The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth
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- Create Date：2022-02-21 03:19:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Ben Rawlence
- ISBN：1250270235
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Summary
In the tradition of Elizabeth Kolbert and Barry Lopez， a powerful， poetic and deeply absorbing account of the "lung" at the top of the world。
For the last fifty years， the trees of the boreal forest have been moving north。 Ben Rawlence's The Treeline takes us along this critical frontier of our warming planet from Norway to Siberia， Alaska to Greenland， to meet the scientists， residents and trees confronting huge geological changes。 Only the hardest species survive at these latitudes including the ice-loving Dahurian larch of Siberia， the antiseptic Spruce that purifies our atmosphere， the Downy birch conquering Scandinavia， the healing Balsam poplar that Native Americans use as a cure-all and the noble Scots Pine that lives longer when surrounded by its family。
It is a journey of wonder and awe at the incredible creativity and resilience of these species and the mysterious workings of the forest upon which we rely for the air we breathe。 Blending reportage with the latest science， The Treeline is a story of what might soon be the last forest left and what that means for the future of all life on earth。
For the last fifty years， the trees of the boreal forest have been moving north。 Ben Rawlence's The Treeline takes us along this critical frontier of our warming planet from Norway to Siberia， Alaska to Greenland， to meet the scientists， residents and trees confronting huge geological changes。 Only the hardest species survive at these latitudes including the ice-loving Dahurian larch of Siberia， the antiseptic Spruce that purifies our atmosphere， the Downy birch conquering Scandinavia， the healing Balsam poplar that Native Americans use as a cure-all and the noble Scots Pine that lives longer when surrounded by its family。
It is a journey of wonder and awe at the incredible creativity and resilience of these species and the mysterious workings of the forest upon which we rely for the air we breathe。 Blending reportage with the latest science， The Treeline is a story of what might soon be the last forest left and what that means for the future of all life on earth。
Reviews
Ben Jackson
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The craft of this book is remarkable， even atop the horrifying reality of what the book portrays。
Bam cooks the books ;-）
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"Trees are on the move。 They shouldn't be。 And this sinister fact has enormous consequences for all life on earth。" The treeline that Ben Rawlence traveled around the world to observe from 2018 t0 2021 is not really a line at all but a transition zone between what scientists call 'the forest-tundra ecotone。' The trees of the boreal forest， covering one-fifth of the globe， are truly the lungs of the world and those trees are losing their ability to absorb and store carbon dioxide。 Rawlence descri "Trees are on the move。 They shouldn't be。 And this sinister fact has enormous consequences for all life on earth。" The treeline that Ben Rawlence traveled around the world to observe from 2018 t0 2021 is not really a line at all but a transition zone between what scientists call 'the forest-tundra ecotone。' The trees of the boreal forest， covering one-fifth of the globe， are truly the lungs of the world and those trees are losing their ability to absorb and store carbon dioxide。 Rawlence describes the landscape and inhabitants in each of the areas he visits but it's the trees themselves that take center stage here: In Scotland， Scots pine; in Scandinavia， birch; in Siberia， larch; in Alaska， spruce; in Canada， poplar; and in Greenland， rowan。 The information presented here is very knowledgeable and readable， if very frightening。 Rawlence has no answers at this point and it seems to be his view that the consequences for our actions are inevitable。 Our children and grandchildren will pay the price for our treating the earth like a commodity。 Plant a tree this spring; reconnect with nature; create less trash。 Small things--will they help the environment？ I don't know， but it could warm your heart and soul in the process。 And it might be your last chance。 I received an arc of this nonfiction book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you for the opportunity。。。and thank you to St Martin's for publishing important books like this。 I'm a firm believer in the old adage: The more you know， the better you will do。 。。。more
Michael Hassel
