THE SECOND LIFE OF TREES

The premise: “Trees—both living and dead—are microhabitats where all sorts of activity takes place.”

Most of the vibrant, mixed-media art is laid out in double-page spreads. The initial one describes a boreal forest. It also introduces a mature balsam tree, about 24 inches in diameter, that will be followed, loosely, from its current, upright status all the way to the decayed state of “nurse log.” The conversational text is both informative and verbose. In general, the text uses larger type for the trajectory of the tree’s life and for general facts about forest life, with further details displayed in smaller font. The first pages note the tree’s importance for shelter, food, soil stabilization, and oxygen. There is one early mention of one role of dead trees, but it is after the previously identified balsam is uprooted by weather that the text firmly asserts that the tree’s downing signifies a crucially important “second life.” Bacteria, fungi, and insects work on decomposition; earthworms eat bacteria and fungi and create humus. The colorful pages that follow are full of facts about flora and fauna availing themselves of fallen-tree benefits during up to 125 years of seasonal cycles. The final page before the author’s note reiterates an idea that is still controversial in forest-management circles: that dead and dying trees are necessary to healthy forests. To appreciate the text, it should be read sequentially but not in one sitting.

Timely.