Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

A new tree biology - facts, photos and philosophies and their problems and proper care. Alex L. Shigo, xiv + 595 pp., illus., 1986 (hard cover).

A new tree biology - facts, photos and philosophies and their problems and proper care. Alex L.... 292 IAWA Bulletin n.s., Vol. 9 (3), 1988 REVIEWS A new tree biology - facts, photos and Thereis nodoubt in Shigo's mind that a large philosophies and their problems and part of the problems for our trees and forests proper care. Alex L. Shigo, xiv + 595 pp., can be solved by eradicating unnecessary ig­ illus., 1986 (hard cover). norance on important tree biological princi­ A new tree biology dictionary. Terms, ples, and probably therefore he has exchang­ topics and treatments for trees, their ed his long and productive research career at problems and proper care. Ibid. x + 132 the U.S. Forest Service (for a selected bibli­ pp., 1986 (soft cover). ography by W. C. Shortle, see IA W ABulI. Shigo and Trees, Associates, 4 Denbow n.s. 5: 100-104, 1984) for one to teach and Road, Durharn, New Hampshire 03824, educate. We can be grateful for this. U.S.A. Price per set US$ 61.00. 'A new tree biology' is a fascinating story A review of these twin publications is about living trees, their leaves, branches, long overdue in this Bulletin. This is because sterns, and roots and how they react to or in­ much of the essence of Dr. Shigo's new tree teract with other living organisms - animals, biology appears to be based on wood anato­ bacteria, fungi and plants. The concept of my. Not in the contemporary botanical sense compartmentalisationof trees plays of course of the word, as synonymous with the study a dominant role in this book by the author of of microstructure, but in the literal and origi­ the CODIT concept. Apart from the general nal sense of anatomy as the skill to dissect. In subjects such as branch insertion, branch view of the large organisms not with a razor shedding, wounding, heartwood and discol­ blade, rnicrotome knife or scalpel, but appro­ orations, pruning, wetwood, etc., a number priately with the chain saw. During the last of subjects deals with specific diseases such 30 years Dr. Shigo has studied the effects of as chestnut blight, canker rot, Dutch elm dis­ wounding and pathogens by dissecting over ease, fire blight, and a host of practical prob­ 15,000 healthy and diseased trees in this lems caused by various treatments. In fact the way, and the present books bring tegether the multitude of topics treated is hard to summa­ vast experience, insights, and recommenda­ rise in a review. What struck me very pleas­ tions for proper tree and forest care based on antly is that these books answer so many this work. The books are not primarily in­ questions which most wood anatomists feel tended for an academic readership, but for the (or should feel) guilty of not knowing any­ people who really matter for our trees: the thing about, and which hopeful relatives and 'tree people' in forests, parks, gardens, and friends embarrassingly keep asking. In this orchards and those in the care of overstressed context it is hardly relevant that some rnis­ roadside trees in towns. Thus one will look takes were left uneorreeted (e.g., on p. 169 in vain for a bibliography of the thousands of the erroneous notion that primary growth is publications on the subjects of tree pathology unlignified: herbs and palms have a lot of lig­ and tree care or for reference to the historical nified tissue!; the misnomer of rhytoderm for developments in this diverse field. Instead, rhytidome on p. 180; or on p. 260 and 261 the author has chosen a very informal con­ the labelling ofthe eompound middle lamella, versational style. largely composed oflignin, as middle lamella The main volume also has more the lay­ sensu stricto said to be rieh in pectin). What out of an atlas than of a reference book. By is important is that Dr. Shigo eonveys a 10ud developing his themes in the manner of 'rol­ and clear message that we must try to under­ ling a nice round snow ball', i.e., by chang­ stand trees and forest eommunities as com­ ing direction in the treatment of his subject plex living organisms and that we must apply matter, he wishes to contribute to our under­ this understanding to the praetical problems standing of how trees function and survive by using our common sense. This message should not only awake the eommunity of and how to solve the multitude of problems 'tree people' but also many ofus, wood anat- trees face in a man-influenced environment. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png IAWA Journal Brill

A new tree biology - facts, photos and philosophies and their problems and proper care. Alex L. Shigo, xiv + 595 pp., illus., 1986 (hard cover).

