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This is a very nice little book but.I did not see anything in the original discription that identified the trees listed as being east of the Rocky Mountains. I live in New Mexico, which is high desert and part of the Rockies. According to the book there is one that is for this area, only the one I received is not it.
I use this tree i.d. guide with my middle school students. It is VERY SELF EXPLANATORY when utilizing these for the teaching dichotomous keys. The price is right which adds to its value for teachers.
The more comprehensive books are OK, but they're always back at the house when I need them or in the way as I walk through the woods & want to take a picture. You won't find hybrids, some imports (garden) trees, but it packs in over 100 common trees & can lead anyone into a quick, accurate identification with very little practice. For such a small book, it packs a lot of trees into it - Eastern North America only. Not this book.I have several tree ID books & keep thinking I'll outgrow this one, but I haven't yet & I've been using it for a couple of years on a pretty regular basis. It's small enough to fit into a back pocket without a bulge, which means I'm more likely to have it with me when I want it. That's the biggest plus. Often I'll think I've found a tree that won't be in it, but there it is. It's been so worthwhile that I got a second copy to keep in the truck.
* It includes a half page to a 1.5 page description of most species. * It only contains 161 species. This seems like a lot, but I have run into interesting varieties in my neighborhood such as the Chinaberry, Chinese tallow tree, Chinese parasol tree, or Shumard Oak. Martin's Press)~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pros: * Very nice multicolor drawings. For example, it has 40 species of Oak compared with the "Illustrated Book of Trees", which has 38 species of Oak but only 250 species total. In fact, it only has 21 oak varieties, whereas the "Illustrated Book of Trees" has 38.
* The only sycamores it describes are the American and the London plane tree. Tree Finder: A Manual for the Identification of Trees by Their Leaves (Nature Study Guides)~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pros: * 4"x6" 62 page pamphlet easily fits in a pocket. * This is the only one that a 10 or 11 year old child might enjoy using to identify trees, although it can still be difficult.~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cons: * Once you identify the tree, all you get is the name. (I have not tried to identify a tree without its leaves, though). I was surprised that the "Tree Finder" was able to identify willow oak, although I didn't actually try that until after I had identified the tree, since I had given up on the "Tree Finder". * It is organized like a choose-your-own-adventure book, so it will ask you questions, and show you some small drawings explaining the question. This is really a review of three books simultaneously, because I bought them all at the same time. * The drawings are in black and white.
* Provides a good size paragraph of description of most species. If I want to see a pretty picture of a tree for which I know the name, I'll just google it.3. * It only helps you identify trees if their leaves have not fallen.~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: I gave up on this book pretty quickly, when I failed to identify some trees exactly.2. The Illustrated Book of Trees: The Comprehensive Field Guide to More Than 250 Trees of Eastern North America~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pros: * It includes a tree identification guide for both summer and winter characteristics. This is especially helpful for understanding the different parts of a bud, or for identifying fruits or flowers.
* Drawings are only in one shade of green and black. The drawings next to the questions is probably the best part of the book, since it can be confusing if you don't know what it means for a leaf to be lobed. * The description of each species is helpful, but could be bigger.~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Since I am mainly interested in identifying trees, I haven't used this book much at all. * It contains over 250 species, which has been quite useful.~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cons: * This is the hardest book to read. That is approximately 250-750 words compared to the approximate 100 words per description in "Trees of North America". Trees of North America: A Guide to Field Identification, Revised and Updated (Golden Field Guide from St.
It does include some odd items like the Saguaro cactus, so it might have a lot of items that aren't typically thought of as trees.~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cons: * It won't help you identify a tree quickly. This isn't that bad for leaves, but it is very hard to understand the representation of twigs and their leaf scars. I couldn't figure out which one to get, because they all had good reviews, but they have very different features.1. Fortunately, it has a glossary. I was constantly be looking up words like glabrous, lanceolate, falcate, and root suckering. * The tree identification guide is not always as helpful for large family or genus.
* I think most children would prefer the pretty pictures in "Trees of North America" over the content in this book. * The index listed the Chinese tallowtree, but when you go to that page you just see the Chinaberry. The book doesn't tell you anything about its flowers, fruit, lifespan, etc. * I was not able to use it to identify a tree as a willow oak. * 730 species covered, although this number seems misleading. You would have to read the whole book until you found the one that matched.
For example, it will tell you that the tree is an oak, and then you have to look through 38 descriptions of different oaks. The "Trees of North America" includes the California, Arizona, and Oriental sycamores.~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: This book is more usefull than the other two combined, although it can be frustrating nonetheless.All three books leave out useful information such as how fast a tree grows or how acidic or alkaline the soil can be.
I was initially disappointed when I got Tree Finder. This is the book to have in your back pocket when you are taking a hike in the woods. It was sooo small. Then I learned how to read it and realized what a real find it was. I really wanted it to identify leaves, and it does that just as well as helping identify the trees themselves. This is a real bargain.
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