Language: Spanish
A field guide to plants whose purpose is to facilitate their identification for students and enthusiasts. It is essentially a dichotomous key reinforced by a large collection of photographs, thus avoiding the use of highly specialized technical terminology. 692 species are illustrated, out of a total of 809 mentioned in the text. With these figures, Plantas Silvestres de Madrid aims to cover most of the vascular plants found in an area of Madrid extending from the foothills of the mountain sierra to the plains of the Jarama river valley, many of which are common throughout the Iberian Peninsula. The book provides an engaging instrument for helping to learn about and enjoy the plants that surround us.
Eduardo de Juana is a biologist and was for many years Professor of Zoology at Madrid’s Universidad Complutense. His career has centred mainly on the study of bird conservation, and he has authored or co-authored numerous scientific and popular articles and also books, which include Atlas ornitológico de La Rioja (1980) (Ornithological Atlas of La Rioja), Guía de las Aves de España (2000) (Guide to the Birds of Spain), Aves Raras de España (2006) (Rare Birds of Spain) and The Birds of the Iberian Peninsula (2015). A regular contributor, since the first volume, to the Handbook of the Birds of the World (1992-2014), he has also been one of the editors of the online version, HBW Alive.
In the field of conservation, he has committed himself to the development of the Sociedad Española de Ornitología (SEO/Birdlife), joining the organization’s board in 1976, and subsequently occupying the roles of Vice President, General Secretary (1990-1998) and finally President (until 2014). He was a director of the Consejo Internacional para la Preservación de las Aves (now Birdlife International) and is a member of the Comité Ornitológico Internacional (International Ornithological Committee). In 2002 he was awarded the RSPB medal by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. In recent years he has spent his retirement travelling the world in quest of birds and nature, becoming increasingly interested in plants, and has recently published Plantas Silvestres de Madrid (2019) (Wild Plants of Madrid).