Book Review: Trees of Life

 

This large (8 x 11 in) coffee table book would be a wonderful library addition for those fascinated with trees or anthropology. The author chose 80 of what he considers to be the most useful trees from some 60,000 extant species of trees to highlight in this book. The photography and illustrations are beautiful, but I was struck primarily by the insights into how these trees have and do support the societies where they grow.

Some of these trees I had not heard of--after all, most are indigenous to other countries. However, the bits of history, art, medicine, and religion that surround them illustrate the important role these trees have played, and still play, in human history.

One example of an interesting tidbit concerns the pollination of the common fig:

"Looking for spring flowers on a fig is a waste of time: they grow, hidden from sight, inside the fruiting body as part of one of the most bizarre reproductive cycles anywhere in the natural world. As long ago as the fourth century BCE Aristotle knew that a certain wasp that emanated from a wild fig pollinated the flowers and we now know that every species of fig has its own bespoke wasp for a pollinating partner. The female fig wasp bores a tiny hole into the immature fruiting body, lays her eggs inside--pollinating the flowers as she does so--and dies there. Her maile progeny, as soon as they emerge inside the fruit, impregnate the still unborn females and then bore an exit hole, through which the egg-bearing females later emerge to seek their own new fruit." pg 118

This is just one of many interesting facts the author shares in this book. The book is available from Princeton Press for $29.95 and for $25.71 on Amazon.

Books for the Nature Geeks

I occasionally review bird books on my Charm of Finches blog. I recently received some review copies of other books from Princeton University Press. They aren't bird books, so I thought they would be more suitable for some of the readers of this blog, as I know some of the Rolling Plains Texas Master Naturalist follow.

I am a little behind on my reviews, so I am going to put three of them in this one post.

The first book is Bugs Rule! An Introduction to the World of Insects, by Whitney Cranshaw and Richard Redak. This book was originally intended as a basic textbook for nonscience people taking a course in entomology. However, you don't have to sign up for a college course to get, read and enjoy this book. This book is about insects and arthropods (spiders, scorpions, centipedes, millipedes and crustaceans.)

This book is not a field guide, but as a way to get a good general grounding in bugs, it would certainly be a nice supplement to a field guide. Lots of wonderful pictures (830 color photos and additional drawings) help illustrate the information in the text.

Although written as a textbook, there is nothing dry about the writing, if you have any interest in the subject at all. When I originally got the book, I thought it might be a nice giveaway at the local Texas Master Naturalist meeting, but after reading the book, you other Master Naturalists will just have to get your own copy. This beautiful hardback book sells for $55 from Princeton University Press, so it isn't cheap. It is $50.17 from Amazon/$34.09 for your Kindle. But if you have a bug lover on your gift list, you could be a hero with this book.

Another book I have spent hours pouring over is The Kingdom of Fungi by Jens H. Petersen. I have always been fascinated by the fungi and their role as decomposers. For what appears to be such a simple plant is so much more than it appears. Over 800 gorgeous pictures in this book drive home just how beautiful these often overlooked plants are. There isn't a lot of text, but what text there is conveys a lot of interesting information. Even if you didn't have a fascination with fungi, you could enjoy the photographs--they're exquisite. If you also have an interest in this little known family of plants, then you'll spend hours, just like me looking and relooking at the pictures. The book does lead you through some basic taxonomy. Although it is not a field guide, again I can see where this book would help you use your field guide more effectively. You can purchase this book for $29.95 from Princeton University Press or for $19.59 from Amazon.

Another excellent book for you naturalists out there is The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trees (2nd Ed.) by David More and John White. This is an awesome resource for identifying trees, although it is way too big and heavy to carry into the field. This comprehensive book catalogs nearly 2,000 tree species in North America and Europe. With some 5,000 illustrations, there are enough illustrations of leaves, twigs, fruit, bark, etc., to help guide even the least knowledgeable among us (like me.) I have trouble identifying trees outside of the few species I have gotten to know through frequent exposure.  I don't do well with most field guides identifying trees. This one has a lot more detail to help compare similar species. In addition to the usual information found in a field guide, however, this book has more information about the origins of the trees and various cultivars. This would be a fine addition to not only a naturalist's library, but that of a gardener. This book is available from Princeton University Press for $49.95 and from Amazon for $38.40.

Giving Trees

Pine sapling photo courtesy of John Dalton, Wikimedia Commons

My daughter subscribes to Scholastic Parent & Child magazine. In the November 2011 issue, the Hands On column is about Giving Trees. It is a craft project for children to give trees as gifts. I think this is a great idea. Unfortunately, the article is not posted online. However, since it is mostly decorating a container and putting a small tree in it, I am sure people interested in the idea can improvise successfully.

An interesting reference of the column is the meaning of various trees. I don't know how valid this is or where the meanings came from, but I thought I would share. Not all of the plants listed are actually trees, but nothing says we have to be literal.

This could be a low-cost, meaningful gift for the holidays (yes, it's that time already!)

Watering Trees in a Drought

We are definitely in a severe drought. Although everyone should be cutting back on using water, the trees (even native ones) are under severe stress. You can see the evidence all over town; many trees are dying. Austin Parks and Recreation has put out a nice handout on how to water your trees to help them survive without overuse of water. I thought it would be useful to readers.

If you do lose trees this year, consider replacing with drought resistant varieties this fall.