In this comprehensive and abundantly illustrated book, Allan A. Schoenherr describes the natural history of California-a state with a greater range of landforms, a greater variety of habitats, and more kinds of plants and animals than any area of equivalent size in all of North America. A Natural History of California focuses on each distinctive region, addressing its climate, rocks, soil, plants, and animals. The second edition of this classic work features updated species names and taxa, new details about parks reclassified by federal and state agencies, new stories about modern human and animal interaction, and a new epilogue on the impacts of climate change.

"This is a rich slice of information about California's islands --and so complete that it includes the less-well-known Farallon and San Francisco Bay islands. The authors' well-chosen language, style, approach, organization, and illustrations combine to carry one along like a raft passenger on a fast-moving river. I highly recommend it."--Michael G. Barbour, author of "California's Changing Landscapes

"Rich in biological fact and historical anecdote, this book takes us into worlds that are made dynamic by geological, evolutionary, and human events. It shows how lively and eventful California's natural landscapes really are."--Peter Steinhart, author of "The Company of Wolves

"This book is the best source easily available to those interested in the California islands' natural history. It gives a good overview for beginning students and the uninitiated, and enough details for more advanced audiences."--Lyndal Laughrin, Director, Santa Cruz Island Reserve, University of California

"This completely new edition of "Terrestrial Vegetation of California" clearly documents the extraordinary complexity and richness of the plant communities and of the state and the forces that shape them. This volume is a storehouse of information of value to anyone concerned with meeting the challenge of understanding, managing or conserving these unique plant communities under the growing threats of climate change, biological invasions and development."--Harold Mooney, Professor of Environmental Biology, Stanford University
"The plants of California are under threat like never before. Traditional pressures of development and invasive species have been joined by a newly-recognized threat: human-caused climate change. It is essential that we thoroughly understand current plant community dynamics in order to have a hope of conserving them. This book represents an important, well-timed advance in knowledge of the vegetation of this diverse state and is an essential resource for professionals, students, and the general public alike."--Brent Mishler, Director of the University & Jepson Herbaria and Professor of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley