Natural History of the White-Inyo Range, Eastern California (Volume 55) (California Natural History Guides)

The White-Inyo Range―rising sharply from the eastern edge of Owens Valley―is one of the most extraordinary landscapes in the world. High, dry, and amazingly diverse, it boasts an expansive alpine tundra and features the oldest living species on earth―the 4,000-year-old Bristlecone Pines. This colorful and authoritative volume assembles a wealth of information of deep interest to the hikers and scientists attracted to White-Inyo's altitude and isolation.

The nearly two dozen contributors to the volume are leading experts on the flora and fauna, the geology, geomorphology, meteorology, anthropology, and archaeology of the area. The book offers descriptions of more than 650 kinds of living organisms, from the handful of fish to the abundance of reptile, amphibian, bird and plant species. (It provides descriptions of hundreds of flowering plants.) It contains an 8-color geologic map and a roadside guide that enables the visitor to make sense of the area's complex geological history. Readers will also learn about air currents that make the range a delight for sailplane pilots and create strange cloud formations. And a special chapter tells what is known of the Native Americans who moved up and down the mountain slopes in response to seasonal changes.

For anyone who wishes to visit this astonishing area or to do research there, this volume will be a unique, comprehensive resource.

Clarence A. Hall, Jr. is Director of the White Mountain Research Station of the University of California. He is also Dean of Physical Sciences and Professor of Geology at the University of California, Los Angeles.