Description:
Winner of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award
Bounded on the east by the crest of the Cascade Range and on the west by the lofty east flank of the Olympic Mountains, Puget Sound terrain includes every imaginable topograhic variety. This thoughtful and eloquent natural history of the Puget Sound region begins with a discussion of how the ice ages and vulcanism shaped the land and then examines the natural attributes of the region--flora and fauna, climate, special habitats, life histories of key organisms--as they pertain to the functioning ecosystem. Mankind's effects upon the natural environment are a pervasive theme of the book. Kruckeberg looks at both positive and negative aspects of human interaction with nature in the Puget basin. By probing the interconnectedness of all natural aspects of one region, Kruckeberg illustrates ecological principles at work and gives us a basis for wise decision-making.
The Natural History of Puget Sound Country is a comprehensive reference, invaluable for all citizens of the Northwest, as well as for conservationists, biologists, foresters, fisheries and wildlife personnel, urban planners, and environmental consultants everywhere. Lavishly illustrated with over three hundred photographs and drawings, it is much more than a beautiful book. It is a guide to our future.
Brief description: Renowned Northwest naturalist Arthur R. Kruckeberg (1920-2016) was professor of botany at the University of Washington for nearly four decades; a co-founder of the Washington Native Plant Society; and the creator, along with his wife, Mareen, of the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden in Shoreline, Washington. He was the author of The Natural History of Puget Sound Country and Geology and Plant Life: The Effects of Landforms and Rock Types on Plants, as well as previous editions of Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest.
Review Quotes:
"Many natural histories are aimed at an audience already in possession of dog-eared field guides and well-worn hiking boots. This one casts a wider net, with a text that is both accessible and scholarly. Stunning black-and-white photographs, beautiful illustrations and intelligent captioning let his volume work equally well as a browse or a read. The Puget Sound watershed now has a lavish book worthy of its great diversity and beauty."
-- "Whole Earth Review"