Vanishing River Volume 2: Agricultural, Subsistence, and Environmental Studies: Part 1: Chapters 1-3

The environmental summary presented in Volume 2 forms a backdrop for examining the settlement and subsistence history and dynamics of the lower Verde region (see Volume 4). Because of its geographically and culturally transitional position between major culture areas, the Verde River valley has remained an archaeological and historical enigma. The same can be said with regard to environmental information, for the valley has been less intensively studied than other areas of central Arizona, and some categories of environmental data are lacking completely. During the course of the LVAP, however, a substantial body of environmental data has been compiled. Volume 2, Chapter 1 presents data on geology, physiography, hydrology, and climate. The chapter also includes a summary of flora and fauna, along with discussions of paleoenvironmental conditions and prehistoric and historical impacts. Chapter 2 furnishes detailed information on alluvial geomorphology and geoarchaeology, while Chapter 3 presents data on contemporary plant ecology and ethnobotany.