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Decision Methods for Forest Resource Management focuses on decision making for forests that are managed for both ecological and economic objectives. The essential modern decision methods used in the scientific management of forests are described using basic algebra, computer spreadsheets, and numerous examples and applications. Balanced treatment is given throughout the book to the ecological and economic impacts of alternative management decisions in both even-aged and uneven-aged forests.

*In-depth coverage of both ecological and economic issues
*Hands-on examples with Excel spreadsheets; electronic versions available on the authors' website
*Many related exercises with solutions
*Instructor's Manual available upon request ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Science in Dispute, Volume 3, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 4315 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Explores controversial topics in science and technology by featuring informative essays, both pro and con, on the major theories, ethical questions and commercial applications of science from all disciplines. ... Read more

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It is the rare book that remains in print for nearly fifty years, earning wide acclaim as a classic. The Forest Ranger has been essential reading for generations of professionals and scholars in forestry, public administration, and organizational behavior who are interested in the administration of public lands and how the top managers of a large, dispersed organization with multiple objectives like the Forest Service shape the behavior of its field officers into a coherent, unified program. Published as a special reprint in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Forest Service, The Forest Ranger is as relevant and timely today as when it was first issued in 1960. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Case Study in the Golden Age of PA
First published in 1960, The Forest Ranger is an impressive study of the United States Forest Service. In the book, Kaufman (1960/1967) case studies the behavior of district rangers in the Forest Service and endeavors for an answer to the question of how policies formulated by policy executives are realized into integrated action by a service whose field personnel operate under varied conditions. "Even in agencies with simple, routine responsibilities, welding the behavior of field personnel into integral patterns is often a trying experience" (p. 25). In an agency which is as much dispersed and heterogeneous as the Forest Service, is it possible to secure an integrated and coherent policy implementation across a great number of the districts? If you believe it is impossible, I strongly recommend you to have a look at The Forest Ranger by Herbert Kaufman.

The readers who are familiar with Herbert Simon should remember his masterpiece "Administrative Behavior" in which the author at "theoretical level" demonstrated what takes for the leaders of administrative agencies to direct, manage, and run largely staffed and complex organizations. Simon (1947/1997) spent his intellectual energy for an inquiry into the decision-making process, and knitted his theory around it by developing an impressive understanding that helped the readers to sense that "integrated policy action" depends on the degree that the leaders can control the "environment" of decision-making so that every individual employee in the organization adjusts his/her decisions to common objectives fashioned by policy makers. Organization design, implicitly, stood out as prerequisite for integrated policy action, with "organization design" serving to bring decision premises and necessary data to the attention and use of decision-makers. Herbert Kaufman (1960/1967), in The Forest Ranger, demonstrates vividly how once a "theory" becomes a reality in the case of the United States Forest Service.

I would not want to summarize the case study with the fear that I am likely to discolor a vivid masterpiece. Suffice to say that at present times in which orthodox public administration theory is being transformed by a new body of knowledge and skills, this case study should present (sometimes poignantly) the assumptions, ideals, weaknesses and strengths of orthodox public administration in its "golden age" that has reached a final stage in our contemporary times.

This classic book is organized into seven major chapters. The first chapter gives a summary of research design, data collection and analysis procedures, and the plan of the book. The second chapter makes the reader familiar with the size and complexity of the Forest Service with accompanying challenges to integrated policy action. The third chapter elucidates the challenges to unity that emanate from internal communication problems, the potential for field officers to be captured by local populations, personal preferences of field officers, and the like. In the fourth chapter, Kaufman (1960/1967) gives detail to the procedural devices used by the service leaders in order to "preform" decisions of individual employees (controlling the environment of decision). The fifth chapter shows how the Forest Service executives detect and discourage deviation from official policies. The sixth chapter explains the means by which the Forest Service leaders develop will and capacity in their employees to conform with the policy expectations. The seventh chapter is a conclusion with final remarks on the success level of policies in the Forest Service and ethical-moral implications.

If you are not comfortable with abstract theoretical constructs and need more concrete examples, skip The Functions of the Executive by Chester Barnard (1938/1968), Administrative Behavior by Herbert Simon (1947/1997), Organizations in Action by James Thompson (1967) or Leadership in Administration by Philip Selznick (1957/1984), and read Herbert Kaufman. Once you read The Forest Ranger can you return to these masterpieces and I believe you are more likely then to digest their theories and understandings.

If you are not very interested in public administration theory, The Forest Ranger is worth reading even due to its excellence as a case study that would help the readers in designing their own case studies for research purposes.

