The forest unseen : a year's watch in nature Cover Image

The forest unseen : a year's watch in nature / David George Haskell.

Summary:

In this wholly original book, biologist David Haskell uses a one-square-meter patch of old-growth Tennessee forest as a window onto the entire natural world. Visiting it almost daily for one year to trace nature's path through the seasons, he brings the forest and its inhabitants to vivid life. Each short chapter begins with a simple observation: a salamander scuttling across the leaf litter; the first blossom of spring wildflowers. From these, Haskell spins a web of biology and ecology, explaining the science that binds together the tiniest microbes and the largest mammals and describing the ecosystems that have cycled for thousands--sometimes millions--of years. Each visit to the forest presents a nature story in miniature as Haskell elegantly teases out the intricate relationships that order the creatures and plants that call it home. Written with grace and empathy, The Forest Unseen is a grand tour of nature in all its profundity.--From publisher description.

Record details

ISBN: 067002337X
ISBN: 9780143122944
ISBN: 9780670023370
Physical Description: xiv, 268 pages ; 22 cm
Publisher: New York : Viking, 2012.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

January 1st-Partnerships 1 -- January 17th-Kepler's Gift 8 -- January 21st-The Experiment 12 -- January 30th-Winter Plants 21 -- February 2nd-Footprints 25 -- February 16th-Moss 35 -- February 28th-Salamander 41 -- March 13th-Hepatica 46 -- March 13th-Snails 51 -- March 25th-Spring Ephemerals 54 -- April 2nd-Chainsaw 63 -- April 2nd-Flowers 68 -- April 8th-Xylem 73 -- April 14th-Moth 78 -- April 16th-Sunrise Birds 81 -- April 22nd-Walking Seeds 86 -- April 29th-Earthquake 93 -- May 7th-Wind 97 -- May 18th-Herbivory 102 -- May 25th-Ripples 109 -- June 2nd-Quest 117 -- June 10th-Ferns 122 -- June 20th-A Tangle 127 -- July 2nd-Fungi 131 -- July 13th-Fireflies 137 -- July 27th-Sunfleck 141 -- August 1st-Eft and Coyote 147 -- August 8th-Earthstar 156 -- August 26th-Katydid 160 -- September 21st-Medicine 164 -- September 23rd-Caterpillar 169 -- September 23rd-Vulture 174 -- September 26th-Migrants 180 -- October 5th-Alarm Waves 184 -- October 14th-Samara 188 -- October 29th-Faces 194 -- November 5th-Light 199 -- November 15th-Sharp-shinned Hawk 207 -- November 21st-Twigs 213 -- December 3rd-Litter 222 -- December 6th-Underground Bestiary 230 -- December 26th-Treetops 236 -- December 31st-Watching 239.