Forest Talk: How Trees Communicate

by Melissa Koch

Overview

Trees are essential. They provide water, shelter, and food for millions of plant and animal species, including humans. They deliver proven health benefits, and they capture and store carbon, which combats climate change. Yet trees are in trouble. Forests are struggling to adapt to climate change, and deforestation is a major threat.

Recently, researchers and citizen scientists made the surprising revelation that trees communicate with each other through an underground system of soil fungi and other methods. Complex social networks help trees survive and thrive by transferring resources to each other, sending defense signals, communicating with their kin, and more. Meet the tree scientists and learn more of their fascinating discoveries.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541552517
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	29 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	13 - 14 Years

About the Author

Melissa Koch is a writer and inventor of digital learning environments for children, educators, and adults. She specializes in materials that encourage women and youth from diverse backgrounds to pursue their dreams in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Her STEM curricula activities have received recognition from the National Science Foundation, Whitehouse Science Fair, PBS, and others. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, with her husband, son, and Labrador retriever. She dreams of creating a 3D printer that can print both wood and metal to fix her favorite antique furniture and bicycle.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Reconnecting With Trees 4

Chapter 1 Our Trees, Our Life 12

Chapter 2 Healthy Trees, Healthy Humans 22

Chapter 3 Trees Talk to One Another 32

Chapter 4 The Forest Canopy's Cry For Help 50

Chapter 5 Listening to Forests 64

Conclusion: Next Steps 78

Source Notes 86

Glossary 88

Selected Bibliography 90

Further Information 91

Index 93

Editorial Reviews

"An intriguing volume that describes the surprising hidden lives of trees and underscores their key role in our world."—Booklist

From the Publisher

Winter 2018

Gr 4–8—Though some humans (like the Mbuti Pygmies in the Democratic Republic of Congo) respect and treasure the gifts of trees, overall deforestation is increasing worldwide. Koch (3D Printing: The Revolution in Personalized Manufacturing) covers tree basics (types, anatomy) and details how trees fit into the water cycle, the carbon cycle, and the ways they contribute to a healthy environment. Koch includes research on "mother trees," the mycorrhizal network some trees use for communication, and new discoveries about life in the forest canopy. The final chapter outlines next steps students can take to help forests survive, so that shinrin-yoku, or "forest bathing" (immersing oneself among trees to renew body and mind) will continue to be an option for all. Clear photos and graphics enhance understanding, and source notes, a glossary, a selected bibliography, further information, and an index make this helpful for study. Scientist profiles highlight some of the researchers whose works appear in the book. VERDICT Outdoorsy readers of all types will enjoy this title. A good choice for ecology units, science classes, and budding scientists as well.—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX

School Library Journal