Book excerpt: This atlas examines nearly every aspect of the natural history of the Nebraska Sand Hills, including Indian occupation, settlement, current range practices & the "cow-country" lifestyle. These 19,300 square miles comprise the largest dune area in the Western Hemisphere. The grass-stabilized dunes, some as high as 400 feet & as long as 20 miles, were formed by blowing sand during a surprisingly recent time, mostly the last 8,000 years. The climate ranges from subhumid in the east to semiarid in the west. The area is an ecological meeting ground, where species from different vegetative & faunal regions coexist, creating distinctive biological communities. The sandy soils & underlying sands & gravels have allowed for the accumulation of a vast quantity of groundwater, much of which "outcrops" at the surface. This accounts for another unique characteristic: the dry, dune-top prairie ecosystem beside a wetland, lake, or constantly flowing stream. "But this atlas is much more than an explanation of the climate & geology of the Sand Hills. Illustrated with wonderful color photos, fold-out maps, graphs & numerous charts, the book explores the entire ecology of the Sand Hills," said Francis Moul in his review for the DES MOINES REGISTER.