for his work on perennial grains and Natural Systems Agriculture. But Jackson’s contribution to contemporary intellectual and political life goes well beyond plant breeding. Ever since he created one of the first university environmental studies programs in the early 1970s, Jackson has been exploring the human predicaments around sustainability and justice, asking questions that pull not only on agriculture and ecology but also on politics, economics, and culture. That work has appeared in four sole-authored books by Jackson, but nowhere is there an accessible summary of his key ideas. Robert Jensen provides a short, elegant introduction to Jackson’s ideas on ways to provide humanity with a truly sustainable foundation in grain agriculture, presented in a way that connects to the growing concern about climate change and other ecological crises. Jackson’s strength has been in generating new ideas and pushing the envelope not only on sustainable agriculture but also on the other dramatic changes necessary if we are to create a sustainable and just society. This volume helps the reader to organize those exciting ideas in a way that can expand the horizons of students and lay readers as well as challenge specialists in these fields. In a time when critical thinking and clear understanding are desperately needed if we are to face the multiple, cascading ecological and social crises, The Restless and Relentless Mind of Wes Jackson presents Jackson’s crucial insights about the natural world and human societies that can help provide a framework for understanding the tough decisions we will have to make. But just as important is the book’s glimpse into the curiosity that drives Jackson and the creativity that distinguishes his intellectual and activist work.

Plants Go to War

Plants Go to War PDF Author: Judith Sumner
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476676127
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 367

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Book Description
As the first botanical history of World War II, Plants Go to War examines military history from the perspective of plant science. From victory gardens to drugs, timber, rubber, and fibers, plants supplied materials with key roles in victory. Vegetables provided the wartime diet both in North America and Europe, where vitamin-rich carrots, cabbages, and potatoes nourished millions. Chicle and cacao provided the chewing gum and chocolate bars in military rations. In England and Germany, herbs replaced pharmaceutical drugs; feverbark was in demand to treat malaria, and penicillin culture used a growth medium made from corn. Rubber was needed for gas masks and barrage balloons, while cotton and hemp provided clothing, canvas, and rope. Timber was used to manufacture Mosquito bombers, and wood gasification and coal replaced petroleum in European vehicles. Lebensraum, the Nazi desire for agricultural land, drove Germans eastward; troops weaponized conifers with shell bursts that caused splintering. Ironically, the Nazis condemned non-native plants, but adopted useful Asian soybeans and Mediterranean herbs. Jungle warfare and camouflage required botanical knowledge, and survival manuals detailed edible plants on Pacific islands. Botanical gardens relocated valuable specimens to safe areas, and while remote locations provided opportunities for field botany, Trees surviving in Hiroshima and Nagasaki live as a symbol of rebirth after vast destruction.

Field Guide to the Flora of the San Gabriel Mountains

Field Guide to the Flora of the San Gabriel Mountains PDF Author: Orlando Mistretta
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780960580859
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
This field guide to the flora of the San Gabriel Mountains of southern California is at once a personal and entertaining account of the region's botanical context and history of exploration, and a long-awaited inventory of its flora. The author, Orlando Mistretta, grew up at the foot of this mountain range and has spent the past four decades of his botanical career exploring the far corners of this exceedingly rugged mountain range located in close proximity to Greater Los Angeles. Over 30 color photographs and maps accompany a detailed introduction to all aspects of the San Gabriels, including physical setting, project boundaries and history of its botanical exploration. Keys to plant families, genera, species and subspecific ranks are carefully formulated to be accessible to both botanical professionals and generalists. Species entries include information on taxonomic authorities, life form, abundance, habitat (vegetation types [including post-burn occurrences] and elevation), localities of occurrence (list of specific canyons and other locations), and a representative herbarium voucher. Notes on possible hybridization, historical records, alternative taxonomy and native versus introduced status are included. An index lists families, genera and species. This book is part of the Occasional Publications series published by Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, California, the largest botanic garden dedicated to California native flora.