I’m a senior studying wildlife ecology & conservation, and I’m trying to build up a collection of good quality field guides and textbooks! I’m particularly interested in mammals and plants. I’m generally looking for some with good images or illustrations, scientific names, or books involving skull identification. I’m from the west coast, so any specifically for california, nevada, oregon or washington would be so helpful!
Welcome to the Forum!
I suggest checking with the university press of the major agricultural universities in those states.
I’m in Michigan, so my best sources have been both University of Michigan and Michigan State.
Welcome, @jme!
My go-to for mammals is the 2006 (4th) edition of Peterson’s Field Guide to Mammals of North America., by Fiona A. Reid, Houghton-Mifflin Co. It’s comprehensive and includes photos of skulls. While hefty at 580 pages, it’s still light enough to put in a day-pack if you’re in the field.
For plants, I use Plants of the Western Forest: Alaska to Minnesota, Boreal and Aspen Parkland, by Derek Johnson, et. al, 2017, Partners Publishing and Lone Pine Media Productions. This is a Canadian publication but good for the Pacific Northwest and much of Alaska. It covers trees, shrubs, wildflowers, graminoids, ferns, mosses/ liverworts, and lichens. Which sounds like a lot but I think the info is very good for first-order identification.
Print field guides may be old school, but if you’re in the field and off the grid, they’re all you’ve got!
Happy hunting. I’m always thrilled to hear of students going into wildlife ecology and conservation – we need you!
For plants:
Flora of the Pacific Northwest 2nd edition, C. Leo Hitchcock and Arthur Cronquist
A lighter read: Plants of the Pacific Northwest coast : Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska, Pojar & MacKinnon
The classic: The Jepson Manual: Vascular Plants of California,
although nowadays the website and apps are very good
Recognizing Plant Families of the West:
https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2022-01/BLMCO.Plant_.ID_.Guide_.2021_508.pdf
Can also be ordered as a spiral bound book
I can give you specifics if you are looking for field guides on mosses and liverworts
Animals:
https://www.acornnaturalists.com/animal-skulls-a-guide-to-north-american-species.html
https://archive.org/details/peterson-field-guide-animal-tracks/page/n17/mode/2up