Author Description

Olympic National Park, the largest old-growth forest preserve in the world, has been named a Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site by Unesco. The Olympic Mountains that dominate the park modify weather patterns dramatically, creating a complex diversity of microclimates and habitats. Rain forests that have more than 160 inches of annual precipitation lie less than fifty miles from near-desert valleys that have less than 20 inches of annual precipitation. The varied ecosystems support an extraordinary variety of wildlife and plant life, including many species found nowhere else on earth. Like the other volumes in this series, Olympic National Park combines a readable narrative, authoritative reference material, and exceptional photographs to create a concise, vivid portrait of the natural history of one of the world's most remarkable places.