Nature's temples: the complex world of old-growth forests

Book Cover
Average Rating
Publisher
Timber Press
Publication Date
2016.
Language
English

Description

'maloof eloquently urges us to cherish the wildness of what little old-growth woodlands we have left. . . . Not only are they home to the richest diversity of creatures, but they work hard for humans too.' 'New York Times Book Review    An old-growth forest is one that has formed naturally over a long period of time with little or no disturbance from humankind. They are increasingly rare and largely misunderstood. In Nature's Temples, Joan Maloof, the director of the Old-Growth Forest Network, makes a heartfelt and passionate case for their importance. This evocative and accessible narrative defines old-growth and provides a brief history of forests. It offers a rare view into how the life-forms in an ancient, undisturbed forest'including not only its majestic trees but also its insects, plant life, fungi, and mammals'differ from the life-forms in a forest manipulated by humans. What emerges is a portrait of a beautiful, intricate, and fragile ecosystem that now exists only in scattered fragments. Black-and-white illustrations by Andrew Joslin help clarify scientific concepts and capture the beauty of ancient trees.  

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Contributors
Joslin, Andrew illustrator., ill
ISBN
9781604697285

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Choice Review

Due to habitat changes across Earth, a wide variety of information has been written about the loss of biodiversity and the extinction of organisms. In this charmingly written and beautifully illustrated book, Maloof, a forest scientist and writer, uses examples among principal groups of organisms that occupy forests to describe the dependence that a wide range of species have on old-growth forests. Written in a first person, informal style, the author uses personal accounts of her experiences studying and saving old-growth forests, particularly in eastern North America. With a slight hostility toward human actions that have destroyed many of the world's old-growth forests, Maloof provides a somewhat romantic perspective, giving reasons, chapter by chapter, why old-growth forests are essential to birds, amphibians, insects, snails, plants, fungi, and mammals. She also explains how old-growth forests contribute to the production of oxygen, cleaning the air human's breathe, and emphasizes that these forests can renew the human spirit by their beauty alone. This well-written and engaging book is a good introduction to old-growth forests. Although it is a bit elementary, in a separate section at the end of the book the author's ideas and conclusions are scientifically backed by authoritative sources. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. --Dana L. Richter, Michigan Technological University

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
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