The power of trees : how ancient forests can save us if we let them
Peter Wohlleben (Author), Jane Billinghurst (Translator, Editor)
"From the international bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees. An illuminating manifesto on ancient forests: how they adapt to climate change by passing their wisdom through generations, and why our future lies in protecting them. In his beloved book The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben revealed astonishing discoveries about the social networks of trees and how they communicate. Now, in The Power of Trees, he turns to their future, with a searing critique of forestry management, tree planting, and the exploitation of old growth forests. As human-caused climate change devastates the planet, forests play a critical role in keeping it habitable. While politicians and business leaders would have us believe that cutting down forests can be offset by mass tree planting, Wohlleben offers a warning: many tree planting campaigns lead to ecological disaster. Not only are these trees more susceptible to disease, flooding, fires, and landslides, we need to understand that forests are more than simply a collection of trees. Instead, they are ecosystems that consist of thousands of species, from animals to fungi and bacteria. The way to save trees, and ourselves? Step aside and let forests--which are naturally better equipped to face environmental challenges--heal themselves. With the warmth and wonder familiar to readers from his previous books, Wohlleben also shares emerging scientific research about how forests shape climates both locally and across continents; that trees adapt to changing environmental conditions through passing knowledge down to their offspring; and how old growth may in fact have the most survival strategies for climate change. At the heart of The Power of Trees lies Wohlleben's passionate plea: that our survival is dependent on trusting ancient forests, and allowing them to thrive."-- Provided by publisher
Print Book, English, 2023
David Suzuki Institute : Greystone Books, Vancouver, Berkeley, 2023
Informational works
271 pages ; 23 cm
9781771647748, 1771647744
1341261533
Introduction
The wisdom of trees. When trees make mistakes
A thousand years of learning
Seeds of wisdom
Filling up in winter
Red flags for aphids
Early risers and late sleepers
Forest air-conditioning
When rain falls in China
Take care and stand back
Underrated all-rounders
When forestry fails. Backed up against a wall
Butchery in the beech forest
Germany's search for the supertree
Good intentions, poor outcomes
The new bark beetle?
Wolves as climate guardians
Is wood as eco-friendly as we think?
It's time to pay up
The toilet paper argument
More money, less forest
The ivory tower wobbles
What's on your plate?
Forests of the future. Every tree counts
Does everyone have to be on board?
A breath of fresh air
The forest will return
Afterword: Accepting ignorance and treading carefully in the forest
"Originally published in German as Der lange Atem der Bäume: wie Bäume lernen, mit dem Klimawandel umzugehen - und warum der Wald uns retten wird, wenn wir es zulassen, copyright © 2021 by Ludwig Verlag, Munich"--Title page verso
"Editing by Jane Billinghurst"--Title page verso
Text in English, translated from the German