The Trees in My Forest

by Bernd Heinrich

Book Overview

Winner of the
New England Book Award Best
Nonfiction Award
and the Franklin Fairbanks
Award of the Fairbanks Museum

In a book destined to become a classic, biologist and acclaimed nature writer Bernd Heinrich takes readers on an eye-opening journey through the hidden life of a forest.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060929421
• ISBN13: 9780060929428
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Ecco Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

The real meaning of "ecology"

Bernd Heinrich's abilities in acute perception are well portrayed in this book. He possesses extensive scientific training and research in natural conditions - having published on bees, ravens and geese. This account ties much of that research to a wider view of those animals' home territories. It's a study of the patches of woods surrounding his home. What trees are growing there, and why? Which animals and birds are attracted to the area, and what keeps them away? What's the value of a forest fire, and is "machine logging" more destructive to the forest environment than the more traditional felling and dragging? All these and more questions are addressed here with deep insight and related with Heinrich's fine expressive powers. It may not be too much to say that if you own but one book on trees and forest environments, this is the one to have. Raised in rural Maine, Heinrich returned in 1977 and restored a 122-hectare bush near his early home. Heinrich describes himself as "partly arboreal", but adds to that a weighty talent for patience. As he has demonstrated in other books, he can sit for hours observing birds and insects. Trees require a different sort of patience; one that needs the additional dedication to record changes over lengthy time periods. He studies their growth and how they spread their offspring around the land. Which trees are shade-tolerant and which need extensive sunlight? Which ones encourage certain insects or birds, and how. Which ones attract them and how? He describes the way trees draw water from the ground - a molecule at a time at the leaf end, not "pumped" from below. Consider the evolutionary steps that led a species of pine to retain its seeds until very special conditions ensue. The cone housing them pops open and disperses them only when the temperature reaches 60 degrees - heat that can only be generated by a forest fire. We all abhor the destructive force of a forest fire, but that's only because we fail to consider the forest from the tree's longer perspective. As trees die and fall, new patches of soil are exposed to the sun, bringing in species competing for resources. Fire is the only way to cleanse the forest floor and eliminate some trees shading others. As recovery species emerge, moose and other browser species again populate the forest. More birds and small mammals also arrive, extending the diversity but also acting as tree predators. Heinrich's account of how trees control predation is enlightening. One is tempted to ask whether a tree "thinks". As he makes clear, however, the control is part of the co-evolutionary process of a tree and its environment. Logging is another intrusion on forests and Heinrich is scathing at how the industry handles the forest. Centred on the ubiquitous white pine, lumbering his area goes back to the early colonial period. At one time Bangor, Maine, was the greatest lumber shipping port in the world - in thirty years its population jumped

Introduction to the Science of Trees

This book is an informal introduction to the science of trees. Heinrich, known for his studies on animal behavior, originally trained in forest ecology. In this book, he provides a general introduction to many aspects of forest ecology. Starting from the acreage surrounding his cabin in Northern Maine, Heinrich considers many different aspects of the trees he encounters there, from the overgrown apple orchards to oaks and pines, from tree evolution to tree geometry and tree reproduction. In addition to the trees, he also examines other elements of the forest ecosystem, including fungi, birds, and insects. End material includes a checklist of trees found in Northern Maine and an extensive list of references. The book is illustrated with black-and-white drawings and a set of color plates, all drawn by Heinrich. This is an excellent introduction to forest ecology suitable for general readers and beginning naturalists alike.

I'll never look at a tree the same way again

Heinrich is a wonderful writer; while his work may lack the scientific vigor of a true academic text, this is natural science on a personal level. He brings his personal passion for the natural world to his writing, and the result is a really engaging work that will appeal to any lay person interested in the natural world. When I was done with the book, I wanted to run off and buy a dozen acres or so of Maine forest myself.This book is a good place to start with Heinrich's overall works--he takes a similar, personal approach to the natural sciences with his "Mind of the Raven" and "One Man's Owl."

A fascinating introduction to forestry

The Trees in My Forest is an excellent book for anyone interested in the woods. If you have ever wandered down a wooded path and wondered about the trees that you see, this is the book that will explain their roles in the ecology of the forest. In addition, Heinrich's experience inspires the reader; ever since I read this book, I've had a burning desire to grab a plot of deforested land somewhere up north and nurse it back to healh as he did.

MUST reading for anyone who owns a woodlot.

This is probably the best book on woodlot management I've read in the past 20 years. It is fascinating reading. Bernd Heinrich, a biology professor at the University of Vermont, knows his stuff, makes it interesting and yet doesn't talk down to the average reader. He manages to combine sound forestry with sustainable ecological practices and does so with humor, anecdotes and personal observations. Anyone who enjoys the outdoors will find this book hard to put down.