Overall, I highly recommend this classic to the readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Corporate Greed
A fascinating first-hand read about the struggle to preserve the ancient giants. Amazing interviews with activists, including an incredible 16 year old woman that had her eyes doused with pepper spray by the cops during a protest. This is an inside account, written from the field in the midst of the war over clearcutting, not from the top floor of an ivory tower.

I'm speechless, so to speak
No book has ever moved me the way this one has, I have tears in my eyes as I write this. I've just read many of the other reviews, and I don't have the way with words that some do, but they tell it like it is. Joan tells it like it is. Books don't get any better, and this one will change your life, like someone said it isn't all about happiness, and I have become informed and aware of too much to not so something about what is being done to our Redwood Forests, and what is being allowed to be done to our envirnment and watersheds. It's a true story, happening right now, this book documents it succinctly with amazing one of a kind pictures. It will open your eyes. Something needs to be done about Charles Hurwitz from Houston, Texas and his company MAXXAM. He is savaging The last of the Virgin Redwood Rainforest in California. I cannot beleive the CDF and the department of Forestry are "letting him get away with it." Not to mention the way he "aquired" the land, which is explained in the book. Please read this book. This book will light a fire in you, and like me you will have to do something. There are several websites listed in the back to point you in the right direction. I beleive this book is THE BEST one on the subject and if you plan on reading only one this should definitely be it. It has the most facts, information, and insight and is so well written, I couldn't say enough. And 57 pages of priceless color pictures! I am buying used copies for people, I would give one to EVERYONE if I could, and I have only said that about 2 books, and I read alot. The book is priceless. Thank You Joan

Tall tree politics.
I read this book after visiting Arcata this summer.While there, I wenton a BLM ranger-guided hike into the Headwaters, the "lush,mysterious, ancient, holy" (p. 82) subject of Dunning's book.Iwanted to see for myself what all of the protesting was about.Enjoy thisbook, then experience the Headwaters' redwoods.

Dunning's book is aboutmany things.Trees.Community.Redwood politics.Bearing witness.Thedestruction of "one of the most magnificent ecosystems on Earth"(p. 3).Saying "enough!"Non-violent civil disobedience. Protecting America the beautiful.It is also about Dunning's personaljourney, or "metamorphosis" as she calls it (p. 239), fromnaturalist to activist."What is an 'environmentalist'," shereflects, "but simply a citizen who has shed denial, who has openedhis or her eyes and said, 'it does matter nature does not have an infinitecapacity to heal herself, himself, itself . . . I am responsible'"(p.228).

Dunning's book reads like an insightful journal, in which shesets out to tell it like it is."This book is not abouthappiness," she warns her reader on the first page.Rather, it isabout "yielding to conscience.It is about a forest, and it is aboutus" (p. 1).She reveals that the destruction of old-growth forestslike the Headwaters isn't someone else's problem, but our own.Dunningreports that in 500 years, we have destroyed more than ninety percent ofour country's ancient forests, leaving only 3.5 percent to protect (p.263).By saving the redwoods, we save ourselves.Dunning writes, "Iwant nothing more than to dissolve the polarity that plagues this countyand this country, to bring us all back to center--the owls and thepussycats, the loggers and the environmentalists, the business community,everyone--to put us all in the same life raft, which is our Earth" (p.61).

Dunning also reports that redwood civil disobedience is nothing new. We learn, for instance, on November 19, 1929, Laura Perrott Mahan(1867-1937) lay down in the area now known as Founder's Grove inCalifornia's Avenue of the Giants to halt redwood logging.Dunning alsowrites, and her collaborator, Doug Thron's photographs show thatclear-cutting "is an act of violence that affects trees, rivers, air,water, earth, and every person, owl, toad, or human who lives there"(p. 88)."Our whole earth is suffering from the cumulative effects ofa million minute daily actions" (p. 240).

Although much of Dunning'sbook is downright depressing, her real message is this:"Find acorner of the world and fix it" (p. 240). Turn your driveway into agarden."For each of us," Dunning says, "regardless ofwhere we live, there is a valley, a mountain range, a beach, a whale, aperegrine, a gnatcatcher, that if we merely give our time as a witness tothe loss, will gradually unite the being of its existence with our own,will ground us by putting us in touch with what is wild and speechless,will empower us when we speak out in defense of the powerless" (pp.14-15).(Those interested in how each of us can make a difference mightalso enjoy Thomas Berry's, THE GREAT WORK (2000), which I also recommend asone of my favorite books.)

In addition to Thron's amazing colorphotographs (note the cover photo), Dunning's book is also illustrated withher own drawings of redwoods (p. 17), salamanders (pp. 25, 174, 179, 260),a banana slug (p. 41), flying squirrels (p. 56), frogs (pp. 67, 187) and anowl (p. 103), among other subjects.

