CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

Savannas and barrens were a major component of the historic North American Landscape before it was extensively altered by agricultural and urban development during the  past century.  Rock outcrop plant communities and serpentine barrens are of interest because they are refugia for endemic species adapted to extreme environmental conditions.  Many of these communities are currently reduced to less than one percent of their original area and are imperiled ecosystems.

This book provides a coherent readable summary of the technical information on savannas, barrens, and rock outcrop  plant communities of North America.  

Roger C. Anderson is Distinguished Professor of Plant Ecology at Illinois State University, is on the Editorial Board of Restoration Ecology and is a Fellow of the Illinois State Academy of Science.

James S. Fralish, Professor Emeritus,  Illinois University, Carbondale, serves as a research consultant with the Center for Field Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee, and is certified as a senior ecology by the Ecological Society of America.

Jerry M. Baskin is Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Kentucky and serves on the editorial board of Seed Science Research.

Comments from published Reviews

"The chapters invariably seemed comprehensive, perhaps because the smaller geographic area allowed most authors to present more detail.  One is left with two overall impressions.  First, there is a deep reservoir of botanical expertise at the regional level."   "Second , fire once played a pivotal role in creating North American Vegetation types." Paul A. Keddy.  2001. American Journal of Botany 83:960-962.

"The book is long overdue and provides valuable information on many lesser known and imperiled communities."  "This text is a valuable resource sure to satisfy the interests of conservationists, naturalists, and students, or professionals in vegetation ecology, biogeography, and similar interests."  Michael P. Murray. 2000. Natural Areas Journal 20:297.

"I thoroughly recommend this book to anybody interest in the vegetation of North America and to those studying similar vegetation in other parts of the world.  Congratulations to the editors on making so much information available in this single volume."  David Harris. 2000. Annals of Botany.