Overview
- Explains the nature of weeds and the basics of weed control
- Illustrates the diverse physiology and ecology of weeds with detailed discussions, drawings, and photographs of 154 species
- Includes a summary of essential weed management practices
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About this book
In their rapid colonization of soil exposed by fires, floods, and grazing animals, weeds resemble the human specialists we label Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Weeds are the first responders when disasters occur in nature. They occupy bare soil and prevent erosion by wind and water. In extreme cases such as a landslide, weeds are essential to the healing processes that replace the lost soil. Like a Band-Aid on a skinned knee, weeds protect the land while it recovers. Besides protecting the soil after disaster, weeds provide food for wildlife, and some of them provide food and medicine for people. Able to withstand harsh conditions, weeds will proliferate as global warming and other human impacts intensify. Thus, nature’s EMTs will increase while all other plants decline. The book provides a succinct definition of weeds according to their form and function in ecosystem processes. The narrative uses a representative set of weed species from a desert location to illustrate the full range of weed characteristics.
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Keywords
Table of contents (10 chapters)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
After completing his PhD in biogeography, Garry Rogers served on the Geography faculty of Columbia University in New York until 1987. At Columbia, he published two books and a series of articles on fire ecology and vegetation dynamics. From Columbia, he moved into a research position with the U. S. Forest Service and then to the U. S. Justice Department. In 2007, he began spending time with the regional weed management association and focusing on nature conservation issues. Over the past 10 years, he has written three novels, four wildlife monographs, and many short pieces on weeds and conservation.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Desert Weeds
Book Subtitle: Personal Narrative on Botanical First Responders
Authors: Garry Rogers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45854-6
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life Sciences, Biomedical and Life Sciences (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-45853-9Published: 15 October 2020
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-45856-0Published: 16 October 2021
eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-45854-6Published: 14 October 2020
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIII, 353
Number of Illustrations: 113 b/w illustrations, 194 illustrations in colour
Topics: Plant Ecology, Plant Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography, Soil Science & Conservation, Agriculture, Ecosystems