Treecology: 30 Activities and Observations for Exploring the World of Trees and Forests
ix 6 6 6 6 This book would not have been possible without Kevin Byron’s amazing photographs of trees forests and wild life They are the result of more than 35 years of fieldwork and technical expertise and many images have come from once-in-a-lifetime opportunities sometimes in quite difficult situations His photos are vital to this book’s design and presen tation Kevin has also been our systems manager organizing the details of production and communication I would like to express my great appreciation of my parents who were expert at cultivating and maintaining a variety of trees and flowering shrubs and who encouraged my early interest in nature and science Many people have helped to create this book Our friends Dick and Jane gave us unlimited access to their beautiful sanctuary of gardens and woodlands My sister Sandy told us about the woodland preserves south of us Several people gave us photo ops of trees landscapes wildlife and special scenes we thank Eileen Bob Brandon Domenica Bernie and Myra Our many thanks and appreciation also go to Lisa Reardon senior editor at Chicago Review Press for her guidance in the development of this book Acknowledgments
xi 6 6 6 6 Introduction Trees can be seen almost everywhere we live in front of our homes and apartments around schools and playgrounds and near libraries They are planted around shopping malls parking lots and office buildings Even if you have never seen a forest or taken a woodland walk you might have enjoyed the cool shade of a tree on a hot day or seen the beauty of a tree in flower Trees also give us visual relief from the city environ ment In neighborhood parks and city centers they provide a greenscape that offers a pleasant relaxed experience Trees are a vital part of a healthy forest ecology supporting a diversity of both plant and animal life They provide homes and food for songbirds and other wildlife even butterflies They can create a windbreak protect watersheds and help prevent soil erosion There are many concerns about forests and trees around the world Drought tornadoes and storms can kill trees or cause severe damage But human activities cause the most concern to botanists and other scientists Deforestation and clear-cutting have become very important topics Large forest areas are cut down to make space for farms buildings or roadways In central Mexico forest trees have been illegally cut down probably for lumber or firewood Some species of trees have become rare or endangered In the mountains of Japan a species of birch tree is nearly extinct in the wild Fortunately some of the trees are safe in arboretums In the tropical habitat of the Amazon in South America the tree that produces Brazil nuts is becoming rare because of deforestation And in Europe coal mining in Germany has destroyed large forested areas but there is a project to plant new trees Trees are symbols of strength and long life They leave us with pleasant memories and are the inspiration for poetry and art around the world Trees are natural time machines revealing the past in fossil evidence and growing with us into the future through storm and wind and into peaceful bright summer days
