The California Deserts: An Ecological Rediscovery (review)

The California Deserts: An Ecological Rediscovery is an in-depth study of the three deserts—the Great Basin, Mojave and Sonoran—that together make up the California desert bioregion. The book comprehensively examines the geography, geology, climate, soil and waters in the three deserts and maps the historical evolution of this bioregion's ecology. Core to the discussion is the understanding of ecology as "community"—a system of interactions and interdependencies between physical features/ conditions, plants and animals. This approach to the ecological system as a community makes a useful intervention toward studying the region's biodiversity and specificity; this has implications for understanding the region as a cultural landscape as well. The text enjoys a rich range of primary sources that provide insight into distinct experiences, narratives and understandings of the desert landscapes. Some of the most striking accounts include those of early explorers such as John C. Fremont and Los Angeles Times reporter John Lummis. The text itself begins with a compelling introduction, "The Lost Basket," which uses the object of a native Indian basket to weave varied temporalities, first in the hands of its native Indian users in

the 19th century, and later through its discovery by botanist Mary DeDecker in the 20th century. Quotations from desert philosopher John Van Dyke are carefully interwoven to suggest how the desert landscape is at once harsh and filled with solace. This is one of Van Dyke's succinct comments:

Not in vain these wastes of sand. And this time not because they develop character in desert life, but simply because they are beautiful in themselves and good to look upon whether they be life or death

(p. 56).

The study of American wilderness in anthropology, American and cultural studies builds a consciousness of colonial exploits and their impacts on native peoples. Bruce Pavlik skillfully negotiates through this, contextualizing a spread of data and accounts. The ecological and cultural diversity of the California desert landscapes is historicized, and this posits culture and ecology as interactive and coextensive with each other. Both are living, fragile and versatile categories. This understanding is crucial, because in the occupation with colonial and consumerist exploitation of cultural landscapes, cultures can often be reified as fixed and determinate categories. Pavlik's focus on how ecology and culture interact factors in the elements of contingency and indeterminacy in the constitution of cultural landscapes. The desert landscape is posited as vernacular, layered, and each encounter with it is validated within a wider discourse of rediscovery that is the basis of Pavlik's study. He states:

Perhaps exploration, exploitation, and understanding are necessary before we can cherish a land. When a society is newly immersed in wilderness, the bravery and cruelty of the pioneer, the necessary emphasis on survival and the strong focus required for scientific inquiry simply forestall contemplation and artistic rediscovery. In California, the final rediscovery began when it was clear that the deserts had been subdued by roads, railroads, and reservations and welcome for all to come

(p. 54).

The concluding section of the text examines current threats to the California desert bioregion. These include human incursion, introduction of non-native species and depletion of resources, including water. Though concerned about how the desert landscape can be overwhelmed, Pavlik is not pessimistic as he asserts that deserts are self-healing.

Studies of disturbance, population dynamics, and succession tell us that species have an intrinsic ability to recover and communities to recuperate. Processes of dispersal, colonization, soil formation, and vegetation development impart resilience to biological systems that allows persistence

(p. 296).

Bringing together dimensions of ecological study, this book presents an interdisciplinarity necessary for the study of cultural landscapes. Its empirically informed and conversational writing style is complemented with a spread of illustrations and images that enhance the reading experience. References are usefully divided according to the chapters and sections of the manuscript.