| The Hidden life of Trees Peter Wohlleben Reviewed by Rachael Wedd Environmental Scientist, new AFG Member and custodian of 160 acres in Nannup with pines, bluegum and native forest.  | |
It’s not often that you can find a book that’s not only easily understandable from a laymans or technical perspective, and rarer yet when it has been translated from another language to English.
Peter writes from the perspective of someone who has spent most of his life working in the forestry sector, from active logging and management to currently looking after an old growth forest in Germany and integrating the management with innovations with positive economic outcomes.
I’d had this book on my must-read-list for some time. I’m an environmental scientist, avid gardener and now, with my partner have recently bought a rural property in the south west that currently has a pine plantation (about half way through their harvest cycle) and quite a lot of coppicing bluegums. Trees have always fascinated me, but now having more of them to care for than I’d ever imagined learning more about them and their management seems essential!
Peter provides detailed explanations (with clear examples and case studies) the connectivity between trees and their environment that I had always suspected. Is this a hippy-touchy-feely-greenie book? Absolutely not! But it does make you think about “what is management” and what are the outcomes we want as tree growers? Do we just want a quick (relatively speaking) harvest and income – or, do we want to use forestry areas for other purposes? Why do some trees grow better (or worse?) in some areas? How do we keep them healthy?
There is considerable research going on in the world about the interactions between trees and the interconnectivity with their ecosystem. Peter does a great job of summing it all up and I highly recommend anyone with an interest in trees (or our general environment) read this.
If I had to give it a star rating, I’d definitely give this a 5 out of 5 stars *****
Peter writes from the perspective of someone who has spent most of his life working in the forestry sector, from active logging and management to currently looking after an old growth forest in Germany and integrating the management with innovations with positive economic outcomes.
I’d had this book on my must-read-list for some time. I’m an environmental scientist, avid gardener and now, with my partner have recently bought a rural property in the south west that currently has a pine plantation (about half way through their harvest cycle) and quite a lot of coppicing bluegums. Trees have always fascinated me, but now having more of them to care for than I’d ever imagined learning more about them and their management seems essential!
Peter provides detailed explanations (with clear examples and case studies) the connectivity between trees and their environment that I had always suspected. Is this a hippy-touchy-feely-greenie book? Absolutely not! But it does make you think about “what is management” and what are the outcomes we want as tree growers? Do we just want a quick (relatively speaking) harvest and income – or, do we want to use forestry areas for other purposes? Why do some trees grow better (or worse?) in some areas? How do we keep them healthy?
There is considerable research going on in the world about the interactions between trees and the interconnectivity with their ecosystem. Peter does a great job of summing it all up and I highly recommend anyone with an interest in trees (or our general environment) read this.
If I had to give it a star rating, I’d definitely give this a 5 out of 5 stars *****
