Foreword by Hugh Johnson ....................................... 13
THE FOREST PAST AND PRESENT
The tree ....................................................... 16
How the forest works ........................................... 18
The first forests .............................................. 20
Coal and fossil forests ........................................ 22
Co-existence with the forest ................................... 24
The Ice Age .................................................... 26
The forest thaws out ........................................... 28
The first civilizations ........................................ 30
The Middle Ages ................................................ 32
Forests and sea power .......................................... 34
The 18th century ............................................... 36
The 19th century ............................................... 38
The birth of forestry .......................................... 40
The wilderness movement ........................................ 42
The natural threats ............................................ 44
Forest fire .................................................... 46
The human threats .............................................. 48
Future forests ................................................. 50
THE FOREST REALM
Coniferous Forests
Coniferous forests ............................................. 52
The ecosystem .................................................. 54
The trees ...................................................... 56
The northern winter ............................................ 58
Summer respite ................................................. 60
The taiga ...................................................... 62
Forest frontiers ............................................... 64
Mountain forests ............................................... 66
Southern hemisphere conifers ................................... 68
The Olympic Rain Forest ........................................ 70
The oldest and tallest trees ................................... 72
Deer ........................................................... 74
The trade in furs .............................................. 76
THE FOREST REALM
Tropical Forests
Tropical forests ............................................... 78
The ecosystem .................................................. 80
The trees ...................................................... 82
The Americas ................................................... 84
Africa ......................................................... 86
Indo-Malaysia .................................................. 88
Australasia .................................................... 90
The cloud forest ............................................... 92
Seasonal forests ............................................... 94
The mangrove swamps ............................................ 96
The bamboo forests ............................................. 98
Plant adaptations ............................................. 100
Animal adaptations ............................................ 102
The river community ........................................... 104
The forest at night ........................................... 106
Fliers and gliders ............................................ 108
Primates ...................................................... 110
Forest people ................................................. 112
Explorers ..................................................... 114
The rain forest dilemma ....................................... 116
THE FOREST REALM
Temperate Woodlands
Temperate woodlands ........................................... 118
The ecosystem ................................................. 120
The trees ..................................................... 122
Winter ........................................................ 124
Spring ........................................................ 126
Summer ........................................................ 128
Autumn ........................................................ 130
Temperate pinelands ........................................... 132
Evergreen forests ............................................. 134
Swamp and cypress forests ..................................... 136
China ......................................................... 138
Japan ......................................................... 140
The hunting forests of Europe ................................. 142
The forest creeps back ........................................ 144
THE FOREST REALM
Island Forests
Island forests ................................................ 146
The ecosystem ................................................. 148
The trees ..................................................... 150
Australia ..................................................... 152
Marsupials .................................................... 154
New Zealand ................................................... 156
The Pacific islands ........................................... 158
THE FOREST RESOURCE
The forest resource ........................................... 160
World timber: geography ....................................... 162
World trade ................................................... 164
Commercial forestry ........................................... 166
Logging ....................................................... 168
The sawmill ................................................... 170
Manufactured boards ........................................... 172
Decorative veneers ............................................ 174
Wood for special uses ......................................... 176
Building with timber .......................................... 178
Paper: an ancient craft ....................................... 180
Trees into pulp ............................................... 182
Pulp into paper ............................................... 184
Paper products ................................................ 186
Cellulose ..................................................... 188
Plastics and textiles ......................................... 190
Charcoal ...................................................... 192
Naval stores .................................................. 194
Gums, resins and oils ......................................... 196
Rubber: the plantation 198 Rubber products 200 Tannins and
dyes .......................................................... 202
Cork .......................................................... 204
Bamboo ........................................................ 206
Natural fibres ................................................ 208
Food from the forest .......................................... 210
Pharmaceuticals ............................................... 212
Recreation .................................................... 214
The future resource ........................................... 216
Index and acknowledgements .................................... 218
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