Tree: A Life Story
LC Class | QK494.5.P66 S89 2004 |
Tree: A Life Story (or Tree: A Biography in Australia) is a Canadian non-fiction book written by
Suzuki was inspired to write a biography of a tree when he noticed a Douglas-fir with an uncharacteristic curve in its trunk and speculated what caused it to grow into that shape. Suzuki studied the topic with the help of a research assistant and solicited Grady to help write the book. Vancouver publishers Greystone Books released the book in September 2004. In the Canadian market, it peaked at number three in the Maclean's and the National Post's non-fiction best seller lists and was nominated for several awards. In February 2005 it was published in Australia by Allen & Unwin. The premise and writing were well received by critics. While several reviewers found that the authors succeeded in using accessible language, others found it too technical.
Background
Inspiration for the book came from a Douglas-fir tree with a curve in its trunk.
Synopsis
The book consists of five chapters: "Birth", "Taking Root", "Growth", "Maturity", and "Death". The book opens with acknowledgments and an introduction, and closes with selected references and an index. In the introduction, Suzuki describes the tree at his home and the series of ideas and events that led to the writing of the book. Along with the narrative of the tree's life, the book includes digressions into related topics, such as the
The first chapter, "Birth", begins with lightning starting a forest fire. The heat dries the Douglas-fir cones enough for their scales to spread and release winged seeds. Rain water transports one seed to a sunlit area with well-drained soil. Rodents and insectivores, whose food stashes were destroyed in the fire, eat
In the second chapter, "Taking Root", the embryonic root emerges through a small opening in the seed coat and through cell division, aided by plant hormones, it grows downward. Water and nutrients enter the root by osmosis and are transported to the seedling. A symbiotic relationship develops between the roots and the truffles. The roots give its extra sugars to the truffles, which it uses for energy, and the truffles assist the roots' uptake of water and nutrients. From excess starches and nutrients gathered by the root, a stem similar to the root but surrounded with thin, grayish bark, grows upwards. As the starch reserves are exhausted, its first needles sprout and photosynthesis begins. The tree anchors itself with a deep taproot and a web of roots begin to grow laterally. Some roots develop symbiotic relationships with near-by red alders which excel at nitrogen-fixation but lack the storage capacity that the Douglas-fir can offer. In early April of every year, a new layer grows between the bark and wood. As this new layer takes over transportation of fluids throughout the tree, last year's layer of cells die and form a ring in the wood.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/Douglasie.jpg/170px-Douglasie.jpg)
After about 20 years, the tree begins to develop fertile
Over the centuries, the tree grows thicker and taller as successive rings develop around its trunk and new
In the opening of the final chapter, "Death", the tree is 550 years old and stands 80 meters (260 feet) tall. Under the weight of too much snow accumulating on the canopy mat, a branch breaks off. Stresses from a long winter with a dry summer weaken the tree's immune system. The exposed area where the branch broke becomes infected with insects and fungus. Insect larvae eat the buds and the fungus spreads into the middle of the tree and down to the roots. With its vascular tissue system compromised, the tree diverts nutrients elsewhere, resulting in needles turning orange on the abandoned branches. Death takes years to occur as successive parts are slowly starved of nutrients. As a snag, it becomes home to a succession of animals, like woodpeckers, owls, squirrels, and bats. Eventually the roots rot enough that a rainstorm blows it down. Mosses and fungi grow on the deadfall, followed by colonies of termites, ants, and mites, which all help decompose the remaining wood.
Genre and style
Tree is a popular science book, intended to profile the life of single tree using terminology targeted at a general audience. The narrative provides ecological context, describing animals and plants that interact with the tree, as well as historical context. Parallels to the tree's age are made with historical events, like the tree taking root as empirical science was taking root in Europe during the life of 13th century philosopher Roger Bacon. The book is most commonly described, and marketed, as a "biography".[5] One reviewer grouped it with the 2005 book The Golden Spruce as part of a new genre: an "arbobiography".[6]
The book is written in the
Publication
The book was published by
Reception
In the Canadian market, the hardcover edition peaked at number three in the
The premise of a biography for a tree was well received.
References
- ^ a b c Suzuki, David (March 13, 2005), Interview with Ramona Koval, Books and Writing. Radio National (Sydney). (Interview). Retrieved on July 2, 2008.
- ^ a b c Grady, Wayne (December 4, 2004), Interview with Bob McDonald (science journalist), Quirks & Quarks. CBC Radio One (Toronto). (Interview). Retrieved on June 26, 2008.
- ^ a b c Donnelly, Pat (2005-02-04), "Blue Met thinks green", The Gazette, Montreal, pp. H5.
- ^ Van Hemert, Caroline; Colen, Elizabeth J. (Fall 2005), "Exquisitely Interconnected: An Interview with David Suzuki", Bellingham Review, 28 (2), Bellingham, Washington: 94–107.
- ^ "Botany", SciTech Book News, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 53–55, June 2005
- ^ Mason, Travis (2007-07-01), "Has History or Hadwin Won?", Canadian Literature, no. 193, p. 98.
- ^ The Vancouver Sun, pp. D16.
- ^ Tree, Allen & Unwin, 2008, retrieved 2008-07-05.
- ^ RFB&D, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, 2008, archived from the original on 2008-07-03, retrieved 2008-07-01. (Requires navigation.)
- ^ Bethune, Brian (2004-12-20), "Top selling fiction and non-fiction titles", Maclean's. (The book spent 9 weeks in the top ten, first appearing at number four in the November 29, 2004, issue and last appearing in the January 31, 2005, issue at number ten.)
- ^ "Best seller list", National Post, 2004-12-18.
- ^ Suzuki, David; Grady, Wayne (January–February 2005), "Out of the Ashes", Science & Spirit, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 64–79.
- ^ Martin, Christian (January–February 2005), "Champion of the Earth (web exclusive)", Science & Spirit, archived from the original on October 4, 2007, retrieved 2008-07-01
- ^ Robertson, Patricia (2004-11-06), "A story lovely as a tree", The Globe and Mail, Toronto, pp. D8.
- ^ Coquitlam, British Columbia, p. 10.
- ^ a b Di Menna, Jodi (May–June 2005), "Tree: A Life Story", Canadian Geographic, 125 (3): 132.
- ^ Maksel, Rebecca (2004-10-15), "Tree: A Life Story (Book)", Booklist, 101 (4): 370.
- Peterborough Examiner, Peterborough, Ontario, pp. B3.
- Nanaimo, British Columbia, pp. B.14.
- ^ Chester, Bronwyn (2004-11-13), "A comprehensive look at a Douglas fir", The Gazette, Montreal, pp. H7.
External links
- Tree: A Life Story — Publisher page
- Presentation by Suzuki promoting the book at the 2004 Word On the Street festival