From majestic Redwoods to ancient Western Bristlecone Pines, California's trees have long inspired artists, poets, naturalists—and real estate developers. Verna Johnston's splendid book, illustrated with her superb color photographs and Carla Simmons's detailed black-and-white drawings, now offers an unparalleled view of the Golden State's world-renowned forests and woodlands. In clear, vivid prose, Johnston introduces each of the state's dominant forest types. She describes the unique characteristics of the trees and the interrelationships of the plants and animals living among them, and she analyzes how fire, flood, fungi, weather, soil, and humans have affected the forest ecology. The world of forest and woodland animals comes alive in these pages—the mating games, predation patterns, communal life, and the microscopic environment of invertebrates and fungi are all here. Johnston also presents a sobering view of the environmental hazards that threaten the state's trees: acid snow, ozone, blister rust, over-logging. Noting the interconnectedness of the diverse life forms within tree regions, she suggests possible answers to the problems currently plaguing these areas. Enriched by the observations of early naturalists and Johnston's many years of fieldwork, this is a book that will be welcomed by all who care about California's treasured forests and woodlands.

This handy guide will help you capture the beauty of different tree and leaf shapes, seasonal colors, the textures of barks, roots, and mosses, and much more. Convey lush foliage in a few brush strokes. Make autumn leaves glow. Add detailing to a woodland floor. Your paintings and confidence will “bloom.” “Irresistible.”—Library Journal.

Positive Impact Forestry is a primer for private woodland owners and their managers on managing their land and forests to protect both ecological and economic vitality. Moving beyond the concept of "low impact forestry," Thom McEvoy brings together the latest scientific understanding and insights to describe an approach to managing forests that meets the needs of landowners while at the same time maintaining the integrity of forest ecosystems. "Positive impact forestry" emphasizes forestry's potential to achieve sustainable benefits both now and into the future, with long-term investment superseding short-term gain, and the needs of families—especially future generations—exceeding those of individuals. Thom McEvoy offers a thorough discussion of silvicultural basics, synthesizing and explaining the current state of forestry science on topics such as forest soils, tree roots, form and function in trees, and the effects of different harvesting methods on trees, soil organisms, and sites. He also offers invaluable advice on financial, legal, and management issues, ranging from finding the right forestry professionals to managing for products other than timber to passing forest lands and management legacies on to future generations. Positive Impact Forestry helps readers understand the impacts of deliberate human activities on forests and offers viable strategies that provide benefits without damaging ecosystems. It speaks directly to private forest owners and their advisers and represents an innovative guide for anyone concerned with protecting forest ecosystems, timber production, land management, and the long-term health of forests. Named the "Best Forestry Book for 2004" by the National Woodlands Owners Association.

First Published in 2010. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

A landowner's manual for forest management in New England

The dry forests and woodlands of Sub-Saharan Africa are major ecosystems, with a broad range of strong economic and cultural incentives for keeping them intact. However, few people are aware of their importance, compared to tropical rainforests, despite them being home to more than half of the continent's population. This unique book brings together scientific knowledge on this topic from East, West, and Southern Africa and describes the relationships between forests, woodlands, people and their livelihoods. Dry forest is defined as vegetation dominated by woody plants, primarily trees, the canopy of which covers more than 10 per cent of the ground surface, occurring in climates with a dry season of three months or more. This broad definition - wider than those used by many authors - incorporates vegetation types commonly termed woodland, shrubland, thicket, savanna, wooded grassland, as well as dry forest in its strict sense. The book provides a comparative analysis of management experiences from the different geographic regions, emphasizing the need to balance the utilization of dry forests and woodland products between current and future human needs. Further, the book explores the techniques and strategies that can be deployed to improve the management of African dry forests and woodlands for the benefit of all, but more importantly, the communities that live off these vegetation formations. Thus, the book lays a foundation for improving the management of dry forests and woodlands for the wide range of products and services they provide.

- A richly illustrated overview of forest formations worldwide, fascinating in their diversity - Organized according to climatic zones, with detailed information, images, and maps - A vital overview of our forest ecosystems, how they work, and why they matter Forests are the green lungs of the world, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. They filter our air, provide drinking water, and help stabilize our climate. They also vary greatly by region, providing a home to a rich diversity of animal, plant, and tree species around the globe. Wherever you find a forest, it's sure to be a place of beauty, stillness, freshness, and replenishment. Today, more and more people are discovering the forest as a space in which to recharge their batteries but at the same time, more and more forest areas are being damaged or destroyed by human activity. Global deforestation is not a doom-laden future hypothesis, but a reality. Every year, forest areas the size of Austria are lost to the cultivation of crops, livestock, and the expansion of cities and infrastructure. This book is a tribute to and exploration of forests at a time when we urgently need to understand and protect them. It explores different forest types and their development according to local climate and soil conditions. It takes us deep into the Amazonian rain forest and looks at why this area is both particularly precious and highly vulnerable to damage. It maps the largest contiguous forest areas and examines why a mixed forest is more resilient than a monoculture. A rich source of information for all those concerned with the natural world, climate change, and environmental protection, this illustrated book is also a beautiful immersion in the arboreal refuges of our planet. From the vibrancy of the tropics and subtropics to the mythical deciduous forests of Europe and the vast boreal coniferous breadth that stretches over the northern hemisphere, this is a vital journey through the precious green ecosystems around the globe