This is an engaging, informative and beautifully illustrated field guide, the first ever published to focus on England's endangered bryophytes
I've always loved mosses and spent many hours studying and drawing them when I was a child. I am still captivated by these delightful plants; often taking time to photograph them during my travels. But I've never seen nor even heard of a book that focused exclusively on these tiny plants -- until now. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of British botanist Ron Porley, we now can enjoy his new book, England's Rare Mosses and Liverworts: Their History, Ecology, and Conservation [Princeton University Press, 2013; Guardian bookshop; Amazon UK; Amazon US].
Unlike birds and charismatic megafauna, endangered plants are often overlooked, and diminutive plants such as the mosses and liverworts (the bryophytes) -- easily crushed underfoot -- rarely impinge upon our collective consciousness. This hardback beautifully addresses that issue. It is one of the few books ever published that covers these plants in detail and it is the first and only field guide that covers England's rare mosses and liverworts.
The book opens by presenting an overview of the bryophytes. It tells us what they are, why they are important and useful to us, and what makes them rare. Also mentioned are extinctions, conservation efforts and techniques, legislation, and the impact of the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity [free PDF]. Of the 916 bryophyte species known to be in England, 87 are on the British Red List and are listed as threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
This book profiles in detail 84 of England's endangered bryophytes. Species accounts describe the plant's physical appearance and its natural history including its life cycle, preferred habitat and soil types, and other bryophytes it typically associates with. To the right of the plant's common and scientific names are coloured-coded boxes that indicate its IUCN threat category and the state of that species' protection under the law, information that is easily visible at a glance. Range maps of Great Britain are based on national database records and use green dots to indicate where the species has been recorded. Also mentioned in tabular form and described in more detail in the species accounts are threats -- both documented and potential -- along with the reason(s) for the plant's endangered status. Also mentioned are any conservation efforts.
The information in this book is useful and informative, but the photographs will immediately grab your attention. These images include close-up/macro colour photographs of the subject, microscopic photographs or diagrammes of the leaves (when necessary) and photographs of the typical habitat where the plant occurs. The images are gorgeous -- detailed, crisp and lush -- and many of the species presented here are made visible to the public for the first time.
Considering how poorly known the mosses and liverworts are, especially to the general public, I was surprised that the book does not include diagrams of the "anatomy" and life cycle of a "typical" moss and "typical" liverwort. Since the public contributes at least some location records to the national database, I wish that the author had included a photograph or list of essential equipment (a field guide, of course, but also magnifying glass? camera with macro capabilities? GPS?) that a "mosser" needs to adequately identify and record these plants in their area. Such information would take up little space but would be invaluable for motivating armchair naturalists into becoming the next generation of dedicated "mossers".
I rarely comment on production values, but this particular book is a joy to behold (and to hold). It is apparent that this field guide was a labour of love for the author, but the quality of the paper, the attention to detail -- particularly the precision of colour in the images -- all give the impression that the editors also had fun putting it together. Even the endpapers are a dark, rich emerald green.
The bryophytes of England are better known than anywhere else in the world, and this book goes a long way towards raising public awareness of these tiny but important plants and inspiring other experts to write field guides that cover these plants in their areas of the world. As a snapshot in time of what we now have and a portent what we may lose if we don't act, this volume is a critical wake-up call. Further, this book provides guidance to those working in bryophyte conservation.
This 224-page volume is the definitive reference for libraries -- whether located on a university campus or natural history institution, or a public or personal library. Additionally, this field guide will appeal to naturalists of all ages and is indispensable to those who go "mossing".
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Ron D. Porley is a botanist who has been studying mosses and liverworts for more than twenty-five years. He is the author of "Arable Bryophytes: A Field Guide to the Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts of Cultivated Land in Britain and Ireland" (WILD Guides), and the coauthor of "Mosses and Liverworts" (HarperCollins). He is a member of the British Bryological Society and is on the board of the European Committee for the Conservation of Bryophytes. He has traveled extensively in Europe, Africa, and Asia, collecting and photographing bryophytes.
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GrrlScientist can also be found here: Maniraptora. She sometimes lurks on social media: facebook, G+, LinkedIn, Pinterest and of course, she's quite active on twitter: @GrrlScientist Reported by guardian.co.uk 1 hour ago.
