About the book
Along a tiny spring in a narrow canyon near Death Valley, seemingly against all odds, an Inyo Mountain slender salamander makes its home. “The desert,” writes conservation biologist Christopher Norment, “is defined by the absence of water, and yet in the desert there is water enough, if you live properly.” Relicts of a Beautiful Sea explores the existence of rare, unexpected, and sublime desert creatures such as the black toad and four pupfishes unique to the desert West. All are anomalies: amphibians and fish, dependent upon aquatic habitats, yet living in one of the driest places on earth, where precipitation averages less than four inches per year. In this climate of extremes, beset by conflicts over water rights, each species illustrates the work of natural selection and the importance of conservation. This is also a story of persistence — for as much as ten million years — amid the changing landscape of western North America. By telling the story of these creatures, Norment illustrates the beauty of evolution and explores ethical and practical issues of conservation: what is a four-inch-long salamander worth, hidden away in the heat-blasted canyons of the Inyo Mountains, and what would the cost of its extinction be? What is any lonely and besieged species worth, and why should we care?
Editions of Relicts of a Beautiful Sea
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469618661
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469668789
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890846891
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469619835
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890846907
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469618678
Read an Excerpt
Along a tiny spring in a narrow canyon near Death Valley, seemingly against all odds, an Inyo Mountain slender salamander makes its home. “The desert,” writes conservation biologist Christopher Norment, “is defined by the absence of water, and yet in the desert there is water enough, if you live properly.” Relicts of a Beautiful Sea explores the existence of rare, unexpected, and sublime desert creatures such as the black toad and four pupfishes unique to the desert West. All are anomalies: amphibians and fish, dependent upon aquatic habitats, yet living in one of the driest places on earth, where precipitation averages less than four inches per year. In this climate of extremes, beset by conflicts over water rights, each species illustrates the work of natural selection and the importance of conservation. This is also a story of persistence — for as much as ten million years — amid the changing landscape of western North America. By telling the story of these creatures, Norment illustrates the beauty of evolution and explores ethical and practical issues of conservation: what is a four-inch-long salamander worth, hidden away in the heat-blasted canyons of the Inyo Mountains, and what would the cost of its extinction be? What is any lonely and besieged species worth, and why should we care?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Relicts of a Beautiful Sea about?
Along a tiny spring in a narrow canyon near Death Valley, seemingly against all odds, an Inyo Mountain slender salamander makes its home. “The desert,” writes conservation biologist Christopher Norment, “is defined by the absence of water, and yet in the desert there is water enough, if you live properly.” Relicts of a Beautiful Sea explores the existence of rare, unexpected, and sublime desert creatures such as the black toad and four pupfishes unique to the desert West. All are anomalies: amphibians and fish, dependent upon aquatic habitats, yet living in one of the driest places on earth, where precipitation averages less than four inches per year. In this climate of extremes, beset by conflicts over water rights, each species illustrates the work of natural selection and the importance of conservation. This is also a story of persistence — for as much as ten million years — amid the changing landscape of western North America. By telling the story of these creatures, Norment illustrates the beauty of evolution and explores ethical and practical issues of conservation: what is a four-inch-long salamander worth, hidden away in the heat-blasted canyons of the Inyo Mountains, and what would the cost of its extinction be? What is any lonely and besieged species worth, and why should we care?
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Relicts of a Beautiful Sea?
Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure > Nature and the natural world: general interest > Wildlife: general interest > Wildlife: reptiles and amphibians: general interest
Where can I read a sample of Relicts of a Beautiful Sea?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469618661
How long is Relicts of a Beautiful Sea and how many pages does it have?
Relicts of a Beautiful Sea has 288 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Relicts of a Beautiful Sea?
Christopher Norment
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Relicts of a Beautiful Sea is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469618661) and paperback(ISBN 9781469668789) and ebook(ISBN 9798890846891) and ebook(ISBN 9781469619835) and ebook(ISBN 9798890846907) and ebook(ISBN 9781469618678)
Where can I buy Relicts of a Beautiful Sea online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Relicts of a Beautiful Sea from below
Where can I buy Relicts of a Beautiful Sea?