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
schemes 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--to 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.
