The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada

By John Muir Laws

In this groundbreaking and meticulously field-tested guide, the rich variety of Sierra life—trees, wildflowers, ferns, fungi, lichens, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, and insects—comes alive.

"There are lots of Sierra field guides, some specialized, some general, but this is the best both for beauty and usefulness." —Kim Stanley Robinson

Easy-to-use features include:

• Intuitive organization, color tabs, and simple keys
• Similar-looking species side by side
• Over 2,800 full-color illustrations
• Range maps of species that are otherwise difficult to distinguish
• Index of common and scientific names
• Lightweight and compact—ideal for backpacking

Impressively detailed and comprehensive, the guide includes:

• More than 1,700 species
• Descriptions of behavior, adaptations, and interactions between species
• Species and topics not found in most guides, including aquatic life, spiders and webs, plankton, plant galls, bark beetle galleries, animal tracks and evidence, seasonal star charts, weather patterns, and cloud formations

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heyday
• Release date: Jun 1, 2007
• ISBN: 9781597145107

John Muir Laws

John (Jack) Muir Laws is a scientist, educator, and author, who helps people forge a deeper and more personal connection with nature through keeping illustrated nature journals and understanding science. His work combines science, art, and mindfulness. He observes the world with rigorous attention, looks for mysteries, plays with ideas, and seeks connections in all he sees. Jack teaches techniques that make, observation, curiosity, and creative thinking a part of everyday life. Visit his website at johnmuirlaws.com.

Book preview

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This guide covers species found in National Parks and Forests throughout the Sierra Nevada—from Lassen in the North to Sequoia in the South.

These park and forest boundaries are also shown in the range maps.

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© 2007 by John Muir Laws

www.johnmuirlaws.com

All rights reserved. No portion of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from Heyday.

Starchart images made with Starry Night® Pro 5.0/Imaginova® Corp.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Laws, John Muir.

The Laws field guide to the Sierra Nevada / written and illustrated by John Muir Laws.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-1-59714-052-2 (pbk. : alk. paper)

  1. Natural history—Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.) I. Title.

QH104.5.S54L39 2006

508.794'4—dc22

200610180

Printed in China by Imago

Interior and Cover Design: John Muir Laws

On the cover: Milbert's Tortoiseshell, Black Bear, Mule Deer, Steller's Jay, Western Tanager, Spreading Phlox, Convergent Lady-Beetle, Pallid Bat, Alpine Chipmunk, Yosemite Toad, Red Coachwhip

Published by:

Heyday

P. O. Box 9145

Berkeley, California 9 4 7 0 9

[phone]

www.heydaybooks.com

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Dear Reader,

I have written and painted in the hope that this book will add new dimensions to your ramblings in the Sierra Nevada. I find that the more I see and understand, the more I enjoy and appreciate discoveries in nature. Becoming attuned to the richness of life and the complex and often amazing connections between species deepens our respect for and love of the Sierra. From this passion comes commitment to stewardship. Share your discoveries with others. There are few gifts as great as helping someone to learn the joy of exploring nature. By so doing, you help build a constituency for nature protection. By joining with regional nature study and conservation groups, you can link with like-minded people to help ensure that the beauty and diversity of nature we experience will be a heritage we can pass to the next generations.

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The Sierra is home to an astounding variety of species. Though identifying plants and animals is satisfying in itself, some people stop really looking at them once they identify them. Naming what you see is but one step in deciphering the Sierra s great diversity but is not the end in itself. This book is designed to help you quickly identify what you find so you can focus on the deeper activities of discovering more about the species through your own observations. Help yourself see more by asking questions. What is this plant or animal doing? What species is it interacting with? Have I seen this species before? In what habitat? In what ways did it look or behave differently? Why? Challenge yourself to learn as much as possible from every set of observations you make. Do not shy away from what you do not know but let your curiosity drive you to investigate further.

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Keep track of your observations in a nature journal to build a record of your discoveries and detect patterns that you would otherwise not notice. Do not worry about making pretty pictures. The goal is to record what you see and to help you look more carefully. Use your notes to compare and remember different locations, seasons, and insights. Always include the date, location, and weather.

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The California Academy of Sciences and Heyday Books are co-publishers of this guide. I want to express my deep appreciation to the scientists and staff of the California Academy of Sciences for their collegiality, advice, and encouragement. I have enjoyed unrestricted access to the Academy’s vast natural history collection against which to check the accuracy of my work. The oldest scientific institution in the West, the California Academy of Sciences was founded in 1853. Today it is one of the ten largest natural history museums in the world and an international research center. Scientists from around the world consult its scientists and its collections of plants, animals, fossils, and artifacts. It loans thousands of specimens annually to research institutions and scholars worldwide. Its education, special exhibits, and public programs in the Academy’s natural history museum, the Steinhart Aquarium, and the Morrison Planetarium provide unique opportunities for the public to discover the world in which we live.

