A Naturalist's Guide to Field Plants: An Ecology for Eastern North AmericaIn this comprehensive volume Donald D. Cox gathers substantial data on simple field plants in Eastern North America and with great clarity he studies their profound impact on regional ecosystems and the ecology of the earth. This includes origins and types of soils and how these soils relate to vegetation; climate and human culture; plants and fungi growth in fields; adaptations for survival; field plant reproduction and seed dispersal; and toxic, medicinal, and edible plants that flourish in fields. collecting and/or preserving field plants. He focuses on field conservation and habitat preservation throughout the book. A final chapter offers special projects and investigations for those who wish to go a step beyond collecting and identifying plants. This book is an indispensable reference for professional and amateur naturalists as well as students and the general public. |
Contents
Open Lands as Ecosystems | 1 |
Types of Plants | 19 |
Adaptations for Survival | 33 |
Soil Climate and Vegetation | 45 |
Through the Year | 56 |
Plants of Special Interest | 73 |
Naming Collecting and Preserving Plants | 105 |
Activities and Investigations | 128 |
Glossary | 143 |
| 147 | |
| 151 | |
Common terms and phrases
alternate animals appear areas aster attached become birds blooms blue botanical botanists branched called Canada cause cells chapter clusters collected collector color common compounds contain covered cultivated develop dispersal earth eastern edible Europe feet fern fibers field five flowers forest fruits fungi gametophyte germinate goldenrod grasses green ground grow growth heads herbal horsetail humans identify important inches individual insects June known land leaf least leaves less lichens living medicine mounted mycelium native natural North America observed open fields organic percent perennial petals plants poisonous pollen probably produce remedies require result root sand season seeds seen September sexual reproduction soil sometimes species specimen spores stalks stem substances throughout toxic tree United upper usually vegetation weed wild wind yellow