About the Atlas

The "Atlas of the Biodiversity of California" is a fascinating guide to the state's biological resources. This book is a bound collection of maps, stunning photographs, and artistic illustrations that detail the Golden State's biological resources and covers a wide array of terrestrial and aquatic animals.

Wildlife Illustrations in the Atlas

Why we picked them.
Our photograph and illustration editor provides background on why we chose the illustrations that appear in the Atlas.

Read the first article about the Solano grass (Tuctoria mucronata) illustration.

Sample Pages from The Atlas

View example pages from the Atlas including our table of contents. With these you can have a sneak-peak of what you will find inside our book.

Interpreting the Rarity Hotspot Maps

Department biologist Kevin Hunting explains how our rarity hotspot maps were created and how best to interpret them.

Sierra Nevada Climate

A case for a cold-winter Mediterranean?
California's Sierran Climate is "Mediterranean" in almost every respect except that winters are too cold and it snows. Read more about this climate and where else it is found in the world.