Heyday Books, founded in 1974, specializes in high-quality, accessible books about California history, culture, natural history, and literature. I am grateful to Malcolm Margolin and to the staff of Heyday Books for their unfailing support and for the creative freedom that comes with working with Heyday Books.

I thank the extraordinary naturalist David Lukas for his friendship, extensive field work and review, Robert H. and Beatrice C. Laws, who helped create and edit the guide, and gave advice, love, and occasional dinners throughout the project, and my brother, James C. Laws, for his inspiration and advice.

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In creating this book, I consulted some of the best naturalists in the country, and was helped and encouraged by a community of supporters, advisors, editors, and friends, without whose help this volume would not be possible. Any errors in this book are my own. With deepest regret and apologies for the inevitable inadvertent omissions, I thank Dr. Frank Almeda, Tim and Pam Alpers, Susanne Altermann, Dr. Nassim Assefi, Peter Bonney, Dr. Richard Bottorff, Thomas Bowman, Roberta L. Brett, Evi Buckner, Kenneth Brower, Dr. Margaret G. Burke, Dr. Peter Busher, Mary Cantini, Julie Carville, David Catania, Ann Caudle, Bill and Robin Center, Willard M. Chin, Josiah Clark, Frank Cook, Leigh Davenport, Dr. Jean F. DeMouthe, Dr. Dennis Desjardin, Nancy DeStefanis, Janet Doell, Dr. Robert C. Drewes, Dr. John Dumbacher, Michael Ellis, Leo Fetzer, Dr. Brian L. Fisher, Maureen Flannery, Wilma Follette, Michael J. Friend, Dr. Peter Fritsch, Sylvia Ranney Gallagher, Jeffrey Goschen, Dr. Terrence M. Gosliner, Michael Graf, Dr. Harry W. Greene, Dr. Charles E. Griswold, Dr. John Hafernik, Dr. James Halfpenny, James and Coke Hallowell, Melanie Heisler, Cheryl Henley, Dr. David Herbst, Bill Hill, Maggie Hooper, Steve Howell, Dr. Tomio Iwamoto, Kristin Jakob, Jesper Jorgensen, Dr. David H. Kavanaugh, Jenny Keller, Clint Kellner, Dr. Roland Knapp, Dr. Patrick Kociolek, Jennifer Krauel, Dr. Tomas E. Kucera, Scott Larson, Larry Lavendel, Dr. Gretchen LeBuhn, Rebecca LeGates, Dr. Alan E. Leviton, Randolph S. Little, Dr. Douglas Long, Dr. Tim Manolis, Lisa K. Manwill, Dr. Joseph McBride, Mac McCormick, Dr. John McCosker, Mark McLaughlin, Steve Medley, Dr. Jeremy Miller, Joe Morlan, Harriet Moss, Dr. Peter B. Moyle, Moose Mutlow, Daniel Nicholson, Dr. Paul Opler, Vivian L. Parker, Dr. Jim Paruk, Dr. Robert Patterson, Dr. James L. Patton, Dr. John Pearse, Dr. Norm D. Penny, Dr. John Perrine, Boyd Poulsen, Marcy Protteau, Dr. Wojciech J. Pulawski, Peter Pyle, Kurt Rademacher, Allan Ridley, Judy Robertson, Dr. Peter D. Roopnarine, Ron Russo, Juanita D. Rynerson, Tom Santos, John-Austin Saviano, Dr. Arnold Schultz, Jere Schweikert, Doreen Smith, Marilyn Smulyan, Sharon and Jerry South, Richard Stallcup, Jim Steele, Christopher E. Stein, Dr. Scott Stine, Terry Sullivan, Dr. Joseph M. Szewczak, Dr. Carol Tang, Dr. Daniel Tom, Laurie Topinka, Darrell Ubick, Jens V. Vindum, Patricia Wakida, ErikWesterlund, Margriet Wetherwax, Simone Whitecloud, Karen Wiese, Dr. Alex Wild, Dale Wiley in memory of Steve Medley, David Wimpfheimer, Jeanne Wirka, Mike Wood, and Dr. Robert L. Zuparko.

I acknowledge with great thanks the help and support of the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, Alpers Owens River Ranch, Boy Scout Troop 14 of San Francisco, Bureau of Land Management, California Bat Conservation Fund, California Native Plant Society, FedEx Kinko’s, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Hi-Tec Sports USA, Imaginova Corp., Jepson Herbarium, L.J. and Mary C. Skaggs Foundation, MACadam Computer Inc., Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley, National Audubon Society, San Francisco State University and its Sierra Nevada Field Campus, Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Lab, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. National Park Service, UniSense Foundation, and the Yosemite Institute.

Yours in nature,

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Why You Should Love Mushrooms and Other Fungi

Although they are maligned, kicked, or avoided as toadstools, mushrooms come in a delightful array of colors and shapes and are critical components of Sierra ecosystems. Some fungi connect to the roots of most plants, supplying them with