In our world of "Cars. Cars.Cars." (p. 124), Dunning's book triumphs in showing the value ofsilent, "dark, dripping, ancient" (p. 37) redwood forests, thattell us to "Be still."For its insights, photographs, anddrawings, this book about the wonders of tall trees should not bemissed.

G. Merritt

Well done!
I learned so much by reading this book.Joan Dunning has a way of tackling difficult, cumbersome and emotionally charged subject matter and making it easily digestible.It's a compelling read and the photography byDoug Thron is extraordinary.

JAIL HURWITZ NOW!!!!!!!!!
This book explains in simple terms the descruction that P.L unloads on our earth. We are all suffering from the greed of hurwitz.When they "take" a tree alongside a stream, the sun hits the water.Thenthe water becomes silted, and the water heats up.Then the salmon do notcome anymore.Then the eagles have nothing to eat, so they leave.With notrees, no air is cleansed, and with bad air we die. Somone else needs toleave. ... Read more

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1998 Winner of the International Studies Association's Harold andMargaret Sprout Award

". . . sets out a wealth of documented detail that shows how we shouldbe super-sceptical of 'official' business statistics. This is one of themost illuminating tropical forestry books of the last decade." -- NormanMyers

Peter Dauvergne developed the concept of a "shadow ecology" to assessthe total environmental impact of one country on resource management inanother country or area. Aspects of a shadow ecology include governmentaid and loans; corporate practices, investment, and technologytransfers; and trade factors such as consumption, export and consumerprices, and import tariffs. In Shadows in the Forest, Dauvergneexamines Japan's effect on commercial timber management in Indonesia,East Malaysia, and the Philippines. Japan's shadow ecology hasstimulated unsustainable logging, which in turn has triggered widespreaddeforestation. Although Japanese practices have improved somewhat sincethe early 1990s, corporate trade structures and purchasing patterns,timber prices, wasteful consumption, import tariffs, and the cumulativeenvironmental effects of past practices continue to underminesustainable forest management in Southeast Asia. This book is the firstto analyze the environmental impact of Japanese trade, corporations, andaid on timber management in the context of Southeast Asian politicaleconomies. It is also one of the first comprehensive studies of whySoutheast Asian states are unable to enforce forest policies andregulations. In particular, it highlights links between state officialsand business leaders that reduce state funds, distort policies, andprotect illegal and unsustainable loggers. More broadly, the book is oneof the first to examine the environmental impact of Northeast Asiandevelopment on Southeast Asian resource management and to analyze theindirect environmental impact of bilateral state relations on themanagement of one Southern resource. ... Read more

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Many countries around the world are engaged in decentralization processes, and most African countries face serious problems with forest governance, from benefits sharing to illegality and sustainable forest management. This book summarizes experiences to date on the extent and nature of decentralization and its outcomes, most of which suggest an underperformance of governance reforms, and explores the viability of different governance instruments in the context of weak governance and expanding commercial pressures over forests.Findings are grouped into two thematic areas: decentralization, livelihoods and sustainable forest management; and international trade, finance and forest sector governance reforms. The authors examine diverse forces shaping the forest sector, including the theory and practice of decentralization, usurpation of authority, corruption and illegality, inequitable patterns of benefits capture and expansion of international trade in timber and carbon credits, and discuss related outcomes on livelihoods, forest condition and equity. The book builds on earlier volumes exploring different dimensions of decentralization and perspectives from other world regions, and distills dimensions of forest governance that are both unique to Africa and representative of broader global patterns. Authors ground their analysis in relevant theory while attempting to distill implications of their findings for policy and practice. ... Read more

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In this book, Timothy Silver traces the effects of English settlement on South Atlantic ecology, showing how all three cultures--Indian, European, and African--interacted with and were, in turn, affected by, their changing environment.In assessing such ecological changes, Silver pays particular attention to regional variations, explaining how local geography and settlement patterns influenced the environment.And while his focus is the English South, Silver also shows us how economic and ecological developments in Europe, the Caribbean, and elsewhere frequently dictated how South Atlantic colonists used their land.Consequently, his book provides an engaging and detailed look at the complex relationships among humans, plants, and animals in a unique and diverse region of North America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Environmental Perspective on Socially Diverse Region
Throughout A New Face on the Countryside Timothy Silver presents the American South as a diverse and unique mix of cultures then-unseen in the New World. Using specific examples from a large variety of sources, Silver examines the contributions and conflicts of several ethnic and colonial groups including English, French, and Spanish settlers as well as reviewing the impact of African slave labor and Native American tribes. One of the major themes seen throughout A New Face on the Countryside is not only the clash of cultures, but the interaction of these very different groups with a very similar and unforgiving environment.

