Lives of Conifers: A Comparative Account of the Coniferous Trees Indigenous to Northeastern North America

by Graham R. Powell PhD

Overview

"Graham Powell has written an insightful and beautifully illustrated book on the lives of conifers. Everyone who works with, studies, and loves these trees will derive both knowledge and pleasure from learning about them in great detail. I have always had a special fondness for the conifers and their mystical and inspiring representatives like the massive redwoods and the bleak denizens of the boreal forests, the spruces. I conclude that Powell's book does them their well-deserved justice."
— Graeme Berlin, Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies

A comparative account of the coniferous trees indigenous to Northeastern North America.

Extensively illustrated with full-color photographs, diagrams, and drawings by the author, Graham R. Powell's Lives of Conifers examines the complex and fascinating life cycles of the 12 coniferous trees that grow naturally in northeastern North America on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.

Tracing their development from seeds and seedlings, to saplings, through the pole stage to maturity, old age, and death, the book is designed to provide a comparison of each species at each stage of life, thus aiding in the recognition and identification of species at all stages of their existence. It includes descriptions of developmental processes and how they differ among the species.

The species covered in the book are:

balsam fir

red pine

eastern hemlock

black spruce

tamarack larch

red spruce

eastern white pine

white spruce

jack pine

eastern juniper

pitch pine

eastern thuja.

The book is based almost entirely on what is visible to the careful observer in the forest, and includes only the parts of trees that can be seen above ground. Lives of Conifers will appeal to forest scientists, forestry students, foresters, forest technologists, botanists, horticulturists, arborists, naturalists, and general readers interested in knowing more about their natural surroundings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781554554799
Publisher:	Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Limited
Publication date:	08/01/2021
Pages:	276
Sales rank:	253,670
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.40(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Graham R. Powell earned his B.Sc. in Forestry at the University of Edinburgh, his MSc. in Forest Ecology at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton and his Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh. Professor Powell taught at the University of New Brunswick for 34 years. In 1997 he was appointed Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management at the university.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Seeds
Introduction
Seed Character
Sizes and Composition of Seeds
Life Histories of Seeds

3. Young Seedlings
Introduction
Germination and the Germinants
Post-germination, First-season Development

1. Fir, Hemlock, Larch, and Spruce
Balsam Fir
Eastern Hemlock
Tamarack Larch
Spruces
2. Pines
3. Eastern Juniper and Eastern Thuja

Second-season Development

1. Fir, Hemlock, Larch, and Spruce
Balsam Fir
Eastern Hemlock
Tamarack Larch
Spruces
2. Pines
3. Eastern Juniper and Eastern Thuja

4. Older Seedlings
Introduction
Light-demanding Species
Shade-tolerant Species

5. Saplings
Introduction
Leaders
Branching Patterns
Crown Structure
Shoot Features

6. The Reproductive Stage - Cone and Seed Production
Introduction
Onset and Build-up of Cone Production
Upon-shoot Positioning of Cones
Frequency of Cone Production
Abundance of Cone Production
Seed Production

7. The Reproductive Stage - Development of Cones and the Reproductive Process
Introduction
Pre-winter Pollen-cone Development
Pre-winter Seed-cone Development
Post-winter Development to the Pollen-shedding Stage
Post-winter Development to the Receptive Seed-cone Stage
Development from Cone Closure to Full Seed-cone Size
Cone and Seed Maturation and Seed Release

8. Branch Development in Older Crowns
Introduction
Branch Development
Uninoded Pines
General Principles of Branch Development, Demise, and Death
Multinoded Pines
Tamarack Larch
Spruces
Balsam Fir
Eastern Hemlock
Eastern Thuja
Eastern Juniper

Abscission of Shoot systems or Shoots
Natural Pruning

9. Growth to Old Age, and Death
Introduction
Pole Stage to Full Stature
Crown and Stem Form, and bark
General Effects of Harsh Conditions
Senescence and Death

Appendix
Glossary
Literature Cited
Index

Preface

"What are the lives of trees, of conifers, like?. . .

How do seedlings establish and develop into saplings?

How do some seedlings stay alive for decades, marking time in the deep shade of the forest?

How do the distinctive forms of saplings of the different species arise?. . .

When, how, and where do cones come from?

What is the sex life of a conifer?

Where does pollen come from?

What does pollen do?"

- From the Introduction

Editorial Reviews

"Powell expertly describes and differentiates how each conifer's uniqueness informs it growth and development. . . Powell must be commended on the pictures and illustrations in the book. Most of the pieces in the book come from his research, collections, and aid from his students. Wonderfully photographed, they capture the delicacy and complexity of each stage of development. . . If you are a student of nature it is a valuable resource for study."

-- The Daily Gleaner (New Brunswick)

"This valuable book by Graham Powell is essentially a life history of conifers combining details from twelve species... Illustration is excellent and extensive, the text is clearly written... Northeasterners who have these trees nearby are most fortunate to have this fine synthesis. Conifer aficianados outside the range of the species Powell describes can only be envious."

— TAXON - Journal of the IAPT (International Association for Plant Taxonomy)

From the Publisher