Having lived with and slept near oaks for decades, I learned to appreciate why some species are called "live oaks". We find life all around them. This book by accomplished environmental scientists is a wonderful resource for exploration, experience, and deeper appreciation. While synecology is a relatively young science, the text pronounces on the plant-animal interactions with granular authority.

Contains a Glossary, and Maps, including Tribal maps of the Native American communities.

Quotations

"Few plants figure more prominently in California's natural and cultural history than oaks."

"California has long been blessed by the diversity, abundance, and beauty of oaks. At present, 18 species of oak enrich the state's native flora, each strikingly different in growth form and physiology." [3]

This is partially a textbook, partially a coffee table book for someone like me. It's quite old now I realize but the information in it is thorough and still wows the reader as to the impact this one type of tree has over our landscape. I loved the wildlife section and particularly the guide in the back of places to explore still-wild oaklands. ( )

A loving description of each species, and emblematic trees selected to memorialize a person or event and photographed if they are still upright. The final chapters discuss citizen involvement in the preservation, and planting of new seedlings so that future generations can admire their graceful limbs.