Silver begins his examination of the aforementioned interaction by discussing the unique qualities of American Southern geography. By identifying what he believes to be the natural "borders" of the Southern region, Silver systematically breaks down the characteristics that have made the area so troubling, and profitable, for the parties involved. Using the Atlantic Ocean on the east, the Appalachian Mountains on the West, the Okefenokee on the South and the Chesapeake Bay Region in the North, Silver discusses the boundless supply of wildlife and sultry hot climate most conducive to agricultural production. The next section is used to identify the peoples of the region. Silver discusses the diverse societies of Native Groups in the region, claiming that "Europeans found the division of labor within Indian society even more difficult to comprehend." (44) Silver gives high praise to the Indians' efficient methods by citing that some groups, according to Captain John Smith, lived almost exclusively on fish in the summer months. The author claims that ideas of conservation and waste would not be readily understood in the Indian psyche and that "Indians simply did what was necessary to ensure their survival." (66)

Following an examination of European arrival, Silver begins his examination of the altered landscape of the American South. "A more civil landscape, it seems, had its price." (185) Silver's writing explains that although the European settlers did ultimately have success in farming, there was a great price to be paid including many lost crops, broken dreams, regional diseases and labor issues. Silver claims that "even as colonists, Indians, and Africans were changing the land, the land was changing them." (194) It is the subsequent discussion that proves to have the most impact when further evaluating A New Face on the Countryside.

Timothy Silver is a professor of history at Appalachian State University. After receiving his Ph.D. from the College of William and Mary, Silver was subsequently hired at Appalachian State where he went on to publish two books. His first book published in 1990, A New Face on the Countryside: Indians, colonists, and slaves in South Atlantic forests, 1500-1800, was followed later by Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains: An Environmental History of the Highest Peaks in Eastern America in 2007. Silver has focused the majority of his interests in the study of the environmental history of North America as well as in the history of America's State and National Parks.

Silver employs several different sources in the writing of A New Face on the Countryside, and while he places heavy emphasis on the environmental perspective, the majority of his sources in the monograph are secondary. Silver uses scientific writings in his sources such as Freshwater Fish in Native North America by Erhard Rostlund. Silver also cites unique biological works like The Wild Turkey: Its History and Domestication by A.W. Schorger and Wildlife Biology by Raymond F. Dassman. In his later examinations Silver regularly cites from Transactions of the American Philosophical Society as well as employing the resources of North Carolina State Department of Archives and History.

The American South is an area of historical study that is rarely approached from the perspective that Silver offers. Using an ecologically grounded method of thought, Silver abandons the traditional focus on the Antebellum time period of Southern History. While the various groups of region are studied separately, Silver uses the natural climate and circumstances to bind the factions together. Silver used ecological patterns and historic evidence to effectively portray that the trends that he proposes are genuine and factual. Although A New Face on the Countryside employs an environmental perspective, some of the most useful information is still to be found in the populations themselves. Silver is quite boastful of the Native American's subsistence techniques, and his use of primary sources to show the respect given by Europeans was truly insightful.

While the American South is often studied because of its melting pot qualities, Timothy Silver presents a view of the region that is not divided, but unified, under the constraints of the natural landscape. By using a variety of sources, Silver highlights the contributions and collisions of European Settlers, Indians, and African slaves in this unique and naturally volatile region.

... Read more

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Volume One of the two-volume set, Edible Forest Gardens, begins with an overview of the ecological and cultural context for forest gardening in modern North America. It also lays out a holistic vision that guides the study of forest ecology that follows. This ecological exploration forms the bulk of Volume One, and offers clear and specific direction for forest garden design and management. Three forest garden case studies ground the concepts discussed in the book and bring them life. Volume One concludes with colorful descriptions of forest gardening's "Top 100" species, and useful listings of information and organizational resources. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An Amazing, in-Depth Reference
It's no surprise to learn that Dave and Eric worked for seven years to write the Edible Forest Gardens books; the depth and breadth of permaculture knowledge that they present is incredible. Although I've heard some say that these books are not an easy read, I've found them to be fascinating,enjoyable and indispensable. I started my journey into permaculture with Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway, then decided to plant an edible forest in the back yard, so I purchased Volume 2 of Edible Forest Gardens, since it covers the practical consideration of forest gardening. I was so impressed with the book that I then purchased volume 1, which focuses on the ecological vision and theory for temperate climate permaculture. Highly recommended!

