The Flora of Berkshire Including those Parts of modern Oxfordshire that lie to the South of the River Thames

About this book

This comprehensive and timely work by one of Britain's leading plant ecologists is the first of its kind with a dedicated, regularly updated website with distribution maps and computerized indexes. All vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens and non-lichenized fungi found locally are described, with tips on their easy identification, as well as information on the spatial scales of their distribution. The best local walks to find particularly species are also covered, with anecdotes on local history and architecture. The book provides a unique view of the region's flora set in the context of the landscape and regional history, with special mention of the importance of conserving rare and endangered species. The many colour plates show plants within their habitats, natural and urban, in all seasons, along with sites of historical interest.

Includes chapters on the geology of the region; Silwood Park and its history; and a Gazetteer of Berkshire place names.

Well researched and full of detail, this book is indispensable for those interested in Berkshire. As the author says in the preface: "I have tried to produce the book that I should have liked to own when I first moved to Berkshire in 1971".

Contents

Preface Introduction Physical Background Plant Communities of Berkshire Silwood Park and its History Analysis of Patterns and Trends in the Flora of Berkshire Vascular Plants Charophytes Liverworts, Hornworts and Mosses Lichens Fungi Gazetter of Berkshire Place names Bibliography

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Biography

Mick Crawley was born in Northumbria in 1949 and grew up there. He read ecology at Edinburgh University (1967-70) and studied for a PhD at Imperial College, Silwood Park (1971-73). His first job was Lecturer in Ecology at the University of Bradford, teaching mainly statistics, computing and experimental design (1973-79). He returned to Imperial College at Silwood Park as Lecturer in Entomology (1979-94). He was awarded the Chair in Plant ecology at Imperial College in 1994 and was elected to the Royal Society in 2002 for his research on plant-herbivore dynamics.