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The Treeline by Ben Rawlence It is perhaps one hundred years since the completion of writing fantastic travelogues filling in the unknown or undiscovered corners of the world。 Since then， most travel writing has been minute discoveries of best pizza places in Hong Kong or epic traveling by train， boat， cycle or foot where the story is just， “I did it”。 These current writer’s stories are mostly about how to get from say the North Pole to the South Pole or Central London to Singapore on 5 dollars The Treeline by Ben Rawlence It is perhaps one hundred years since the completion of writing fantastic travelogues filling in the unknown or undiscovered corners of the world。 Since then， most travel writing has been minute discoveries of best pizza places in Hong Kong or epic traveling by train， boat， cycle or foot where the story is just， “I did it”。 These current writer’s stories are mostly about how to get from say the North Pole to the South Pole or Central London to Singapore on 5 dollars a day。This book is very different and well worth a read。 This is Mr。 Rawlence’s 3rd book and I think continues his telling of how we impact the world we live in。 And he does it by telling a very readable and compelling story。 The Treeline is about the movement of the border between no trees and trees as the earth warms。 He travels to locations along the Artic Rim and sees and talks to people affected by the movement of The Treeline moving Northward toward the North Pole。 Ah， this sounds like a positive， but it is not。 This border is not sharp but mushy because Nature expects the eb and flow over millennia not over time spans we are seeing now。 As a result， parts of Nature can not keep up。 This impacts the entire ecosystem of plants， trees， animals as well as humans。 Mr。 Rawlence has done meticulous research into the impact on all of Nature and goes well beyond what we are told of glaciers receding and oceans rising。 I can’t recommend this book more highly to those who wish to see what the impact or our ignoring our fellow living creatures on our planet that is all of our homes。 。。。more
Beary Into Books
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Rating 4。5I don’t think I have ever read a book like The Treeline before。 It was so fascinating and honestly， a book everyone should read。 I don’t read nonfiction very often even though I really should and want to。 I would say this book is perfect for anyone who has never read nonfiction but is looking to start。 The way this book is written is almost told like a story。 The sections are broken down into different trees based on location and a map is provided。 This made it extremely easy to keep t Rating 4。5I don’t think I have ever read a book like The Treeline before。 It was so fascinating and honestly， a book everyone should read。 I don’t read nonfiction very often even though I really should and want to。 I would say this book is perfect for anyone who has never read nonfiction but is looking to start。 The way this book is written is almost told like a story。 The sections are broken down into different trees based on location and a map is provided。 This made it extremely easy to keep track of what was going on。 The author has such an interesting way of writing。 Yes， you will learn a lot of new information but it never felt overwhelming and I never felt bored。 With most nonfiction， I always create a schedule to pace myself。 I would recommend you do the same so that you don’t burn yourself out。 I loved looking/reading the glossary at the end and I appreciated the pictures of each tree。 The reader can definitely tell that the author put so much research and thought into this book。 If you're a fan of nonfiction I definitely recommend you check this one out。 Do you enjoy being out in nature？Thank you so much @stmartinspress for a #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Shannon
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A very informative and relevant read！ I highly recommend it！
Jeff
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Lyrical Anthropological Examination That Needs Better Scientific Documentation。 When Rawlence is describing the people and peoples he is traveling to and among， he has such a lyrical quality to his prose here that it really is quite beautiful - these are the best parts of this book。 However， Rawlence is also quite the pessimist about human action and survival， going on at one point to proclaim that Earth would be better off without humanity。 While this is not an unheard of proposition， fantastic Lyrical Anthropological Examination That Needs Better Scientific Documentation。 When Rawlence is describing the people and peoples he is traveling to and among， he has such a lyrical quality to his prose here that it really is quite beautiful - these are the best parts of this book。 However， Rawlence is also quite the pessimist about human action and survival， going on at one point to proclaim that Earth would be better off without humanity。 While this is not an unheard of proposition， fantastical claims like that require substantial documentation - and documentation is what this text sorely lacks， clocking in at barely 10% of the overall text （25-30% being more "normal"， and I've read books making far less fantastical claims clocking in north of 40% documentation）。 Ultimately， your opinion of the book is likely going to depend on whether you agree with Rawlence's politics and philosophies， though， again， the writing when he is *not* speaking to these really is quite beautiful。 Still， even in what he does present and even with the lack of documentation， this is a book that needs to be read by most anyone speaking to any level of climate science， as he does bring up some truly valid points here and there。 Recommended。 。。。more
