Hemlock: A Forest Giant on the Edge

Extract

Management Implications: The review of this book (Hemlock: A Forest Giant on the Edge) would make an excellent addition to the library of any researcher or professional with tree-related interests, or any tree enthusiast eager to learn more about this important species.

It has been said that we should never judge a book by its cover, but the cover of Hemlock: A Forest Giant on the Edge is indeed notable. It features a photo of a single small, almost beleaguered, understory eastern hemlock [(Tsuga canadensis) (L.) Carrière] tree, growing next to a much larger, more mature specimen of the same species, under snow-covered, frozen soil. A single ray of light penetrates the forest floor, communicating both hope and desperation as the surviving tree struggles to absorb whatever light has made the journey through the dark, dense canopy. And all of this set on a rather ominous black book jacket.

Intended for a broad-based audience ranging from forest researchers to practitioners to tree lovers, Hemlock: A Forest Giant on the Edge is an impressive compilation of the many decades of research and discovery from notable experts at Harvard University’s renowned Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA. The 306-page text is informative, enlightening, and interesting. Contributions by some of the foremost authorities on the role of hemlock in the foundational development and management of New England forests are merged seamlessly into this single resource, in a manner that is engaging to the casual reader and surely gripping to any tree enthusiast.