|
|
WOJTECH, MICHAEL; WESSELS, TOM (FOREWORD) ListingsIf you cannot find what you want on this page, then please use our search feature to search all our listings. Click on Title to view full description
|
|
|
|
1 |
WOJTECH, MICHAEL; WESSELS, TOM (FOREWORD) Bark: A Field Guide To Trees Of The Northeast.
University Press of New England, Hanover: 2011 s Softcover. Brand new book.
What kind of tree is that? From Maine to New York, you'll never be stumped again with this handy companion to the trees of the Northeast, either out in the woods or in your own backyard. Many people know how to identify trees by their leaves, but what about when those leaves have fallen or are out of reach? With detailed information and illustrations covering each phase of a tree's lifecycle, this indispensable guidebook explains how to identify trees by their bark alone. Chapters on the structure and ecology of tree bark, descriptions of bark appearance, an easy-to-use identification key, and supplemental information on non-bark characteristicsÑall enhanced by over 450 photographs, illustrations, and mapsÑwill show you how to distinguish the textures, shapes, and colors of bark to recognize various tree species, and also understand why these traits evolved. Whether you're a professional naturalist or a parent leading a family hike, Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast is your essential guide to the region's 67 native and naturalized tree species. Michael Wojtech edited the journal Whole Terrain and now researches, writes, and teaches about trees and other aspects of natural history. He lives with his family in the woods of western Massachusetts. "The section on how bark is formed and the discussion of possible advantages of different bark stylesÑthick bark protects from fire; photosynthesis can take place beneath thin barkÑhelp prepare the reader for the serious business of identifying a tree just by looking carefully at its bark. But this is not as daunting a task as you might imagine: the detailed keys and descriptions and the excellent photographs make matching bark to tree an enjoyable and gratifying process."ÑVirginia Barlow, co-editor, Northern Woodlands "BarkÑthe tissue and the bookÑis elegant. As part of a tree's basic structure bark is always present, is critical to a tree's function and survival, and provides a diagnostic feature unique to every species. This surprising and engaging volume enhances one's vision for trees and the diverse natural history that they support. Delve into it to expand your awareness and comprehension of nature." ÑDavid R. Foster, Director, Harvard Forest, Harvard University "For too long the barks of trees have been relegated to the naturalist's back burner, but now Michael Wojtech has brought them forward and whipped them into a forested feast for our eyes. I encourage anyone who picks this book up to go forth and, just as I did more than fifty years ago, become acquainted with your sylvan neighbors by the wonderful ways they cloak their strong frames." - Tom Wessels, from the Foreword
Price:
24.95 USD
|
|
Add to Shopping Cart |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
WESSELS, TOM. The Myth Of Progress: Toward A Sustainable Future.
University of Vermont Press, Lebanon: 2006. 1584654953 / 9781584654957 First Edition. h Hardcover with dustjacket. Brand new book.
A provocative critique of Western progress from a scientific perspective. In this compelling and cogently argued book, Tom Wessels demonstrates how our current path toward progress, based on continual economic expansion and inefficient use of resources, runs absolutely contrary to three foundational scientific laws that govern all complex natural systems. It is a myth, he contends, that progress depends on a growing economy. Wessels explains his theory with his three Laws of Sustainability: (1) the law of limits to growth, (2) the second law of thermodynamics, which exposes the dangers of increased energy consumption, and (3) the law of self-organization, which results in the marvelous diversity of such highly evolved systems as the human body and complex ecosystems. These laws, scientifically proven to sustain life in its myriad forms, have been cast aside since the eighteenth century, first by western economists, political pragmatists, and governments attracted by the idea of unlimited growth, and more recently by a global economy dominated by large corporations, in which consolidation and oversimplification create large-scale inefficiencies in material and energy usage. Wessels makes scientific theory readily accessible by offering examples of how the Laws of Sustainability function in the complex systems we can observe in the natural world around us. He shows how systems such as forests can be templates for developing sustainable economic practices that will allow true progress. Demonstrating that all environmental problems have their source in the Myth of Progress's disregard for the Laws of Sustainability, he concludes with an impassioned argument for cultural change.
Price:
20.45 USD
|
|
Add to Shopping Cart |
|
|
|