Ula Tardigrade
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An interesting example of modern British nature writing。 The author combines a travelog， a popular science book， and a personal essay into a coherent and engaging story。The northern forests receive far less attention than their southern equivalents so it's refreshing to learn more about them。 Yes， they are not as colorful and diverse as tropical jungles but can be no less fascinating。 You will learn that from this book， and much more – there are a lot of surprising scientific facts here （not onl An interesting example of modern British nature writing。 The author combines a travelog， a popular science book， and a personal essay into a coherent and engaging story。The northern forests receive far less attention than their southern equivalents so it's refreshing to learn more about them。 Yes， they are not as colorful and diverse as tropical jungles but can be no less fascinating。 You will learn that from this book， and much more – there are a lot of surprising scientific facts here （not only about the boreal tree species）。 It also brings an interesting new perspective on the issue of the climate crisis and nature conservation， with many examples of possible strategies and actions。Thanks to the publisher， St。 Martin， and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book。 。。。more
David Kent
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Conceptually， this book seems designed to appeal to me， a multi-degreed environmental biologist who worked in the field for over three decades。 Rawlence traces the "treeline，" which his writing suggests is more theoretical than actual。 It's supposed to be the northernmost latitudinal limit of trees， but it seems climate change is altering the reality。 While the catchline is the trees， the majority of the book delves into the lives of indigenous peoples residing at the farthest northern reaches o Conceptually， this book seems designed to appeal to me， a multi-degreed environmental biologist who worked in the field for over three decades。 Rawlence traces the "treeline，" which his writing suggests is more theoretical than actual。 It's supposed to be the northernmost latitudinal limit of trees， but it seems climate change is altering the reality。 While the catchline is the trees， the majority of the book delves into the lives of indigenous peoples residing at the farthest northern reaches of habitability。 The author braves the coldest cold， but also finds that cold is not quite as cold as it had been， altering not just the treeline but the livelihoods of the people he meets and temporarily lives with。 The book contains a wealth of information that should be an interesting read for most people。That said， I struggled to get through it。 To my surprise - someone who is personally involved in environmental and climate issues - I had a hard time not dozing off through most of it。 I see from other reviews that this wasn't a problem for most people， so I'm at a loss as to why I found it so dull。 By all means read other reviews and don't base your decision to read or not read on this one。 I do think it's an important enough book。 。。。more
Will Byrnes
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Big changes are taking place across the vast plain stippled by spruce and striated with water that unfolds below the aircraft at 10，000 feet。 The skin of the earth is melting， microbial life waking after thousands， possibly millions， of frozen years。 The soil is transpiring—perspiring one could say since more moisture is being released than absorbed—and animals and plants are taking note。 It is a new world， and intelligent life—the smart genes—is sniffing it out， sending out suckers， seeds a Big changes are taking place across the vast plain stippled by spruce and striated with water that unfolds below the aircraft at 10，000 feet。 The skin of the earth is melting， microbial life waking after thousands， possibly millions， of frozen years。 The soil is transpiring—perspiring one could say since more moisture is being released than absorbed—and animals and plants are taking note。 It is a new world， and intelligent life—the smart genes—is sniffing it out， sending out suckers， seeds and scouts， ranging north， getting ready。 The Treeline is a mind-blowing piece of work that will teach you many， many things you never suspected， while feeding your sense of awe and your sense of dread。 We look to the margins for evidence of large changes in the world， tell-tale signs like rising levels along water frontages， expanding desert edges， changes in growing seasons， changes in wildlife。 The treeline was the edge Ben Rawlence chose。 Ben Rawlence - Image from 5 x 15He had spent years writing human rights reports and trying to get the UN and governments to address refugee issues， but when he started writing through the eyes of the refugees themselves， in several books， many more people began to listen。 