Volume One on Theory and Vision
This is a beautiful and well-designed book. It draws on a very large number of ecological and forestry publications, with full references. The chapter end-notes are easy to use and refer to an appended bibliography. Numerous colour photographs, and diagrams illustrate the concepts. Both as text and as a reference it will retain its value.

There are many tough patches of ecological complexity, and of subtle theory. Numerous times I could read a few pages only until I had come to understand some difficult to grasp concept, then I would need to put the book down as the authors started a fresh mental adventure. Review after each chapter could be helpful during reading, but I continued to finish, and now plan to solidify understanding by going over pencil-marked passages. Throughout, even difficult topics are made clear.

A highlight to me was the authors' masterful handling of the various theories of ecological succession, brief comments on their historical development, and preliminary discussion of how they can be used in design and management. Their enthusiasm and humor, allowed only occasional brief exposure up to this point, break through here as they repeatedly state the need for freedom, experimentation, and fun.

I found the introductory portions inspirational, also the final text portions and the catalogue of 100 most useful plants--I skipped ahead and read this listing to get a break from the theory and to see what plants could be used in my northern boreal forest location.

If this instructional and authoritative volume had been available in the 1970s, we might now have more commonly available permaculture forests and gardens for practical examination and evaluation, and a generation of working designers.

Volume Two on design and practice sits on my shelf. What a delightful problem deciding whether to start reading it or look back on Volume One!

Incredible resource for applied agro-ecological development
This book adds depth to the existing research in agro-ecology. It provides new information and examples specific to temperate, especially warmer-temperate climates.It also highlights applications of this information in the first section: "Vision." The authors have put together a massive work that will certainly serve my reference for years to come.This work is primarily an information-packed textbook that includes much in the way of strategies and principles which apply to all biological development of landscapes. In this regard the book can serve as a text in any regenerative landscape studies.

For me, the most valuable aspects of this book are:
-the articulation of integrated design principles (so many good one's under one cover)
-the masterful graphics (who did them all?)
-the development and refining of new language for thinking about agro-ecosystems.E.g. they've taken out the word "invasive" and use the word "opportunist" instead; advancing our approach in this perennial challenge and contextualizing it in a more proper problem-solving/use-based approach, as opposed to the useless conservationist/alarmist approach that can't find the leverage.
-the case studies, although I wish there were more.
-The "top 100" plant list for temperate climates = awesome resource.
-the depth of research (which is fairly mind-blowing) including aspects such as cross sectional mapping of root systems, nutrient flows in agro-ecosystems, and much much more.

It is obvious why this book has taken many years to produce.
I am left with several confusions/questions.One is the name: "Forest" gardening.The authors show the differences between forest and woodland systems (as in % canopy cover) and are clearly explaining strategies for WOODLAND gardening with some light coming in through a partially open canopy. "Edible Woodland Gardening" would make more sense and the term Forest is a bit misleading.(This is not a book about mushroom cultivation, or understory crops alone).Maybe it's simply that woodland is a fairly unused term in the States.
Another frustration is in the case studies/examples.The case studies are few and examples of strategy applications are brief.They are also only from fairly warm-temperate sites: southern England, North Carolina, etc. I did not see any from New England, for instance, where both authors reside.Of course there are not an abundance of sites to use as examples, but there are many more than are shown.I wonder why the Bullock Bros. woodland garden in a temperate region of the US was not highlighted or referenced, for instance.I am hoping that Volume II has more of these case studies.

Overall an incredible work of research with an applied focus and a super useful source of ecological design principles that are crucial for any student in any field connected with biological landscape development.

Ben Falk
Whole Systems Design, LLC
Moretown, Vermont, USA

Awesome Forest Garden
This book is incredible and could very well change your life!

Unlike other works on permaculture and ecological agriculture, which discuss simple principles derived from ecology, Jakce dives into the real workings of forest ecology and humanity's role (and potential role) in this ecology.

While technically impressive, the real merit of this book is the quality of writing.It reads like a novel while conveying complex ecological ideas and their practical application.

It truly offers hope for a beautiful and delicious post-petroleum food production system.

Check it out now!
And then get gardening like the forest!! ... Read more

Product Description
Although a few texts on forest hydrology are available, they cover very little, if any, background on water resources. On the other hand, books dealing with water resources do not cover topics on forest-water relations. The one exception to this is Forest Hydrology: An Introduction to Water and Forests. Now with the publication of a revised edition, this volume adds information from recent studies to go even further in providing an introduction to forest hydrology that brings water resources and forest-water relations into a single practical and comprehensive volume

Focusing on processes and general principles, the first six chapters provide an introduction and basic background in water and water resources, while the last seven chapters look at the impact of forests on water. Between these two groupings is a chapter that serves as an entry to the study of forest impacts on water resources, describing forests and forest characteristics important to water circulation, sediment movement, and stream habitat. This second edition also features new informationon forests and flooding, forest and stream habitat, snow vaporization processes, and GIS methods in hydrology research, examples on evaporation estimates, and a new appendix on forest interception measurements.

