Abstract

"Aschmann was a keen and impassioned observer of the impacts of modern societies on the natural world." -- Karl Butzer, Dickson Centennial Professor of Liberal Arts, University of Kansas, Austin In The Evolving Landscape Martin J. Pasqualetti brings together for the first time the collected writings of one of twentieth-century America's master geographers, Homer Aschmann. Combining encyclopedic knowledge with unquenchable curiosity, Aschmann radiates an obvious affection for being outdoors as he guides us across landscapes to discern the interplay of climate, history, topography, soils, and vegetation. In settings as diverse as Los Angeles, Baja California, Arizona, Paraguay, Chile, Colombia, and the Canary Islands, Aschmann demonstrates the contribution a geographer can make in explaining environmental change. "Aschmann was a master of the geographical art." -- William M. Denevan, Carl O. Sauer Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin, Madison "Serious students of the landscape will be startled by how relevant and contemporary these seminal essays remain." -- Richard Francaviglia, Director, Center for Greater Southwestern Studies and the History of Cartography, University of Texas at Arlington "Aschmann's broad perspectives are a fast disappearing form of Geography which we lose at our science's peril." -- Carl L. Johannessen, Professor of Geography, University of Oregon.