I've always loved mosses and spent many hours studying and drawing them when I was a child. I am still captivated by these delightful plants; often taking time to photograph them during my travels. But I've never seen nor even heard of a book that focused exclusively on these tiny plants -- until now. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of British botanist Ron Porley, we now can enjoy his new book, England's Rare Mosses and Liverworts: Their History, Ecology, and Conservation [Princeton University Press, 2013; Guardian bookshop; Amazon UK; Amazon US].
Unlike birds and charismatic megafauna, endangered plants are often overlooked, and diminutive plants such as the mosses and liverworts (the bryophytes) -- easily crushed underfoot -- rarely impinge upon our collective consciousness. This hardback beautifully addresses that issue. It is one of the few books ever published that covers these plants in detail and it is the first and only field guide that covers England's rare mosses and liverworts.
The book opens by presenting an overview of the bryophytes. It tells us what they are, why they are important and useful to us, and what makes them rare. Also mentioned are extinctions, conservation efforts and techniques, legislation, and the impact of the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity [free PDF]. Of the 916 bryophyte species known to be in England, 87 are on the British Red List and are listed as threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
This book profiles in detail 84 of England's endangered bryophytes. Species accounts describe the plant's physical appearance and its natural history including its life cycle, preferred habitat and soil types, and other bryophytes it typically associates with. To the right of the plant's common and scientific names are coloured-coded boxes that indicate its IUCN threat category and the state of that species' protection under the law, information that is easily visible at a glance. Range maps of Great Britain are based on national database records and use green dots to indicate where the species has been recorded. Also mentioned in tabular form and described in more detail in the species accounts are threats -- both documented and potential -- along with the reason(s) for the plant's endangered status. Also mentioned are any conservation efforts.
The information in this book is useful and informative, but the photographs will immediately grab your attention. These images include close-up/macro colour photographs of the subject, microscopic photographs or diagrammes of the leaves (when necessary) and photographs of the typical habitat where the plant occurs. The images are gorgeous -- detailed, crisp and lush -- and many of the species presented here are made visible to the public for the first time.
Considering how poorly known the mosses and liverworts are, especially to the general public, I was surprised that the book does not include diagrams of the "anatomy" and life cycle of a "typical" moss and "typical" liverwort. Since the public contributes at least some location records to the national database, I wish that the author had included a photograph or list of essential equipment (a field guide, of course, but also magnifying glass? camera with macro capabilities? GPS?) that a "mosser" needs to adequately identify and record these plants in their area. Such information would take up little space but would be invaluable for motivating armchair naturalists into becoming the next generation of dedicated "mossers".
I rarely comment on production values, but this particular book is a joy to behold (and to hold). It is apparent that this field guide was a labour of love for the author, but the quality of the paper, the attention to detail -- particularly the precision of colour in the images -- all give the impression that the editors also had fun putting it together. Even the endpapers are a dark, rich emerald green.
The bryophytes of England are better known than anywhere else in the world, and this book goes a long way towards raising public awareness of these tiny but important plants and inspiring other experts to write field guides that cover these plants in their areas of the world. As a snapshot in time of what we now have and a portent what we may lose if we don't act, this volume is a critical wake-up call. Further, this book provides guidance to those working in bryophyte conservation.
This 224-page volume is the definitive reference for libraries -- whether located on a university campus or natural history institution, or a public or personal library. Additionally, this field guide will appeal to naturalists of all ages and is indispensable to those who go "mossing".
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Ron D. Porley is a botanist who has been studying mosses and liverworts for more than twenty-five years. He is the author of "Arable Bryophytes: A Field Guide to the Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts of Cultivated Land in Britain and Ireland" (WILD Guides), and the coauthor of "Mosses and Liverworts" (HarperCollins). He is a member of the British Bryological Society and is on the board of the European Committee for the Conservation of Bryophytes. He has traveled extensively in Europe, Africa, and Asia, collecting and photographing bryophytes.
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
GrrlScientist can also be found here: Maniraptora. She sometimes lurks on social media: facebook, G+, LinkedIn, Pinterest and of course, she's quite active on twitter: @GrrlScientist Reported by guardian.co.uk 1 hour ago.