Employing examples and case studies, the book provides tools to help natural resource managers play an active role in policymaking and land-use planning, and in developing partnerships with stakeholders. It also offers unique perspectives for addressing urban sprawl. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Compreshensive Treatment of Forest Hydrology
The discussions on forest hydrology contained in these chapters are quite comprehensive, making this one of the most thorough forest hydrology texts I have read.This makes this text an excellent resource for anyone interested in forest hydrology.It is thoroughly annotated, making it a great reference as well.The material in the last chapter, especially the section on the calculations involved in the Wagon Wheel Gap study is an excellent presentation.I know of no other textbook that includes these techniques with a worked example and discussion of the same data set.The material contained in the appendix is also quite useful.Overall, this book is one of the most comprehensive available, providing readers with a thorough knowledge of the subject and an understanding of management implications. ... Read more

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Before Forks, a small town on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, became famous as the location for Stephenie Meyer's Twilight book series, it was the self-proclaimed "Logging Capitol of the World" and ground zero in a regional conflict over the fate of old-growth forests. Since Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist William Dietrich first published The Final Forest in 1992, logging in Forks has given way to tourism, but even with its new fame, Forks is still a home to loggers and others who make their living from the surrounding forests. The new edition recounts how forest policy and practices have changed since the early 1990s and also tells us what has happened in Forks and where the actors who were so important to the timber wars are now.

William Dietrich, a former science writer for the Seattle Times, is the author of Northwest Passage: The Great Columbia River and Natural Grace: The Charm, Wonder, and Lessons of Pacific Northwest Animals and Plants, as well as popular fiction.

Winner of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award

"In writing as lush as the threatened forests he describes, William Dietrich captures why the battle isn't merely for the ancient forests of the Pacific Northwest and California but for the health of the planet itself." -Michael L. Fischer, former Executive Director, Sierra Club

"William Dietrich has gone to the heart of the greatest forest left in North America and returned with a clear and compelling story of why so many people are fighting over it. Like the towering firs of the Olympic Peninsula, this book will stand the test of time." -Timothy Egan, author of The Big Burn"Dietrich presents in an easy-to-read narrative style the point of view of various participants in this war, from the logger whose way of life is threatened to a biologist concerned with saving the Northern spotted owl. Highly recommended." Library Journal"A remarkably readable and lucid account." Audubon Magazine"The best book about the environment that I've read in a year." -Newsday ... Read more

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Winner of the
New England Book Award Best
Nonfiction Award
and the Franklin Fairbanks
Award of the Fairbanks Museum

In a book destined to become a classic, biologist and acclaimed nature writer Bernd Heinrich takes readers on an eye-opening journey through the hidden life of a forest. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

You'll never look at trees the same way again.
Even though it's been several years since I've read this book, I still think of it often and treasure Bernd Heinrich's gentle lessons about the lives of trees.The thought that trees actively pursue life - and even move - was a novel idea for me. This and many of the other observations Mr. Heinrich makes in this book have made a lasting difference to me not only in the way that I see the natural world but also the way that I approach issues in my every day life.

This book would make a thoughtful gift for anyone who has a love of the outdoors.It's not just about ecology or forestry- it's not even a statement about conservation.You don't need a scientific background or an agenda to enjoy this book.You just need a love of nature and the willingness to consider life as it grows around you.

The real meaning of "ecology"
Bernd Heinrich's abilities in acute perception are well portrayed in this book.He possesses extensive scientific training and research in natural conditions - having published on bees, ravens and geese.This account ties much of that research to a wider view of those animals' home territories.It's a study of the patches of woods surrounding his home.What trees are growing there, and why?Which animals and birds are attracted to the area, and what keeps them away?What's the value of a forest fire, and is "machine logging" more destructive to the forest environment than the more traditional felling and dragging?All these and more questions are addressed here with deep insight and related with Heinrich's fine expressive powers.It may not be too much to say that if you own but one book on trees and forest environments, this is the one to have.

