Biologists, in his words, get “worked up” about translating findings from animals to plants and blurring the boundaries between plants and animals. I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of Use“On accuracy in science storytelling,” from blog Watershed Moments: thoughts from the hydrosphere, November 29 In parts of the book, Wohlleben's description of these ecological relationships is uncontroversial. In 2015, Peter Wohlleben, a German forester, published a popular book on the “hidden life of trees.” "The Hidden Life of Trees is a wonderful, provocative book that draws together half a century of much-neglected and misunderstood plant science and frames it within field observations by an acute and empathetic forester." Author: Peter Wohlleben. THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from A Secret World. This sense of the hidden life of trees in turn forms the basis for what might be called a forest ethic, or the idea that trees be allowed to develop completely undisturbed by humans, so that they can live a full life in a way appropriate to their species. He believes in the importance of erasing this distinction, because he thinks that recognizing the similarities would cause us to pay more attention to trees and other vegetation.The impression Wohlleben leaves is that plant science has been woefully neglected, an impression that is reinforced by the fact that his citations are quite recent and by his frequent reference to “discoveries,” as though everything he describes has been discovered only in the past few years. Jane Billinghurst.Foreword by Tim Flannery. In a chapter on “tree school,” we are told that trees “learn” to become stable by reacting to the “painful” micro‐tears that occur when they bend with the wind. Track My Order +612 9045 4394 © 2020 Ecological Society of America. But paradoxically, the book indirectly suggests that plant science has been lacking, has been slow to develop, and can only be stimulated if we believe that plants are like animals, and hence like us. Historian Wohlleben does purport to use science and to bring the hard evidence of scientific research in support of his arguments. By the end, he invites us to tune into the trees’ language when we go for a walk in the woods.

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In the English version, the petition's title is “Even in the forest, we want facts instead of fairy tales.” The petition describes the book as a “conglomeration of half‐truths, biased judgements, and wishful thinking” and argues that such oversimplified and emotional writing will help neither the environment in general nor forests in particular (English version of the petition The petition has received just over 4,500 signatures and has provoked a discussion, more visible in the German and French media than in English language media, about how we represent scientific knowledge to the lay public. A review of Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of Trees: What they Feel, How they Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World , trans. Create a wish list to save items you like, gift ideas and more. Why then did two German scientists launch an online petition in February 2017, calling on scientific colleagues to challenge these claims? As Simard points out in her afterword, the amount of research on topics like tree communication is “vast.” Some of the discoveries that Wohlleben describes, such as the ability of trees to register the length of day, go back a century and have been the subject of decades of intensive research. The German title is “Auch im Wald: Fakten statt Märchen, Wissenschaft statt Wohlleben” (“Even in the forest, facts instead of fairy tales, science instead of Wohlleben”). As Wohlleben concludes, if we understand the “capabilities” of plant life and learn to recognize trees’ “emotional lives and needs,” then we will also begin to treat plants differently, will cease to view forests as lumber factories, and will understand how forests can serve as oases of respite and recovery for us. In English publications, critical reviews have been written by Perhaps because of the book's controversial reception in Europe, the English translation ends with an appreciative afterword by one of the scientists whose work is discussed, Suzanne Simard at the University of British Columbia. His reason for doing so—that most scientific writing is incomprehensible to the public—is fair enough. Help Centre. Plantation monocultures and the use of heavy machinery are the villains, and higher ecological standards for forest management are the goals. When Wohlleben does not acknowledge that long research tradition, and the long slow process by which scientific knowledge advances, he also obscures and trivializes the amount of effort and the level of long‐term support from society that is required to advance scientific fields.Please check your email for instructions on resetting your password. Your points will be added to your account once your order is shipped.A forester's fascinating stories backed by the latest scientific research illustrate how trees nurture and talk to each other. His goal is to show that in natural forests that have been left undisturbed, there is high diversity of species, the environment is relatively stable, and the forest can persist for very long periods of time. Wohlleben explains that the scientists viewed these sounds as “a purely mechanical event” that “probably doesn't mean anything.” But he then raises the possibility that it does mean something, at least in his imagination: “When I think about the research results… it seems to me that these vibrations could indeed be much more than just vibrations—they could be cries of thirst. © 2020 Ecological Society of America. By: This chapter illustrates particularly well how Wohlleben moves from reference to the scientific literature to imaginative conjecture about what trees are experiencing. Peter Wohlleben .


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