IAWA Journal , Volume 9 (3): 1 – Jan 1, 1988

Loading next page...
 
/lp/brill/a-new-tree-biology-facts-photos-and-philosophies-and-their-problems-JHpJHq1AgV

References

References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.

Publisher
Brill
Copyright
Copyright © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0928-1541
eISSN
2294-1932
DOI
10.1163/22941932-90001082
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

292 IAWA Bulletin n.s., Vol. 9 (3), 1988 REVIEWS A new tree biology - facts, photos and Thereis nodoubt in Shigo's mind that a large philosophies and their problems and part of the problems for our trees and forests proper care. Alex L. Shigo, xiv + 595 pp., can be solved by eradicating unnecessary ig­ illus., 1986 (hard cover). norance on important tree biological princi­ A new tree biology dictionary. Terms, ples, and probably therefore he has exchang­ topics and treatments for trees, their ed his long and productive research career at problems and proper care. Ibid. x + 132 the U.S. Forest Service (for a selected bibli­ pp., 1986 (soft cover). ography by W. C. Shortle, see IA W ABulI. Shigo and Trees, Associates, 4 Denbow n.s. 5: 100-104, 1984) for one to teach and Road, Durharn, New Hampshire 03824, educate. We can be grateful for this. U.S.A. Price per set US$ 61.00. 'A new tree biology' is a fascinating story A review of these twin publications is about living trees, their leaves, branches, long overdue in this Bulletin. This is because sterns, and roots and how they react to or in­ much of the essence of Dr. Shigo's new tree teract with other living organisms - animals, biology appears to be based on wood anato­ bacteria, fungi and plants. The concept of my. Not in the contemporary botanical sense compartmentalisationof trees plays of course of the word, as synonymous with the study a dominant role in this book by the author of of microstructure, but in the literal and origi­ the CODIT concept. Apart from the general nal sense of anatomy as the skill to dissect. In subjects such as branch insertion, branch view of the large organisms not with a razor shedding, wounding, heartwood and discol­ blade, rnicrotome knife or scalpel, but appro­ orations, pruning, wetwood, etc., a number priately with the chain saw. During the last of subjects deals with specific diseases such 30 years Dr. Shigo has studied the effects of as chestnut blight, canker rot, Dutch elm dis­ wounding and pathogens by dissecting over ease, fire blight, and a host of practical prob­ 15,000 healthy and diseased trees in this lems caused by various treatments. In fact the way, and the present books bring tegether the multitude of topics treated is hard to summa­ vast experience, insights, and recommenda­ rise in a review. What struck me very pleas­ tions for proper tree and forest care based on antly is that these books answer so many this work. The books are not primarily in­ questions which most wood anatomists feel tended for an academic readership, but for the (or should feel) guilty of not knowing any­ people who really matter for our trees: the thing about, and which hopeful relatives and 'tree people' in forests, parks, gardens, and friends embarrassingly keep asking. In this orchards and those in the care of overstressed context it is hardly relevant that some rnis­ roadside trees in towns. Thus one will look takes were left uneorreeted (e.g., on p. 169 in vain for a bibliography of the thousands of the erroneous notion that primary growth is publications on the subjects of tree pathology unlignified: herbs and palms have a lot of lig­ and tree care or for reference to the historical nified tissue!; the misnomer of rhytoderm for developments in this diverse field. Instead, rhytidome on p. 180; or on p. 260 and 261 the author has chosen a very informal con­ the labelling ofthe eompound middle lamella, versational style. largely composed oflignin, as middle lamella The main volume also has more the lay­ sensu stricto said to be rieh in pectin). What out of an atlas than of a reference book. By is important is that Dr. Shigo eonveys a 10ud developing his themes in the manner of 'rol­ and clear message that we must try to under­ ling a nice round snow ball', i.e., by chang­ stand trees and forest eommunities as com­ ing direction in the treatment of his subject plex living organisms and that we must apply matter, he wishes to contribute to our under­ this understanding to the praetical problems standing of how trees function and survive by using our common sense. This message should not only awake the eommunity of and how to solve the multitude of problems 'tree people' but also many ofus, wood anat- trees face in a man-influenced environment.

Journal

IAWA JournalBrill

Published: Jan 1, 1988

There are no references for this article.