A Guide to Common Plants of Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Paperback)
A Guide to Common Plants of Lake Mead National Recreation Area is the definitive book for weekend explorers and botanists alike who venture into LMNRA ready to discover the many wonders of the local flora. The authors highlight 183 plants that hikers are most likely to encounter along popular trails, washes, and surrounding hot springs, helping the area’s millions of annual visitors identify and enjoy these common plants. This guide includes photos and descriptions of each plant, along with a map of LMNRA.
The authors also provide a primer on plant ecology, including a guide to plant structures, desert adaptations and life forms, plant-to-plant interactions, and plant-animal interactions. Plants are grouped by life forms, such as tree, shrub, cactus, or grass, and by flower color within the wildflower section. The guide will encourage readers to pause and look carefully at each plant they encounter, giving them an enriched experience during their exploration.
Frederick H. Landau was a research associate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he conducted research on plant ecology and physiology and also taught courses in plant taxonomy, economic botany, and field ecology. He has resided in the Mojave Desert since 1977.
Lawrence R. Walker has an MS in botany and a PhD in plant ecology. He has published more than 140 scientific papers and eleven books, including A Natural History of the Mojave Desert with Frederick H. Landau. He taught ecology, conservation biology, and scientific writing for thirty years.
“The authors are eminently qualified to offer this guidebook, and their knowledge about the plants of LMNRA emerges throughout its pages.”
—James M. André, director of the University of California’s Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research Center, author of Floras of the Mojave National Preserve and Owens Valley
“Powell, Landau, and Walker have written a concise book that will be useful to millions of annual visitors to the LMNRA.”
—David Charlet, professor of biology at the College of Southern Nevada, author of Atlas of Nevada Conifers: A Phytogeographic Reference