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The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History

By Justin Garwood and Michael Kauffmann

The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History
September 2022
  • Publisher: Backcountry Press
  • Editor: Michael Kauffmann, Justin Garwood
  • Edition: First
  • Available in: Hardcover, PDF
  • ISBN: 978-1-941624-09-8
  • Available: September 1, 2022
Preorder + FREE eBookPreorder + FREE eBook + Weekend campout on the Smith River with authors
September 2022 Arrival

This book celebrates the natural history of the Klamath Mountains of northwest California and southwest Oregon through stories of diversity and resilience over deep time.

Shaped by geology, these mountains form an ancient jigsaw puzzle and topographic mosaic dissected by big-shouldered river canyons and sharp ridgelines that create localized climatic gradients. Within the geomorphic province, the rocks are much older than in surrounding regions. This dichotomy has allowed many distinct evolutionary lineages of plants and animals to adapt, survive, and sometimes speciate where elsewhere they became extirpated long ago.

The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History

  • Describes and documents one of the most biodiverse temperate mountain ranges on Earth. 
  • The first comprehensive Natural History written for this region.
  • 34 contributing authors–all experts in their fields.
  • Chapters including Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Plant Communities, First Peoples, Geology, Climate, Fire Ecology, and much more. 
  • Full color, rich illustrations, and well-curated photographs bring 496 pages to life!

Table of Contents

  1. Prologue • David Rains Wallace
  2. Klamath as a Teacher • Keith Parker, Matt Johnson, Dawn Blake, & Charley Reed
  3. First Peoples • Frank Lake
  4. Western Science Arrives • Jim Agee
  5. Geology • Mark Bailey
  6. Climate • Rosemary Sherriff, Justin Garwood, & Michael Kauffmann
  7. Water • Tim Palmer & Justin Garwood
  8. Fire Ecology • Jeffrey Kane
  9. Cryptogams • Michael Kauffmann, Jordan Mayor, Dana York, Tom Carlberg, Eric Peterson, and Lucy Kerhoulas
  10. Plant Communities •  Michael Kauffmann, Julie Evens, Julie Kierstead, Michael Murray
  11. Forest Pests • Chris Lee
  12. Invertebrates • Michael Kauffmann, Justin Garwood, Len Mazur, Brian Dykstra, Rod Crawford, Dana Ross, and Paul Hammond
  13. Vertebrates
    • Fishes • Justin Garwood & Andrew P. Kinziger
    • Amphibians • Justin Garwood
    • Reptiles • Chris Feldman & Justin Garwood
    • Birds • Greg Grey, Michael Kauffmann, Dan Barton, & Tiana Williams-Claussen
    • Mammals • Karen Reiss, Michael Kauffmann, and Chris Feldman
  14. Change and Stewardship

Book Resources and More

In praise of The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History

I am deeply impressed by this book, which has all of the virtues of an old-fashioned ecological aspection, but so much more as well. I have never before seen published such a complete portrait of an entire region’s biota, in the full context of its physical setting, by such a knowledgeable collection of authors. And what a region! The Klamath Mountains are unlike any others for their diversity and complex geological and evolutionary origins, and this is just the book to do them justice. A stunning accomplishment, and a phenomenal resource for all naturalists. –Robert Michael Pyle, Ph.D., author of Wintergreen, Nature Matrix, and The Butterflies of Cascadia

Hallelujah! Far too long ignored in favor of the Sierra Nevada, the richly diverse Klamath Mountains are at last the subject of a thorough and beautifully illustrated guide to their natural history, Indigenous history, and conservation and management concerns, assembled by a team of the region’s leading experts. This much-needed contribution will guide exploration and appreciation of the Klamaths for many years to come. –Susan Harrison, professor of ecology at the University of California, Davis

We need more natural histories of this level of detail in California and everywhere else. –Ken-ichi Ueda, co-founder of iNaturalist

A truly impressive collaborative effort, this book is a treasure trove of useful information for all who wish to learn more about the unique and fascinating Klamath bioregion. –Stephen C. Sillett, Kenneth L. Fisher Chair in Redwood Forest Ecology at Cal Poly Humboldt

The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History is a beautifully written guide to the intricate world of nature in all her fascinating facets, beckoning us to get reacquainted with her treasures through spending many hours in the field. But this is no ordinary guide. It teaches us that to love the land as naturalists is not enough. Indigenous voices are prominent, reminding us that these same plants and animals, mosses and mushrooms, are intimately tied to Native livelihoods and spiritual life—composing local cuisines, medicinal formulas, myths, stories, and songs. Indigenous people are our foremost naturalists, but they offer us a more unifying concept of the human place in the natural world by demonstrating gathering, fishing, and stewardship practices that have maintained the renewal capacity of plants and ecosystems for eons. Here are modes of cooperation with nature that we can all learn from. It is these sophisticated and complex set of relationships beyond industrial forestry and agriculture that have the potential to create a new vision of human-nature interactions that can heal our planet, build cultures of place, and honor the ancestral roots of each of us. –M. Kat Anderson, Author of Tending the Wild, Department of Plant Sciences, UC Davis

­­­­­­­­­­­­Every map, every table, every figure and beautiful photograph guide you on an unforgettable journey through the wonderful natural history of the magical Klamath Mountains. –Matt Ritter, Author of A Californian’s Guide to the Trees Among Us

At last, a comprehensive and beautifully written natural history of this vital and significant region. The Klamath Mountains brings human history, climate, wildlife, geology, and biology together, all told from the perspective of a diverse and enlightened roster of experts. This is an absolutely necessary book for understanding the world we inhabit, and it’s a model for how natural histories should be written. It’s educational, entertaining, and thought-provoking, and will serve as the definitive reference for years to come. –Amy Stewart, New York Times bestselling author

The editors have assembled an all-star cast of biologists, ecologists, and practitioners that develops a complete picture of this region’s amazing diversity and caters to the nature nerd inside us all. This book is an excellent companion for anyone seeking to explore the ancient forests of the Klamath region. It gives readers the means to fully understand the context of the natural history – from the connection to its First Peoples, to geology and climate – and promotes the important notion that this special landscape needs stewards and advocates. –Chandra LeGue, author of Oregon’s Ancient Forests: A hiking guide

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History will be seen as one of the great natural history works of western North America. –Reed Noss, Ph.D., Conservation Biologist and Author


Tagged with: Klamath Mountains, Natural History