Understanding that the conflict and the displacement that was going on was driven by climate change I began to look for other examples， other parts of the world where we could see this process in action， where we could see climate breakdown as history already， and we could catch a glimpse of the future that awaits the rest of us。 So I began digging around and doing research and came across this very arresting image of the trees and the forest moving north towards the pole。 I discovered that the forest was on the move and the trees were turning the white arctic green。 They shouldn’t be on the move。 That’s not supposed to happen。 And this sinister fact has huge consequences for all life on earth。 - from the 5x15 pieceSo， what exactly is the treeline？ Generically， it is the latitude above which there are no trees， roughly the Arctic Circle。 Another measure is the rippled line around the globe south of which the average July temperature is ten degrees centigrade or higher。 （The Arctic Squiggle？） Discovering that the Arctic treeline consisted of mostly six types of trees， he set about to look at each of these。 Scots pine in Scotland， birch in Scandinavia， larch in Siberia， spruce in Alaska and， to a lesser extent， poplar in Canada and rowan in Greenland。 I decided to visit each tree in its native territory， to see how the different species were faring in response to warming， and what their stories might mean for the other inhabitants of the forest， including us。 The Arctic treeline is actually fairly squishy， not so much a line as an area of transition， an ecotone， where tree presence diminishes rather than ceases。 Rawlence begins with a look at where he lives， in Wales， at the yew， struggling to persist in a world that is no longer conducive to its needs。 But that may be changing。 Then， it is off to the Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland， the Scandinavian interior， Siberia （larch）， Alaska， Canada， and Greenland， looking at the role the boreal plays in our environment， and at the impact of global warming on these borderlands。 More than the Amazon rainforest， the boreal is truly the lung of the world。 Covering one fifth of the globe， and containing one third of all the trees on earth， the boreal is the second largest biome， or living system， after the ocean。 Planetary systems—cycles of water and oxygen， atmospheric circulation， the albedo effect， ocean currents and polar winds—are shaped and directed by the position of the treeline and the functioning of the forest。 One of the things that most impressed me， among the many fascinating nuggets to be found here were descriptions of the structures underlying forests。 Wherever there are mushrooms， ferns， bracken and particular kinds of woodland plants like violets there was once forest。 Rings of mushrooms are usually the outline， the long-ago earthwork of a tree stump。 There are between fifteen and nineteen ecto-mycorrhizal fungi （fungi growing around the roots） in a mature pine forest， and they play a role in everything from carbon and nutrient transport to lichen cover， taking sugar from the tree and providing it with minerals in exchange。 Planting trees without regard for the essential symbiotic “other half” of the forest below ground may be far less effective than allowing the ground to evolve into woodland at its own pace。 Oliver Rackham describes a planted oak wood in Essex that even after 750 years still does not possess the orchids， plants and mushrooms that you would expect of a natural wood。 I was reminded of what it might look like to see a city like New York or London from above and believe it to be constructed entirely of the visible structures， not appreciating that there are vast underground networks， water lines， sewer lines， gas lines， electrical lines， communication cables， transit tubes， and the like that provide the lifeblood which allows the above-ground， visible city to survive。 Globally， these threads of mycorrhizal fungi make up between a third and a half of the living mass of soils。 Soil is in fact a huge， fragile tangle of tiny connected threads。 Having done some digging in our back yard， I can very much appreciate that。 Another impressive feat is Rawlence’s strength in communicating how local populations interact with the trees among which they live。 There are many surprises to be found here， in the range of specific benefits trees provide for one， which includes the fact that they transmit aerosols carrying chemicals that help maintain health in humans， that their leaves， berries， bark and other parts providing medicine for a wide range of illnesses， that they provide materials that oceans need to sustain life， that they drive planetary weather。 Did you know that there are birch trees with things called trichomal hairs on the underside of their leaves， that capture particulates from the air， natural air filters that then allow the materials to be dropped to the ground， and washed away with the next rain？ They also act like a fur coat for the leaves。 The list goes on。 You will be surprised by many of the uses that Arctic peoples have devised to make use of their local trees。 Will it be possible to continue such a positive relationship as the land becomes less supportive of human endeavors？ The Sami people， for example， are finding it increasingly difficult to manage their reindeer herds。 Snowmobiles are less than ideal when there is no snow。 Substituting four-wheel All Terrain Vehicles may allow them to herd their critters， but using them damages the landscape even more。 At what point will it be impossible to continue at all？ There are plenty of dark tidings。 In this ring of melting ice global warming is taking place at a rate far in excess of what we experience in the more temperate zones。 And then this unnerving bit; with more Co2 in the air， trees do not need to work so hard to get what they need， thus will produce less oxygen。 Uh oh。 As the forests of the northern hemisphere migrate north （race actually， at a rate of hundreds of feet a year in some places instead of inches per century） they are pursued on their southern end by increasingly fire-prone conditions。 How much of our forest land will be consumed by a Langolier-like army of drought and flames before finding more welcoming climes？ And then there is methane， pretty pearl-like bubbles when seen through clear Arctic ice， but how about this cheery nugget as permafrost becoming permaslush？ Some studies have suggested that an unstable seabed could release a methane “burp” of 500–5000 gigatonnes， equivalent to decades of greenhouse gas emissions， contributing to an abrupt jump in temperature that humans will be powerless to arrest。 In pop science books， the author acts as a guide to the subject matter， introducing us to the places he visits， and the experts he consults。 Rawlence is an engaging and informative teacher with a gift for extracting local cultural lore and area-specific histories， as well as reporting the science in accessible terms。 He seems like someone you would want to hang out with。 You would certainly like to sign up for any class he teaches。 You will learn a lot。 He is also a lyrical writer， able to offer not only straight-ahead exposition， but poetical， sometimes emotion-filled reactions to the places he visits and the experiences he has on this journey。 The brilliant sun on the pinkish cliffs and the starched blue of the sky， which has been mostly hidden all week， make the morning sing。 The scent of a meadow is so heady it should be bottled。 The hay has been freshly cut: huge plastic-covered bales guide the eye to a combine harvester abandoned mid-job， its windows covered in sparkling dew。 Beyond， the path crosses the meadow to a wide bend that the flooding river has worked into a series of interlinked channels。 The little bridges have been overwhelmed and carefully placed stepping-stones lie visible in the clear stream， half a meter underwater。 Feet have cut a higher path along the edge of the valley， around drowned shrubs， riparian willow now floating midstream。 The roar of the main river is all around。 Gray water cradling slabs of dirty ice meanders around a cliff and then widens into a foaming skirt over even-sized white granite boulders that snag the ice and make it dance and nod until it falls apart and joins the sea-ward torrent。 Rawlence a not a fan of western capitalism， and it would be difficult to argue that the short-term profit motive is not at variance with the long-term health of the planet， but places that were at least nominally socialist did a pretty good job of devastating their environments too。 Maybe the problem is a human one first， and a economic-political one second。 Maybe if we lived as long as some trees （not all are long-lived） we might have a more long-term view of what matters， and not keep rushing to use everything as fast as we possibly can before someone else does。 Rawlence keeps his eyes on the scientific and anthropological issues at hand。 How is warming impacting these trees， the landscapes in which they exist， the societies that have lived with them for centuries， and the wider world？ What can we learn from the changes that have already taken place？ What can we look forward to？ What can we do about it？Despite the growth of electric car usage and renewable power generation， we have arrived at this party too late， and relatively empty-handed。 Attempts to mitigate global warming cannot change the fact that there is warming to come that is already baked in。 We can do nothing to change that。 It will continue， even were we to cease all carbon usage tomorrow。 Not that we should abandon attempts to reduce emissions。 But we should know that we will not see the benefits of those actions。 The mitigation work we do today may impact future generations， but the planet will continue heating up for quite some time regardless。 The most we can hope for in the short term is to slow the rate somewhat。 The Treeline is a must read for anyone interested in environmental issues， global warming in particular。 Who doesn’t love trees？ After reading this you will love them ever more。 As Rawlence points out， we are at our core tree people， having evolved thumbs to get around in an arboreal world， and having lived among or near trees for all of human history。 We have evolved together， and will continue to do so。 But we will have to adapt to the new Anthropocene world rather than attempting to force it back into its prior form。 