UA News

Choice Magazine cites "Aridland Springs in North America," from the UA Press, as a "must read" for anyone interested in the future of water in the western U.S.

"Aridland Springs in North America: Ecology and Conservation," edited by Lawrence E. Stevens and Vicky J.Meretsky and published by the University of Arizona Press, has been selected for inclusion in Choice Magazine's Outstanding Academic Titles list. This annual list honors the most significant print and electronic works reviewed by Choice during the previous calendar year.

Comprising less than 3 percent of the more than 25,000 titles submitted to the magazine for review, Outstanding Academic Titles are singled out for their overall excellence in presentation and scholarship, importance in building undergraduate library collections and distinction as a first treatment of a given subject.

Choice Magazine called "Aridland Springs in North America" a "must read for all who are interested in the oases or the future of water in western states." In this important volume, editors Stevens and Meretsky have assembled chapters from numerous and diverse experts from the fields of geology, hydrology, geomorphology, water quality, ecosystem dynamics, water law and conservation biology.

Through analyses and case studies, these contributors provide an in-depth overview of these topics and address issues critical for improving the knowledge and conservation of springs.

This volume goes beyond examining the ecological importance of aridland springs to provide practical and productive ideas for their preservation. The authors facilitate future research by cultivating a language with which to collectively describe and study springs ecosystems, creating the beginnings of a comprehensive springs classification system. The book's publication could not be more timely, as groundwater depletion throughout the continent is rapidly decimating these vital sources of life.

"Aridland Springs in North America" is part of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Studies in Natural History series. Edited by Richard C. Brusca, Thomas R. Van Devender and Mark A. Dimmitt, this series brings together regionally and nationally recognized experts on desert ecology, geology, environmental history and conservation to explore various issues fundamental to the Sonoran Desert¹s natural history, human history and protection.