The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They CommunicateDiscoveries from a Secret World
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genetics: and climate changes, 198; crossbreeding between species, 214; modification of, 195
Germany, 65, 90, 235, 241
giant hogweed, 218
giant redwood, 169, 208
giraffes, 7
girdling, 17
Gossner, Martin, 131
grand fir, 211
grass, 123, 181
Great Bear Rainforest, 234
green color, 228
grizzly bear, 136
groundwater, 108
growth: adaptations to environment for, 74; and age, 97; of beech trees, 31; challenges for seedlings, 73; in commercial forests, 124; and competition with other species, 49, 53, 113; conventional wisdom on, 96; in fall, 142; and growth spurt stage, 34, 67; and herbivores, 35, 120; ideal conditions for, 74; impediments to, 35; learning from water deprivation, 44; learning to support itself, 45, 46; light depriva-tion for, 32; in middle story, 36; mother trees, 33, 64, 249; of pioneer species, 181; rest needed for, 43, 142, 226; sickness during, 156; slowness of, 33, 196; in spring, 143; of trunks, 163; and water, 43, 48, 193. See also reproduction; shape
Guatemala, 92
habitation, in trees: introduction to, 125; attempts to repair damage from, 128; for bats, 128; in dead wood, 130, 132, 134; for insects, 129; for nuthatch, 127; for owls, 128; research on, 131; and sound vibrations through wood, 127; wetland habitats in crowns, 132; for woodpeckers, 125
habitats, 219
harvesting, see logging
hazard beam, 203
headaches, 9
Healing Harvest Forest Foundation, 244
heartwood, 160
hemiparasites, 165
herbivores: and deciduous trees reproduction, 19, 27; and hunting, 191; and open spaces, 181; and plant death, 50. See also deer; pests
hermit beetles, 129
hibernation, 43, 142, 152, 225
Himalayan balsam, 218
hoarfrost, 204
hogweed, giant, 218
honey fungus, 50, 121
honeysuckle, 35, 165
hornbeam, 77, 187
housing, see habitation, in trees
hoverfly, bumblebee, 132
humans, 48, 97, 190, 207, 218, 222. See also conservation
humic acid, 110
Hümmel forest, xiv, 91, 217
hunting, 191
ice, 141, 210
ice ages, 188
Indigenous peoples, 234
injuries: from bark being eaten, 123; bark diseases, 64; defense against, 160; from falling trees, 159; and fungi, 66, 126, 157, 159; from lower branches, 154; reopening of old, 161; from salt, 177; to trunk, 159; from urine, 176; from use as rubbing posts, 122; from woodpeckers, 125. See also pests; sickness; weather-related damage
insects, 12, 61, 242. See also ants; beetles; pests
introduced species: arrival of, 211; establishment of, 217; and genetic crossbreeding, 214; inevitability of, 217; initial benefits for, 212; and native habitats, 219; uncertain outcomes for, 212, 215
ivy, 164
jackpine, 208
Japanese knotweed, 218
Japanese larch, 211, 214
jays, 69, 113, 150, 187, 190, 192
Kichwa people, Ecuador, 234
knotweed, Japanese, 218
Königsdorf forest, 243, 245
Laccaria bicolor (bicolored deceiver), 54
ladybugs, 116
Lametta effect, 158
language, 6. See also communication
larch: Japanese, 211, 214; shedding of needles by, 144
learning, by trees, 47. See also growth
leaves: anthocyanin in, 229; green color of, 228; growth of in spring, 147; and plankton, 245; winter loss of, 138, 139, 140, 142, 144
lichen, 168
light, see sunlight
lightning, 205, 207
Lindo, Zoë, 64
liverworts, 163
logging, 5, 14, 80, 94, 97, 243
Maffay, Peter, 132
Maffei, Massimo, 3
Makarieva, Anastassia, 106
managed forests: appearance of, 239; and bark beetles, 236; clearings in, 232; and fire, 207; growth in, 124; harvest rate in, 46; purpose of for industry, xiii; qualification as forests, 235; and red wood ants, 220; root networks in, 5; safety in, 239; spacing in, 14, 248; and storms, 201
maples: red in leaves of, 230; seeds of, 187; sugar, 58
mast years, 20
Matsunaga, Katsuhiko, 245
Maya Biosphere Reserve, 92
meadows, 209
medicinal properties: in betulin, 182; from phytoncides, 156; from salicylic acid, 9
memory, 149
mice, 187, 195
microclimates, 99, 101, 107, 194
migration: of beech, 189, 191; and climate, 188, 194; and habitat, 212; of silver fir, 192. See also introduced species
mimosas, 47
mistletoes, 165
mites, beetle, 88, 90
mortality, see death
mosquitoes, 156
moss, 64, 166
mother trees, 33, 64, 249
mountain ash, 80
mycelium, 50
native species, 218
nature preserves, 235
needles, 75, 144
new species, see introduced species
nitrogen, 54, 65, 144
North America: forest fires in, 208
nun moths, 117
nurse logs, 135
nutcracker, 192
nuthatch, 127
oak milkcap, 50
oak processionary, 177
