Algarve Plants and Landscapes

This book is written for all who wish to know something of the plants, both wild and cultivated, in Portugal’s southernmost province, and how these plants relate to the varied landscape. The approach takes into account the agriculture and other land uses of the area and the system by which so much of the characteristic scenery is maintained, as well as the native plants in both town and country. The text is illustrated with photographs in colour and black and white and line drawings of plants, almost all drawn from living material, and with reproductions of 19th century aquatints. The physical background to the countryside is discussed in terms of geology and climate as well as hydrology and human geography. The ecology of the region is then considered zone by zone, from maritime to montane, farming, and other rural industries. The book ends with a consideration of urban planting. In conclusion an attempt is made to set the Algarve in an historical context, with some thoughts on its future.