More than 80,000 species of trees today cover a full 30 percent of the earth's land mass and have dominated the earth for over 300 million years. They are the largest organisms that have ever lived, with some species outweighing the largest whales ten to one. In this richly illustrated overview, Roland Ennos examines trees' history, explains their mechanics, and assesses their future.Beginning in the primordial days before the dinosaurs, Ennos describes how the organisms that would evolve into trees first appeared. He explores the enormous diversity of tree life today, demonstrating the wide range of strategies that trees have adapted for survival and reproduction, and devotes an entire section to how trees lift water. He considers the evolutionary and environmental reasons behind the tremendous variation in leaf size and shape, wood density and color, flower and fruit, and other distinguishing characteristics.
Ennos also explores humans' diverse relationships with trees in depth. He points out that trees are important components of almost all human ecosystems, from forests to urban landscapes. Taking a historical perspective, he explains methods of forest management and details the specialized uses for particular tree products, from wood to fruit to chemical compounds. The book closes with an assessment of the prospects for the continued diversity of tree life on this heavily populated planet.
