REVIEW IndicatorPlantsofCoastalBritishColumbia. ByK.Klinka,V.J.Krajina,A.Ceska, and A. M. Scagel. 1989. University ofBritish Columbia Press, Vancouver, British Columbia,ix+ 288pages,diagrams, 183p.p.ofcolorphotographs,references,tables, species index. ISBN 0-7748-0321-5. Thisbeautifulbookiswrittenforforesters,byforesters. Itisalsoanexcellentfield manual for botanists in general and plant ecologists in particular. A short, succinct introductory chapter on "Concepts and methods related to indicator plants" leads into the next chapter on "Site attributes and indicator species". Plant indicators of the different climates found in coastal British Columbia, of soil moisture levels, available soil N, and soil surface materials (mull, mor, mineral, coarse rock, and surfacewater)arelisted.Thatis,fortheforestecosystemsofcoastalBritishColumbia theauthorssetuptheequationVegetation = f(Environment),where"Vegetation"is qualitativelydefined by individual species composition and the Environment is de- fined by a combination ofclimate and soil factors. Unfortunatelyeventhemostelaborateexperimentalandstatisticalmanipulations plantecologistshavesofarconceivedworldwidearelimitedtoatinysegmentofthis general equation—on both sides ofthe equal sign. But this is hardly news to plant ecologists. Thegoodnewsisthatwenowhaveanecologicalguidebasedonaverybroadand verydeepfieldacquaintancewithamostinterestingforestedareaofNorthAmerica. The guide needs testing, broadening, deepening, imitation. A short, ecological site description foreach ofthe 729 color-illustrated species of vascular plants, lichens, liverworts, and mosses accompanies each photograph. The descriptionissuccinct, accurate,andamazinglycomplete. Theselectedspeciescover a very wide range of habitats—from Lysichitum americanum on the wet side to Agropyron spicatum on the dry, from Stellaria crispa at low altitudes to Leutkea pectinata at high, from Disporum hookeriin shady sites to Sedum spathulifolium in sun-exposed sites, etc. The book is useful, beautiful, innovative, the distillation ofa very large mass of fieldexperience.—JackMajor,BotanyDepartment,UniversityofCalifornia,Davis, 95816. Madrono, Vol. 38, No. 1, p. 61, 1991