BIOL 1407 - Bowling (NW): Library Resources

3500 photographs. Over 380 genera. More than 3700 species and cultivars. From majestic evergreens to delicate vines and flowering shrubs, Dirr features thousands of plants and all the essential details for identification, planting, and care, plus full-color photographs showing a tree's habit in winter, distinctive bark patterns, fall color, and more.

Looking for a faster, easier, and engaging way to identify plants? Related plants have similar characteristics, and they often have similar uses. Rather than learning new plants one-at-a-time, it is possible to learn them by the hundreds, based on plant family patterns.
Each family of related plants has unique patterns for identification. Learn to recognize these patterns, and discover them again and again in the plants you encounter. It is possible to instantly recognize a plant never before seen, and in many cases, to know its edible or medicinal properties on the spot-even before you have identified it down to the species!
Botany in a Day is changing the way people learn about plants. A one-day tutorial introduces eight of the world's most common plant families, applicable to more than 45,000 species of plants. Master these eight patterns and have the skills to recognize an astonishing number of plants on any continent. Add to your repertoire by keying out entirely unknown plants and learning additional family patterns.
Botany in a Day is principally written for North America, but used and adored by readers all over the world. It is used as a textbook in numerous universities, high schools, and herbal schools. This book is widely used in nature programs and promoted in national parks. Botany in a Day is your passport connection to nature and discovering the amazing world of plants!

Line drawing illustrations are provided for all species in addition to 174 color photographs. The flora includes 2,223 species, or nearly half-known for the entire state of Texas. The taxonomic treatments include family and generic synopsis keys and descriptions, derivations of scientific names, characters helpful for the field recognition of plant families, notes on toxic/poisonous and useful plants, and references to supporting literature.

Each spring throughout the celebrated Hill Country and well beyond, locals and visitors revel in the palettes and variety of Texas wildflowers. From the Panhandle canyonlands to the islands of South Texas, from the eastern Pineywoods to the farthest reaches of the arid Trans-Pecos, some 5,000 species dot Texas’s 268,820 square miles. Now Lone Star Wildflowers offers easy identification through color grouping and a wealth of insight from the origin of scientific and common names to growth cycles, uses, history, and native lore. Nieland and Finley have made countless forays with camera and notebook and have broadened their approach through years of research. In language accessible to every enthusiast, they offer wildflower lovers unparalleled enrichment.In the field, by the roadside, or in the classroom, Lone Star Wildflowers reveals the science, ecology, and rich lore of Texas flowers with these helpful features:• Nearly 500 full-color flower photographs, grouped according to the color spectrum and further arranged by family• An “Exploring Further” section in each color category, showing details of seedpods, leaves, buds, and fruits• Current and historical uses of each flower, including applications for landscaping, water conservation, traditional medicine, pharmaceuticals, and food• Information about plant toxins and range management practices affecting livestock and wildlife• Coverage of growth cycles throughout the seasons, depicting young plants, buds, mature seed heads, and fruits as well as flowers

This book then provides: a description of the structure of the grass plant; details of the classification and distribution of Texas grasses; brief species accounts; distributional maps; color photographs; plus black-and-white drawings of 670 grass species--native, introduced, and ornamental. Scientific keys help identify the grasses to group, genera, and species, and an alphabetized checklist includes information on: origin (native or introduced); longevity (annual or perennial);growth season (cool or warm season); endangered status; and occurrence (by ecological zone).

Texas Amphibians is the only field guide focused exclusively on the state's frogs, toads, and salamanders. It presents brief, general accounts of the two orders and fifteen families. Then it identifies each of the seventy-two species in details, including size, description, voice (if applicable), similar species, distribution (with maps), natural history, reproduction, subspecies (if applicable), and conservation information. Color photographs illustrate the species... This is a wealth of information, compiled by a team of experts who collectively have over a century of experience in field herpetology, will increase our appreciation for amphibians and the vital role they play as an early indicator of the threats to the quality of the environment that we share.

The most comprehensive field guide available to the insects and spiders of North America--a must-have for any enthusiast's day pack or home library--from the go-to reference source for over 18 million nature lovers. Featuring a durable vinyl binding and over 700 full-color identification photographs organized visually by color and shape, the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders is the perfect companion for any outdoor excursion. Descriptive text includes measurements, diagnostic details, and information on habitat, range, feeding habits, sounds or songs, flight period, web construction, life cycle, behaviors, folklore, and environmental impact. An illustrated key to the insect orders and detailed drawings of the parts of insects, spiders, and butterflies supplement this extensive coverage.

Comprehensive yet compact, authoritative yet easy to understand, this is the perfect guide for anyone who wants to know more about the fascinating and diverse insects of North America.   Many insects are difficult even for the experts to identify, but here readers will find a wealth of information on the amazing observable behaviors of insects and their fascinating life histories. Naturalists Kenn Kaufman and Eric R. Eaton use a broad ecological approach rather than overly technical terms, making the book accessible and easy to use. Their lively and engaging text emphasizes the insects that are most likely to draw attention and also includes helpful details on a wide array oflesser-known but recognizable groups. The guide is lavishly illustrated, with more than 2,350 digitally enhanced photographs representing every major group of insects found in North America north of Mexico. 

Finding all the birds in Texas can be a lifetime pursuit. Basic Texas Birds, an easy-to-use field guide, will help you identify over 180 species of birds that are found across the state, including a selection of the rarer "Texas specialties" that draw birders to Texas from around the world. These are the birds that form the basis of a birder's life list for Texas. Basic Texas Birds is organized by bird families to aid in identifying any bird you see in the wild. It is loaded with resources, including: 200 full-color, close-up photos of the birds State-of-the-art range maps--the most accurate of any currently available--that show each species' distribution within the state Up-to-date species accounts that provide a wealth of current and historical information, including each bird's appearance, habitat, status, and distribution, and that also identify similar species A glossary of terms used in bird identification A list of selected readings for learning more about birds found in Texas The Texas Ornithological Society's list of birds documented in Texas Much more convenient for identifying common birds than a comprehensive state or national field guide, Basic Texas Birds is a must-have resource for both beginning and experienced birders.