Cottonwood and the River of Time: On Trees, Evolution, and Society

by Reinhard F. Stettler

Overview

Cottonwood and the River of Time looks at some of the approaches scientists have used to unravel the puzzles of the natural world. With a lifetime of work in forestry and genetics to guide him, Reinhard Stettler celebrates both what has been learned and what still remains a mystery as he examines not only cottonwoods but also trees more generally, their evolution, and their relationship to society.

Cottonwoods flourish on the verge, near streams and rivers. Their life cycle is closely attuned to the river's natural dynamics. An ever-changing floodplain keeps generating new opportunities for these pioneers to settle and prepare the ground for new species. Perpetual change is the story of cottonwoods — but in a broader sense, the story of all trees and all kinds of life. Through the long parade of generation after generation, as rivers meander and glaciers advance and retreat, trees have adapted and persisted, some for thousands of years. How do they do this? And more urgently, what lessons can we learn from the study of trees to preserve and manage our forests for an uncertain future?

In his search for answers, Stettler moves from the floodplain of a West Cascade river, where seedlings compete for a foothold, to mountain slopes, where aspens reveal their genetic differences in colorful displays; from the workshops of Renaissance artists who painted their masterpieces on poplar to labs where geneticists have recently succeeded in sequencing a cottonwood's genome; from the intensively cultivated tree plantations along the Columbia to old-growth forests challenged by global warming.

Natural selection and adaptation, the comparable advantages and disadvantages of sexual versus asexual reproduction, the history of plant domestication, and the purposes, risks, and potential benefits of genetic engineering are a few of the many chapters in this story. By offering lessons in how nature works, as well as how science can help us understand it, Cottonwood and the River of Time illuminates connections between the physical, biological, and social worlds.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780295988801
Publisher:	University of Washington Press
Publication date:	06/23/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Reinhard F. Stettler is professor emeritus of forestry at the University of Washington.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments

Part I: The Tree and the River

1. The Tree

2. The River

3. Regeneration

4. Water and Nutrient Relations

5. Perpetuate and Proliferate!

Part II: Variation and Variability

6. Clones

7. Why Sex?

8. Password?

9. Natural Hybridization

Part III: From Species to Populations to Genes

10. Common Gardens

11. Transplanted Trees

12. Getting Closer to the Genes

13. Migrant Trees

14. Adaptation and Its Limits

Part IV: Trees and Society

15. Changing Rivers—Changing Landscapes

16. The Dawn of Agriculture

17. The Farmer's Trees

18. From Farmers' Trees to Tree Farms

19. Poplar—A Model Tree

20. Tree Genomics and Beyond

21. Between Old Growth and Plantations

22. The Essence of Trees

23. Outlook



Notes

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

Editorial Reviews

Reading this unique book is akin to sitting down with a world-renowned scientist and hearing a story filled with scientific facts about the natural history, ecology, and genetics of cottonwoods. The story that unfolds is not necessarily linear, but is certainly appealing to anyone interested in the natural history of trees. There are witty anecdotes and quaint illustrations throughout, adding to the overall charm of the book. Recommended.

-- "Choice"

Reinhard Stettler, Professor Emeritus of forestry at University of Washington, caps his career by describing his deep respect for trees in Cottonwood and the River of Time.

-- "The Oregon Quarterly"

From the Publisher

"Reading this unique book is akin to sitting down with a world-renowned scientist and hearing a story filled with scientific facts about the natural history, ecology, and genetics of cottonwoods. The story that unfolds is not necessarily linear, but is certainly appealing to anyone interested in the natural history of trees. There are witty anecdotes and quaint illustrations throughout, adding to the overall charm of the book. Recommended."

Choice