Description
Book SynopsisA collection of essays on the ecology, biodiversity, and restoration of the Texas Hill Country.
Trade ReviewHillis brings encyclopedic scientific knowledge to the task of explaining the Hill Country’s 'natural wealth.' He doesn’t allow scientific jargon or Latin taxonomy to muddy his prose, however. Using plain, understandable language, he paints accessible portraits of the land he’s spent a lifetime walking and exploring...He dissects the region with both practiced ease and great authority, tapping his wisdom as a scientist, as a scholar and as a lover of nature. Reading the book feels much like perusing a personal journal that captures a lifetime of experiences...
Armadillos to Ziziphus is one of those books that can be read in one sitting or used as a go-to compendium, whereby the reader looks up something sparked by a curious moment. * San Antonio Report *
[A] charming new primer on the region's environment. * Austin Monthly *
This book is intensely delightful...Hillis writes short, entertaining essays on nature...Hillis writes in a fluid, open, sometimes awed manner, primed for enjoyment by the reasonably curious reader. * Austin American-Statesman *
One of the most practical and pleasing new Texas books of 2023. . . I will read these incandescent essays . . . again and again. * Austin American-Statesman *
[Hillis]'s decades of personal and professional experience in the region are evident in the text . . . [
Armadillos to Ziziphus] will be of great interest to naturalists and scholars as well as general readers interested in developing their ecological knowledge of this region, and could serve as an informative prerequisite for environmental tours or individual outdoor enthusiasts planning a visit to the area. * Choice *
[
Armadillos to Ziziphus] lovingly catalogs the region’s environmental components, making seemingly familiar features new. More important, Hillis offers practicable pathways toward not only safeguarding the region’s endangered environments but also repairing and rejuvenating them...The succinct essays are packed with information, and Hillis’s writing style balances scientific precision with conversational ease. It is a wonderful addition not only to the environmental writing on Texas but also to environmentalist activism in Texas. * H-Net Reviews *
I go back to these elegant, accessible essays again and again. There's just something so appealing about an accomplished scientist such as David M. Hillis, who can speak and write in way that's open to just about everybody, including the neighbors of his ranch in Mason County. Chief of the Biodiversity Center at the University of Texas, he explains the interplay of the elements in transparent prose in
Armadillos to Ziziphus: A Naturalist in the Texas Hill Country (University of Texas Press). If I owned a Hill Country cabin, this book would be waiting to delight and inform every guest. -- Michael Barnes * Austin-American Statesman *
Table of Contents
- Foreword by Harry W. Greene
- Preface
- I. The Texas Hill Country: A Naturalist’s Paradise
- 1. Geological Setting of the Edwards Plateau
- 2. From Acid Sands to Alkaline Clays
- 3. Hill Country Weather: Droughts, Floods, and Severe Storms
- 4. Some Texas Icons Haven’t Been Here All That Long
- 5. Hill Country Endemics
- 6. What Is the Value of Biodiversity?
- II. The Seasonal Life of a Vernal Pool
- 7. Tilting at Tiny Windmills
- 8. Crustacean Wonders
- 9. The Fascinating Flora of Vernal Pools
- 10. Those Who Live in Glass Houses
- 11. A Season of Symphonies
- 12. What Happened to All Our Frogs?
- III. Flowing Waters: Aquifers, Caves, Springs, and Rivers
- 13. Life without Light
- 14. Lanterns of Summer
- 15. Musings about Mussels
- 16. The Last Wild River
- IV. Life of a Grassland
- 17. Why Do Some Grasses Grow in the Winter, but Others in the Summer?
- 18. Butterflies, Hummingbirds, and Other Pollinators
- 19. The Noble Life of a Dung-Roller
- 20. Where Have All the Quail Gone?
- 21. Grasshoppers, Locusts, and Plagues
- 22. The History of Texas Cattle Written in Their DNA
- V. In the Woodlands and Brushlands
- 23. Containing and Preventing Oak Wilt
- 24. The Challenges of Being an Oak Tree in the Hill Country
- 25. How Do Trees Sense When It Is Time to Leaf Out and Bloom?
- 26. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of Trees
- 27. Spring Is Here, and So Are the Snakes
- 28. Songs of the Summer Dog Days
- 29. Going Batty
- 30. Deer Densities on the Edwards Plateau
- 31. Bucks in Velvet
- 32. The Future of Hill Country Deer Populations
- 33. The Carbon Cycle and How It Affects Our Daily Lives
- VI. Backyard Biology
- 34. The Remarkable Life of Hummingbirds
- 35. Ways to Attract and Increase Bird Populations
- 36. The Unexpected Beauty and Diversity of Lichens
- 37. There Is More to Mistletoe than Kissing
- 38. The Ups and Downs of Ants
- 39. A Pattern in the Web
- 40. Caterpillar Plagues and Their Connection to the Weather
- 41. Predators and Second Chances
- VII. Climatic Adaptations
- 42. Toadally Cool
- 43. The Surprising Life Cycle of a Monarch Butterfly
- 44. How Do Animals Survive the Winter? Part 1: Migrating
- 45. How Do Animals Survive the Winter? Part 2: Keeping Warm and Active
- 46. How Do Animals (and Plants) Survive the Winter? Part 3: Waiting Out the Cold
- VIII. Restoration and the Future of the Hill Country’s Natural Resources
- 47. The Restoration and Benefits of Native Grasses
- 48. The Pros and Cons of Brush Control
- 49. Recovery of a Texas Icon: The Texas Horned Lizard
- 50. Avoiding the Dangers of Lead Poisoning in Game Meat
- 51. Our Climate Future in Central Texas
- 52. If the Earth Is Warming, Why Did We Just Have a Record Cold Snap?
- 53. Practical, Painless, and Significant Solutions to Climate Change
- 54. Six Resolutions for Supporting Native Plants and Animals
- Index
