"An important book that everyone who works on Florida environmental policy in any way should own . . . [and] anyone who cares about nature in Florida would love to own."--Tallahassee Democrat "The first comprehensive guide to the state's natural resources to be written in half a century . . . invaluable"--Tampa Tribune

"Ecosystems of Florida has a proud heritage. Its authors have the same skill and enthusiasm that characterized the early Florida ecologists. The descriptions will encourage and delight a multitude of men and women who are enamored of Florida's landscapes. The salvation of the Florida scene will come about only if the public savors its beauty, understands its limitations, and speaks up for its preservation. This book has come just in time to save the landscapes of Florida."--Marjorie Harris Carr, from the foreword

Between roughly 25 and 31 degrees north latitude, a combination of flat topography, poor soils, and limited surface water produce deserts nearly everywhere on earth. In Florida, however, these conditions support a lavish biota, more diverse than that of any other state east of the Mississippi.

In this first comprehensive guide to the state's natural resources in sixty years, thirty top scholars describe the character, relationships, and importance of Florida's ecosystems, the organisms that inhabit them, the forces that maintain them, and the agents that threaten them. From pine flatwoods to coral reef, Ecosystems of Florida provides a detailed, comprehensive, authoritative account of the peninsular state's complex, fragile environments.

In straightforward text, charts, maps, and illustrations, Ecosystems of Florida offers broad vision and detailed expertise to naturalists, wildlife managers, land use planners, foresters, and other professional and general readers interested in Florida's environmental resources. For the foreseeable future, it will serve as the authoritative guide to the state's environment and to those who would work with it.