Raised in rural Maine, Heinrich returned in 1977 and restored a 122-hectare bush near his early home.Heinrich describes himself as "partly arboreal", but adds to that a weighty talent for patience.As he has demonstrated in other books, he can sit for hours observing birds and insects.Trees require a different sort of patience; one that needs the additional dedication to record changes over lengthy time periods.He studies their growth and how they spread their offspring around the land.Which trees are shade-tolerant and which need extensive sunlight?Which ones encourage certain insects or birds, and how. Which ones attract them and how?He describes the way trees draw water from the ground - a molecule at a time at the leaf end, not "pumped" from below.Consider the evolutionary steps that led a species of pine to retain its seeds until very special conditions ensue.The cone housing them pops open and disperses them only when the temperature reaches 60 degrees- heat that can only be generated by a forest fire.

We all abhor the destructive force of a forest fire, but that's only because we fail to consider the forest from the tree's longer perspective.As trees die and fall, new patches of soil are exposed to the sun, bringing in species competing for resources.Fire is the only way to cleanse the forest floor and eliminate some trees shading others.As recovery species emerge, moose and other browser species again populate the forest.More birds and small mammals also arrive, extending the diversity but also acting as tree predators.Heinrich's account of how trees control predation is enlightening.One is tempted to ask whether a tree "thinks".As he makes clear, however, the control is part of the co-evolutionary process of a tree and its environment.

Logging is another intrusion on forests and Heinrich is scathing at how the industry handles the forest.Centred on the ubiquitous white pine, lumbering his area goes back to the early colonial period.At one time Bangor, Maine, was the greatest lumber shipping port in the world - in thirty years its population jumped from 277 to over fourteen thousand."Clear-cutting" does more than just remove trees.It destroys the foundation of mycorrhizal fungi that are part of the tree's nutritional network.The replacement of felled trees by plantations of single types denies the development of the proper ecological balance a true forest requires to flourish.The next generation of trees is shorter and less robust than those first taken.On the other hand, Heinrich notes the differing impact on the forest when trees are felled and removed by horse, dragged out on a skid or both felled and removed by a huge mechanism.The giant "cutter-buncher" was the least environmentally damaging!

Heinrich's prose style, which, translated into classroom lectures surely keeps attendance high, gives the reader a sense of being right in company during his wanderings and watchings.Under his deft touch, the word "ecology" rises above the status of "environmentalist" buzzword.Without ever using the term, he demonstrates the importance of understanding the interacting of all the parts of a forest, from microbes to arboreal giants.The reader isn't overwhelmed by technicalities, but the science of his account permeates every page.Add to that expressive ability, the detailed drawings, images of trees and their components, capped by sweeping aerial photographs all provide the panorama a forest requires to tell its story completely. Heinrich provides the narrative, but it's the forest itself dictating the account.[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

The trees and the roots and the way things work
This thoughtfully entertaining volume reports a close look at three hundred acres of Maine -- a forest ecosystem and the many lives it contains and impacts. Just over two decades before this writing, Heinrich returned to his native state and bought an old farm near his boyhood home. The grown scientist revisits childhood memories, seeing the whole and the parts with deeper understanding. He shares profound insights into biology and interdependence, evolution and population dynamics. Each essay follows a different strand of the web of lives: mice, mushrooms, sapsuckers, giant trees and tiny clubmosses each held up for a closer look. Heinrich seems more resigned to "progress" than I will ever be, and more optimistic about the future of our forests, but his lucid observations deepened my appreciation of the subtlety of natural systems and their ability to adapt. I could not agree more with his observation that "a vision of eco-system as life is a common thread that, if taught and encouraged, could unite all of mankind."

Introduction to the Science of Trees
This book is an informal introduction to the science of trees.Heinrich, known for his studies on animal behavior, originally trained in forest ecology.In this book, he provides a general introduction to many aspects of forest ecology.Starting from the acreage surrounding his cabin in Northern Maine, Heinrich considers many different aspects of the trees he encounters there, from the overgrown apple orchards to oaks and pines, from tree evolution to tree geometry and tree reproduction.In addition to the trees, he also examines other elements of the forest ecosystem, including fungi, birds, and insects. End material includes a checklist of trees found in Northern Maine and an extensive list of references.The book is illustrated with black-and-white drawings and a set of color plates, all drawn by Heinrich. This is an excellent introduction to forest ecology suitable for general readers and beginning naturalists alike.