oaks: bark of, 62, 72; and beech trees, 69; and black-headed cardinal beetle, 55; blood pressure under, 223; cork, 207; defense mechanisms, 7–8, 9, 10, 70; distress signal of, 68, 70; fall leaves of, 144; and floods, 209; and fungi, 50, 52; healthy growth of, 68; and ivy, 165; lifespan of, 155; and lightning, 205; pests for, 54, 70, 115, 117; regeneration of forests, 91; reproduction by, 19, 25, 27, 113, 187; resiliency of, 70; rest needed by, 142, 226; triad of near Hümmel, 151; in urban areas, 178; and woodpeckers, 54. See also deciduous trees
old-growth forests: designation as, 233; growing conditions in, 170; lack of in Central Europe, 64; misconceptions about appearance, 238; regeneration of, 89, 91, 235. See also conservation
open areas, in forests, 232
oribatid (beetle) mites, 88, 90
osmosis, 57, 58
owls, 128
oxygen, 223, 225
paper birch, 247
parks, see urban trees
pests: benefits for other animals, 116; caterpillars, 117, 177; climbing plants, 35, 164; conifer sawflies, 118; deer, 35, 120, 123; defense against, 7–9, 116, 118, 119; parasitical plants, 122; sap sucking insects, 115, 117, 119; spreading of, 215, 216; targeting of trees by, 11; and tree reproduction, 26; in urban areas, 177; variety of, 115; woodpeckers, 114. See also ants; beetles; fungi, types of; habitation, in trees; insects
photosynthesis, 15, 16, 35, 183, 224
phytoncides, 156, 223
pine loopers, 117
pines: bark of, 62; defense mechanisms, 8–9; and forest fires, 208; growth of, 41; and ivy, 164; jackpines, 208; and Laccaria bicolor (bicolored deceiver), 54; ponderosa, 208; shedding of needles, 145; sickness in, 158; in wet conditions, 78. See also conifers
pinesap, 122
pioneer tree species: competition with other species, 184; death of, 185; defense mechanisms, 181, 183, 185; and fungi, 185; growth rates of, 181; ideal sites for, 180, 188; propagation by, 180. See also quaking aspen; silver birch
plane tree, 178
plankton, 245
planted forests, see managed forests
plants: definition of, 49; distinction from animals, 83
pollination, 21. See also reproduction
pollutants, 51, 221
ponderosa pine, 208
pools, 110
poplars: black, 215; crossbreeding among, 215; as pioneer species, 181, 185, 188; reproduction by, 30; seeds of, 186; in wet conditions, 209
pro
cess conservation, 235. See also conservation
procreation, see reproduction
propagation, see reproduction
pruning, 173
pussy willow, 181
quaking aspen, 181, 183. See also pioneer tree species
rain, 101, 103, 107, 111, 202
red belt conk, 133
red crossbills, 21
redwood: dawn, 144; giant, 169, 208
red wood ants, 219
reforestation, 222
reproduction: by conifers, 19, 21; crossbreeding, 214; by deciduous trees, 19, 25; energy levels during, 25; and insects, 26; interbreeding, 22; and mortality, 27; odds for successful, 29; by pioneer species, 180; pollination, 21, 22; pre-planning for, 19; seeding strategies, 27, 186; from stumps, 80; timing of, 150. See also growth
reserves, hidden, 156
rest, 43, 142, 152, 225
rights, for plants, 242, 244
rivers, 209
root systems: and age, 81; as brain, 82; communication through, 10; depth of, 174; and fungi, 50; interconnections between, 2–3, 158, 206, 248; poor environments for, 73; and pruning of crowns, 173; and water, 49; in wet conditions, 73, 78. See also friendship
rubbing posts, trees as, 122
safety, in forests, 239
salamanders, 109, 110
salicylic acid, 9
salt, 177
sapsuckers, 114
savannah, African, 7
sawflies, conifer, 118
scent, as language, 6–7, 7–9, 12
school, tree, 47. See also growth
Scotland, 92
seeds, 27, 186
shadows, green, 229
shape, tree: curved trunks, 38; environmental effects on, 39; forked trees, 38; hazard beams, 203; ideal, 37, 153, 203; stability as goal, 38. See also growth
sickness, 64, 156. See also injuries; weather-related damage
sight, 148, 231
silver birch, 181, 182, 183, 185. See also pioneer tree species
silver firs, 62, 65, 153, 192
Simard, Suzanne, 9–10, 11, 33, 53, 247
Sitka spruce, 64
skin, 60. See also bark
sleep, 43, 142, 152, 225
Slett, Marilyn, 234
small cow wheat, 122
snail, freshwater, 107, 109
snow, 141, 203
social security, see friendship
soil: beetle mites in, 88; and carbon storage, 94, 95; coal formation in, 95; creation of, 86; erosion of, 87; importance of, 85; lack of knowledge about, 85; organisms in, 87, 89, 225; regeneration of after disruptions, 91; weevils in, 88
sound, 127
spirit bear, 234
spring (season), 143, 148
springs, 108
springtails, 54, 90
spruce: and age, 81; aging, 65; and climatic changes, 197; defense mechanisms, 7–8, 119; growth strategies of, 75; habitat for, 75, 219; pests for, 115; pollination of, 22; shedding of needles, 145; sickness in, 158; Sitka, 64; and sunlight, 167; and water, 44, 45, 102, 193; in wet conditions, 78; and woodpeckers, 54. See also conifers
