The Journeys of Trees

June 1, 2020

The first book by science reporter St. George examines the lives of five iconic tree species: giant sequoia, ash, black spruce, Florida torreya, and Monterey pine. Through these trees, we meet the ecologists, conservationists, and industry workers who have vested interests in their futures. St. George examines trees through the lens of biogeography, which investigates the link between a species's habitat requirements and its geographical location. Scientists posit that climate change affects some species' abilities to thrive at current locations. A warming planet means species must move poleward or upslope to survive. The author interviews those who believe humans should intervene to plant trees in habitats where they are best suited along with those who are working on genetic modification to ensure the long-term health and fitness of trees. He traverses the United States and Canada, and journeys to New Zealand, in order to examine the fossil record and provide complementary research to support the different contentions surrounding these imperiled tree species. VERDICT A beautiful elegy to trees and the people working to preserve them. This compelling read shows how climate change impacts the natural ranges of tree species and how scientists are creating strategies to mitigate this influence.--Diana Hartle, Univ. of Georgia Science Lib., Athens

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2020
Science reporter St. George, who's written for Scientific American, Smithsonian, Outside, and other publications, offers a rumination, backed by in-depth reporting, on the current state of North America's forests. He focuses on five trees?the giant sequoia, ash, black spruce, Florida torreya, and Monterey pine?and the unique problems each now faces, from beetle infestation (ash) to global warming (black spruce) to finding oneself in the wrong place at the wrong time (Florida torreya). If St. George's account of humankind's spectacular failures in managing nature is any indication?for example, silk-producer �tienne L�opold Trouvelot's failed efforts in the late 1860s to contain then-rare gypsy moths in his own Medford, MA, home, resulting in devastation that continues throughout New England and the upper Midwest?the future of forests is not promising. Yet the extraordinary scientists he features here do give hope that their nuanced work, in this pandemic time of renewed respect for facts, will be taken seriously enough to repair, even avert, catastrophic change.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)