Great Book
This book does not disappoint.It is written in Mr Heinrick's usual style which puts complex scientific information into language the average person can understand.He doesn't dumb it down; he explains how a process works by giving first hand observations and his opinions. It was as if I was sitting with him in his woods.He explained the science behind our ordinary observations-why some trees are tall and other not, how they grow from center and lateral buds and how that can show age for example. This is a very enjoyable book for the nature/outdoors reader.I learned much from it and had a good time doing it. ... Read more

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Due to the decline of wood harvests in the Pacific Northwest, the pressure is on the hardwood forests of the Eastern United States, from New York to Georgia to Missouri, to make up the difference. This timely book presents in-depth information about forest management, silviculture, and the ecology of the eastern forest regions, which are fast approaching maturity. The author provides foresters and resource managers all the expert guidance needed to protect and maintain these valuable resources. ... Read more

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Plantation forests often have a negative image. They are typically assumed to be poor substitutes for natural forests, particularly in terms of biodiversity conservation, carbon storage, provision of clean drinking water and other non-timber goods and services. Often they are monocultures that do not appear to invite people for recreation and other direct uses. Yet as this book clearly shows, they can play a vital role in the provision of ecosystem services, when compared to agriculture and other forms of land use or when natural forests have been degraded.

This is the first book to examine explicitly the non-timber goods and services provided by plantation forests, including soil, water and biodiversity conservation, as well as carbon sequestration and the provision of local livelihoods. The authors show that, if we require a higher provision of ecosystem goods and services from both temperate and tropical plantations, new approaches to their management are required. These include policies, methods for valuing the services, the practices of small landholders, landscape approaches to optimise delivery of goods and services, and technical issues about how to achieve suitable solutions at the scale of forest stands. While providing original theoretical insights, the book also gives guidance for plantation managers, policy-makers, conservation practitioners and community advocates, who seek to promote or strengthen the multiple-use of forest plantations for improved benefits for society. ... Read more

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By examining the connections among local values, material needs, and environmental management regimes, Saving Forests, Protecting People? explores that difficult terrain where culture, the environment, and social policies meet. ... Read more

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Business Management and the Natural Environment presents the new set of managerial and strategic challenges posed by environmental questions.By drawing from concepts throughout the traditional business management curriculum and applying them to this new set of managerial challenges, the authors demonstrate the impact of environmental problems on every functional area:marketing, production, finance, control and strategy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This is a fantastic text for business managers!!
This is a great book, with incredibly practical case studies for business managers.Doing two or three of them gives you a growing sense of strategy formation process ... Read more

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This book provides a uniquely detailed and systematic comparison of environmental forest policies and enforcement in twenty countries worldwide, covering developed, transition and developing economies. The goal is to enhance global policy learning and promote well-informed and precisely-tuned policy solutions.

Market globalization and the globalization of environmental concerns have spurred demand for greater international accountability for forest stewardship. In response, a range of multilateral governmental and non-governmental initiatives have emerged to redefine the rules of global trade, and demand verification of the legality and/or sustainability of forest products originating from within and outside national boundaries.

At the same time there is a lack of transparency and shared understanding about the environmental forest policies that already exist within the world's leading forest producing and consuming countries. The result is that many stakeholders have developed perceptions about a country's regulatory environment that are not consistent with what is actually taking place.
... Read more

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A love for nature and the forest drew Tomas Koontz to develop a keen interest in the workings of public forest management and forest policy. Beyond policy, however, this book is also about the very human issues of federalism, decentralization of control over public lands, citizen participation, and how agency policies, both state and federal, are formulated and exercised. This title examines and compares American public policy performance across both state and national levels, explaining why state agencies excel at economic outputs and profitability, the management of land with state income in mind - while national agencies are stronger in citizen participation and the inarguably important role of environmental protection. Instead of focusing on historical development of federal-state roles or on state officials as affected by national polices, Koontz shows how officials, when given authority, both make and implement policy at the state versus the national level. Although arguments fly about the decentralization of public lands - most often based on ideology-Koontz offers empirical evidence that demonstrates not only that devolution matters, but how. ... Read more

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Cascadian Treasure explains that economic and aesthetic benefits can be sustained through new approaches to forest management, proposes general goals for forest management, and discusses strategies for achieving them. Recommendations address restoration of damaged areas, management for multiple uses, dispute resolution, and federal authority. ... Read more

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Most of the less-favoured regions in Europe feature large areas of forestland. The location of these areas - often far from political and economic centres, and in many cases in adverse climatic or terrain conditions - have been problematic for agriculture as well as for many other economic activities. Because of this unfavourable relationship between forest cover and the regional development opportunities of non-forest sectors, forest resources are an important factor for regional employment and income in many less-favoured regions. Higher utilization of existing wood and non-wood forest resources and services is expected to contribute to regional development by increasing the employment opportunities and welfare. The FORWARD (Forest Resources for Work Opportunities and Regional Development) project at the European Forest Institute was initiated to generate employment and income based on forest resources. The four-year study concentrated mainly on 11 case areas located in the border regions of Europe. In addition, analyses on the overall situation of the potential of forestry to contribute to regional development in Europe were conducted.The findings of the project are presented in this report. ... Read more