trying to find the name of a book

[B the Hiker]

Greetings all,

I was told of a book that helps explain what one sees in the wild, from a...what, naturalists perspective. In other words, it helps explain the story behind that copse of dead trees, or the clearing.

I believe it was something like Reading the Naked Landscape.

Not much to go on, but I figured if anyone could help me, it's the folks this forum.

Thanks!


Brian

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

Would it be Reading the Forested Landscape: A Natural History of New England?

 

[B the Hiker]

Well, that took all of seven minutes to get an answer! Thank you, Mohamed, that looks like the book.

All the best,


Brian

 

[Jason Berard]

Tom Wessels also has a companion field guide called "Forest Forensics" which is kinda neat.
If you ever get the chance to see him give a talk on "Reading the Forested Landscape" do it. You'll never look at the New England landscape the same afterwards.

 

[B the Hiker]

That's exactly the goal for me, Jason. I keep walking to spots that are clearly different from the surrounding area, and want to know what happened. I will look that book up as well. Thank you for the suggestion.


Brian

 

[Jason Berard]

Happy to help. One word for you to think about. Disturbances. Differences are caused by disturbances. Natural events (wind, flood, hurricane, fire, etc), human-caused events (tilling, pasturing, logging, fire etc.).

I am still a newbie to all this stuff, but learning about it has made walking around a lot more interesting! I still come home with more questions that I left with!

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

Thank you, Mohamed, that looks like the book.

Perhaps I should thank you.

A bit of background. The book was published a few (several??) years ago to very enthusiastic reviews, and I was thinking of buying it. As I recall, at that time it was only available in hardcover at a price that I did not want to pay. Life moved on, and I forgot all about it (well, not quite all, traces linger in the depths of memory) until I read your post.

So I looked up Reading Landscape on Amazon and immediately recognized it in the search results. I have just ordered both it and the same author's Forest Forensics: A Field Guide to Reading the Forested Landscape.

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

If you ever get the chance to see him give a talk on "Reading the Forested Landscape" do it.

I seem to remember that you mentioned a talk by him in a trip report (work trip???) some time ago. It briefly reminded me that I was interested in the book, but not apparently enough to get me to actually do something

 

[sardog1]

Happy to help. One word for you to think about. Disturbances. Differences are caused by disturbances. Natural events (wind, flood, hurricane, fire, etc), human-caused events (tilling, pasturing, logging, fire etc.)

I grew up in Minnesota believing that the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness was untrammeled wild country. Then I moved to AK and then WA which both had actual old growth forests. I also saw what clearcuts do to such forests. Moved back to MN, took a trip north and instantly realized that virtually everything in the BWCAW had been disturbed by logging in the past.

BTW, I also recommend "Reading the Forested Landscape".

 

[erugs]

I heard Tom speak after Reading the Forested Landscape was published. Fascinating to me to say the least. He also wrote The Granite Landscape. Forest Forensics has helped to round out my library for understanding the woodlands, forests, ledges and other features I find in my travels. They all have widended my horizons and opened my eyes.

 

[Andrew]

You may also want to check out "North Woods" by Peter J. Marchand. Book is more specific to reading high elevation natural history (fir waves..etc..).

If you are already familiar with this book from many years back, there is a new edition in the past few years that has been updated enough to deserve re-reading. I bought the new one and think the title is the same, quick check of the shelf only finds my old edition.

 

[DougPaul]

You may also want to check out "North Woods" by Peter J. Marchand. Book is more specific to reading high elevation natural history (fir waves..etc..).

Amazon shows a publishing data of 1994 for "North Woods: An Inside Look at the Nature of Forests in the Northeast". http://www.amazon.com/North-Woods-I...6640/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345040429&sr=8-1

If you are already familiar with this book from many years back, there is a new edition in the past few years that has been updated enough to deserve re-reading. I bought the new one and think the title is the same, quick check of the shelf only finds my old edition.

Might you be thinking of "Nature Guide to the Northern Forest: Exploring the Ecology of the Forests of New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine" by Marchand which has a pub date of 2010? http://www.amazon.com/Nature-Guide-Northern-Forest-Exploring/dp/1934028428/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Doug

 

[Jason Berard]

North Woods is a great read!

 

[gaiagirl]

Thank you Barkingcat! I don't get many opportunities to see Tom these days, so that is going on my calendar immediately. I have nothing else to add, other than to say that if you think his books are awesome, imagine walking through woods and wetlands with him throughout entire semesters for a couple of years ..... I was/am so lucky to have had my Antioch New England grad school experience!