From the Bookshelf of Science and Inquiry…

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World

Peter Wohlleben,

Tim Flannery (Foreword)

Start date: May 1, 2017

Finish date: May 31, 2017

Discussion: Book Club 2017

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May 2017 - Hidden Life of Trees
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May 03, 2017 aPriL does feral sometimes rated it really liked it

Shelves: science, academic-notations, non-fiction

'The Hidden Life of Trees' is a bit like Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care, only more Big Picture. The author presents a science of forestry for the general reader in an entirely new paradigm for understanding forests - anthropomorphically. Trees are people, only a lot less mobile and with the outlook of beings who can live up to 500 years old.

Peter Wohlleben writes in a lively entertaining manner (as far as I know as my edition is translated from the original German to English). The author avoid 'The Hidden Life of Trees' is a bit like Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care, only more Big Picture. The author presents a science of forestry for the general reader in an entirely new paradigm for understanding forests - anthropomorphically. Trees are people, only a lot less mobile and with the outlook of beings who can live up to 500 years old.

Peter Wohlleben writes in a lively entertaining manner (as far as I know as my edition is translated from the original German to English). The author avoids scientific words but not the science of trees. He is not a scientist, actually, but in having studied forestry, he has been professionally responsible for managing forests for decades and he works with the intention of maintaining the health, and happiness, of his trees. Using his own observations and experiments, and in applying the recent discoveries of scientists, he thinks trees feel and act with more intention than we recognize.

Given the evidence he presents in this book, Wohlleben convinced me trees act to improve their survival more than we know. Just like us, they are social beings, trusting most in their 'children', grown from their own seeds, and in nearby related tree members of their 'tribe'. Recently, evidence has been mounting trees also communicate with their 'family' primarily through symbiotic relationships with fungi parasites living on their roots, although different varieties of trees utilize other methods, too. Trees will support offspring or 'friends' - trees 'who' are sick or injured - with gifts of sugar and water, for example, through underground networks.

There is a lot more information about the nature of trees, both as communities and as individuals, as well as how different animals and insects aid or distress them. The author also describes the effects of weather and water and time on the different tree varieties. Tree fill environment niches and compete with each other for sun and space, too. However, as usual, humans have dramatically interfered with their tree 'lives' both for better and worse - mostly worse, even when we are trying to be good stewards.

The author uses a cute sentimental anthropomorphical vocabulary which might annoy some readers. I was startled by it, frankly, but it grew on me. The author feels affection for trees, but he does not think trees will hug him back. I think.

For example, quoting from the book: "That means it is okay to use wood as long as trees are allowed to live in a way that is appropriate to their species. And that means that they should be allowed to fulfill their social needs, to grow in a true forest environment on undisturbed ground, and to pass their knowledge on to the next generation. And at least some of them should be allowed to grow old with dignity and finally die a natural death." This statement isn't as crazy as it seems; the author explains by examples and appropriate science how trees are healthier and live longer under conditions which appear to be physical analogs to arrangements which create human feelings of happiness.

Wohlleben isn't claiming trees 'feel' happy, just that they appear stronger and healthier if they can 'arrange' their immediate environment without being touched or manipulated by humans. A forest can be built up naturally as a good place of strong and healthy tree, plant, insect and animal varieties - given 500 years or so of isolation. However, this is a timeline with which humans obviously have issues; we feel we need to clear the land for planting crops or human habitations or uses, or we try to save dying trees, or we accidentally or purposefully create a flora monoculture - because we don't understand that early tree pioneers and flora/fauna settlers of a new forest may need to later have a die-off.

Other flora and fauna varieties establish themselves on top of the remains of the previous century's forest. This is normal. Forests undergo a process of maturing over time that results in an overall stronger forest which supports healthier flora and fauna. We mess up this process a lot, both through our destruction of old legacy forests and our lack of knowledge in caring for trees.

Wohlleben's book hopes to reduce some of our ignorance by teaching us to be better step-grandmothers and step-granddads to our adopted but over-managed woody children. ...more

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