* Illustrated with more than 60 full-color illustration plates * The only field guide of its kind for this popular destination * Completely updated, compact volume If you've ever marveled at the natural beauty of the Grand Canyon, you've probably thought about taking an up close and personal look at the area, too. Well, now you can! This fully updated edition of our popular field guide is both thorough and easy to use. A Field Guide to the Grand Canyon describes and illustrates the areas plants and animals, and offers fascinating in-depth information on the natural history and geology of this dramatic region. Whether you're an active explorer or an armchair naturalist, you'll be certain to enjoy this colorful, informative trip through one of the United States' natural treasures. You'll find complete species information (including common and scientific names, notable features, and more) on more than 480 plants and animals is coupled with beautifully illustrated full-page plates for easy reference. Also included is a geologic history of the Canyon with illustrations detailing the formation of one of the world's great natural wonders.

All over the planet, organisms of many species are appearing outside of their natural habitatsÑoften carried by that particularly peripatetic species Homo sapiens. This book marks the first comprehensive attempt to address problems posed by expanding populations of exotic plant and animal species in the Sonoran Desert and adjacent grasslands and riparian areas. It describes the arrival and spread of non-native species as diverse as rats and saltcedar, covering both their impacts and the management of those impacts. It is estimated that as much as 60 percent of the vegetative cover of the Sonoita Creek-Patagonia Reserve, the first Nature Conservancy area designated in Arizona, is dominated by exotic plants, and that introduced fish pose a recurrent threat to the native fish of that area. Meanwhile at the Grand Canyon, invasives such as tamarisk, red brome, carp, and catfish are pervasive either in the Colorado River or in the patches of desert scrub along its shores. Throughout the Sonoran Desert and adjacent areas, from islands in the Sea of CortŽs to desert grasslands, some six hundred species of non-native plants and animals have become established, with bullfrogs and Mediterranean grasses now common where they once never existed. The book brings together contributors from academia, government, and nonprofit organizations, including such experts as Gary Paul Nabhan, Richard Mack, and Alberto Bœrquez-Montijo. They review historic and even prehistoric origins of non-native speciesÑnot only exotic plants, amphibians, and mammals but also insects, fish, and birds. They then examine significant problems in each major subregion and ecosystem and discuss control efforts. The volume contains the first compiled list of more than 500 naturalized exotic species in the Sonoran region. Invasive species issues are rapidly emerging as major environmental concerns both locally and worldwide. This book will assist professionalsÑecologists, conservation biologists, and policy makersÑinvolved in invasive species control in the Southwest and will be a rich resource for all concerned with protecting native species and their habitats.

This book contains 11 papers that review the extant information about the Colorado River from an ecosystem perspective and serve as the basis for discussion of the use of ecosystem/earth science information for river management and dam operations. It also contains a synopsis of the committee's findings and recommendations to the Bureau of Reclamation as the agency seeks to change its direction to the management of natural resources.