squirrels, 127, 150, 187
stability, 38, 45, 46, 107, 130
stag beetle, 133
storms, 139, 153, 176, 201, 232
strangulation, 36, 165
streams, 109, 209
street kids, see urban trees
sugar maples, 58
sunlight: awareness of, 148; competition for, 162; deprivation of for growth, 32; and early blooming plants, 163; and green color of leaves, 228; importance of, 162; and ivy, 164; and mistletoe, 165; and moss, 167
sweating, 101
Switzerland, 244
taste, sense of, 9
temperature changes, 149, 153
terpenes, 107, 119
thinning, 14, 17
timing: confused sense of, 149; for leaf growth in spring, 147; for reproduction, 150; and temperature changes, 149; and tree character, 152
Tokin, Boris, 156
tornadoes, 202
transpiration, 57, 58, 106
trees: as balanced system, 93; difficulties defining, 79, 81; as guarded warehouse, 114; lifespan of, 155; misunderstanding of, 230; rights for, 242, 244. See also conifers; conservation; death; deciduous trees; defense mechanisms; friendship; growth; pests; reproduction; root systems; shape; urban trees; specific species
trunks, 159, 163. See also shape, tree
United Kingdom, 233
United States of America, 92, 233
urban trees: along streets, 174; and Asian long-horned beetle, 216; other challenges facing, 176; in parks, 169; and pests, 177; and pipes, 175; planting of same species together, 178; poor stability of, 176; premature death of, 178; and pruning, 173
urine, 176
walking sticks, 36, 165
walnut trees, 156
water: and conifers, 107; floods, 209; groundwater, 108; ice, 141, 210; importance of, 107, 193; learning to ration, 43, 44; pools, 110; rain, 101, 103, 107, 111, 202; and root systems, 49; snow, 141, 203; sound vibrations from in trees, 48; springs, 108; streams, 109; sweating by trees, 101; transportation of, 56, 105; and tree microclimates, 100; in trees during winter, 137
weather-related damage: fire, 206, 208; floods, 209; heavy rain, 202; hoarfrost, 204; lightning, 205, 207; tornadoes, 202; wet snow, 203; winter storms, 201. See also climate
weevils, 88. See also beech leaf-mining weevil
wild cherries, 137
wild service tree, 137
willows: defense mechanisms, 9; as pioneer species, 188; pollination of, 23; pussy, 181; scents for attracting insects, 12; seeds of, 186; in wet conditions, 111, 209
wind, 21, 38, 76, 100, 139. See also storms
winter preparation, 136, 144
wolves, x–xi, 218
wood anemones, 163
woodboring beetles, 54, 70
woodpeckers, 54, 114, 125
wood wide web, 10, 249
woolly beech scale, 115
Yellowstone National Park, x–xi
yew, 76
THE DAVID SUZUKI INSTITUTE is a non-profit organization founded in 2010 to stimulate debate and action on environmental issues. The Institute and the David Suzuki Foundation both work to advance awareness of environmental issues important to all Canadians.
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Copyright © 2015 by Ludwig Verlag, Munich, part of the Random House GmbH publishing group
Originally published in Germany in 2015 as Das geheime Leben der Bäume
English translation copyright © 2016 by Jane Billinghurst
Foreword copyright © 2016 by Tim Flannery
“Note from a Forest Scientist” copyright © 2016 by Dr. Suzanne Simard
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a license from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For a copyright license, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free to 1-800-893-5777.
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ISBN 978-1-77164-249-1 (epub)
Copyediting by Shirarose Wilensky
Jacket design by Nayeli Jimenez
Jacket and interior illustrations by Briana Garelli
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction to the English Edition
Introduction
1: Friendships
2: The Language of Trees
3: Social Security
4: Love
5: The Tree Lottery
6: Slowly Does It
7: Forest Etiquette
8: Tree School
9: United We Stand, Divided We Fall
10: The Mysteries of Moving Water
11: Trees Aging Gracefully
12: Mighty Oak or Mighty Wimp?
13: Specialists
14: Tree or Not Tree?
15: In the Realm of Darkness
16: Carbon Dioxide Vacuums
17: Woody Climate Control
18: The Forest as Water Pump
19: Yours or Mine?
20: Community Housing Projects
21: Mother Ships of Biodiversity
22: Hibernation
23: A Sense of Time
24: A Question of Character
25: The Sick Tree
26: Let There Be Light
27: Street Kids
28: Burnout
29: Destination North!
30: Tough Customers
31: Turbulent Times
32: Immigrants
33: Healthy Forest Air
34: Why Is the Forest Green?
35: Set Free
36: More Than Just a Commodity
Note From a Forest Scientist
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index