Oikos

Oikos: Ecology of Northern New Mexico is the fruit of the author’s nearly three decades of wildlife service in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. In it, Steve Tapia—nature columnist for The Taos News and veteran wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife and the U.S. Forest Services—shares his knowledge, wit, and experience of local ecology. Ecology studies the relations of living things to their environments and to each other. This book explores the wildlife, botany, landscapes, and ecosystems of Taos and Northern New Mexico. The author’s frequent refrain: “Ain’t nature grand?!” sums up Steve’s awe and reverence for our home, Earth, and his hometown of Taos. Reading Oikos: Ecology of Northern New Mexico, you cannot fail to be moved by the grandeur of nature and its workings. You may be inspired to become a better steward of the home we share with so many species—animal and plant. Before you know it, you might catch the ecology-buzz, too, and find yourself whistling, “Ain’t nature grand?!”   3