Few plant species have had as much combined scientific, public, and political attention as exotic Tamarix spp (tamarisk, saltcedar), attracting the public eye in the early 2000’s when widespread drought in the West corresponded to assertions that the introduced tree used as much water as whole cities. This edited volume contains 24 essays by 44 authors on the hybrid swarm that represents invasive tamarisk, including its biology, ecology, politics, history, management, and even the philosophical and ethical issues involved with designating a particular species as "good" or "bad". These works reflect the controversy that has arisen around its role in our ecosystems and what should (or should not) be done about it, particularly in the context of the release of a biological control agent.

This is the first text to examine these many facets of this interesting plant with an engaging and sometimes surprising collection of written works from the most important researchers in the field, representing the full spectrum of scientific perspectives.

Readership : Suitable for researchers studying this organism or ecosystem, graduate and upper-level undergraduate students in ecology and biology, and professionals such as policy makers and land managers.

Julie Stromberg: Foreword
1. Anna Sher: Introduction to the Paradox Plant
PART I: BIOLOGY AND RANGE
2. John Gaskin: Genetics of Tamarix
3. Catherine Jarnevich, Paul Evangelista, J. Graham: Measuring Extent and Projections of Tamarix distribution in North America
4. Erika Zavaleta: Evapotranspiration by tamarisk in the Colorado River Basin
5. Pamela Nagler and Edward Glenn: Tamarisk: Ecohydrology of a Successful Plant
6. James Cleverly: Water use by Tamarix
7. Daniel A. Auerbach, David M. Merritt, Patrick B. Shafroth: Tamarix, hydrology and fluvial geomorphology
8. Michelle Ohrtman, Ken Lair: Tamarisk and Salinity: an overview
PART II: ECOLOGY
9. Kevin Hultine and Tom Dudley: Tamarix from organism to landscape
10. Heather Bateman, Eben Paxton and William Longland: Tamarix as Wildlife Habitat
11. Mark Sogge, Eben H. Paxton, and Charles van Riper III: Tamarisk in riparian woodlands: a birds eye view
12. Stephanie Strudley and Peter Dalin: Tamarix as invertebrate habitat
13. Kelley Meinhardt and Catherine Gehring: Tamarix and soil ecology
14. Gail Drus: Fire ecology of Tamarix
15. Tyler D. Johnson: Tamarix: passenger or driver of ecosystem change?
PART III: THE HUMAN ELEMENT
16. Matthew Chew: Tamarisk Introduction, Naturalization and Control in the United States, 1818-1952
17. Tim Carlson: The Politics of a Tree: How a species became national policy
18. Naomi Reshotko: A Philosophical Framework for Assessing the Value of the Tamarisk
19. Martin F. Quigley: The horticulture of Tamarix
PART IV: MANAGEMENT
20. Cameron Douglass, Scott Nissen and Charlie Heart: Tamarix management: Lessons and techniques
21. Gina Dello Russo: Tamarisk management at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
22. Dan Bean, Tom Dudley and Kevin Hultine: Bring on the beetles! The history and impact of tamarisk biological control
23. Patrick. B. Shafroth, David Merritt, Mark Briggs, Vanessa Beauchamp, Kenneth Lair, Michael Scott, and Anna Sher: Riparian restoration in the context of Tamarix control
24. Robin Bay: Revegetation After Tamarisk Removal: what grows next?
25. Anna Sher: The future of Tamarix
Glossary
Index