In the future， when the ice is gone， there may be no such thing as a treeline at all。 Review posted – February 18， 2022 Publication date – February 15， 2022I received an ARE of The Treeline from St。 Martin’s Press in return for a fair review， and a promise to plant a few saplings。 Thanks， folks。 And thanks to NetGalley for facilitating。 This review has been， or soon will be， cross-posted on my site， Coot’s Reviews =============================EXTRA STUFFLinks to the author’s Twitter pageLizzie Harper， a Welsh illustrator， provided many images for the book。 Sadly， there were none in the e-galley I read。 But you can see some on her site。 Here are links to Harper’s personal， FB， LinkedIn， PInterest， and Twitter pagesInterview---InterMultiversal - An Interview with Ben Rawlence by Simon MordenItems of Interest from the author-----Video trailer for the book – 1:09-----5 x 15 - Ben Rawlence on The Treeline - video-----The Big Issue - ‘As the planet warms， the forest is on the move’ ny RawlenceItems of Interest-----Patagonia Films - Treeline （Full Film） | The Secret Life of Trees - video 40:16-----Cairngorms Connect - 200-year vision to enhance habitats， species and ecological processes across a vast area within the 600 square kilometer Cairngorms National Park。-----NY Times - Feb。 4， 2022 - Seen From Space: Huge Methane Leaks by Henry FountainYou Might Also Want To Check Out-----Land by Simon Winchester-----Being a Human by Charles Foster-----The Earth’s Wild Music by Kathleen Dean Moore-----Road of Bones - not in form， obviously。 But this one offers a fictional horror-story take on the great north rebelling against the outrages of humanityMusic-----George Winston - Forest-----Sondheim - Into the Woods 。。。more
Ben Rogers
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This was an outstanding read。 A very interesting book。 Actually quite unlike other environmental books。 I really enjoyed this book。 Scary and sad， while at the same time， really informative and fascinating。 As for Ben， I would keep an eye on his career。 I forsee big things！I would recommend it！4。6/5
Ricky Duncan
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This book should be required reading for all people who doubt climate change。 （And even those who do believe）。 Well written， very well researched， and presented in a factual， non-“the sky is falling” way。 The book looks at the effects of climate change on the northern forest， and subsequent changes that will （and are） affecting every living thing on the planet。I received this book as a ARC， which in no way influences my opinion of it。
Matt Dodge
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A very good book that will make you appreciate the natural world for how important and delicate it is。
Chris Loop
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I was lucky enough to receive an early copy through goodreads。 Each section deals with a different area of the boreal forest。 It is interesting to see how every place is changing in different ways， but I think the most intriguing part is when you meet the people that live in the different areas。 They all have adapted in different ways to deal with or ignore the changing environment。 Great read for any fan of conservation or our changing planet
Lisa
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You might think a book about trees， particularly the most northerly trees in the world， couldn't be moving but you'd be wrong。 Treeline is full of science but also heart and culture。 You'll come away with a profound understanding of how interconnected nature is， how trees and the ecosystems they are part of are complex and astonishing and so， so critical for humans。 You'll also worry for what is being lost， for what has already been lost。 I hope it inspires you to take action。 Every bit of carbo You might think a book about trees， particularly the most northerly trees in the world， couldn't be moving but you'd be wrong。 Treeline is full of science but also heart and culture。 You'll come away with a profound understanding of how interconnected nature is， how trees and the ecosystems they are part of are complex and astonishing and so， so critical for humans。 You'll also worry for what is being lost， for what has already been lost。 I hope it inspires you to take action。 Every bit of carbon pollution we can avoid helps minimize the scale of change that is coming for the forests， and for us。 This book made me more passionate than ever about doing all we can to protect the brilliant diversity of nature still with us。I have so many favourite quotes from this book but I'll leave you with this one: "If we want to be part of the assemblage of species that co-evolves to survive the coming upheaval then we need to revive that essential entanglement with other living things。"（Thanks to the publisher for the free review copy via NetGalley。） 。。。more
Marian Bron
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The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth by Ben Rawlence was a pleasant surprise。 I had entered my name in Goodreads Giveaways for a free copy because I thought it would be good for the tree lover in the family， and not necessarily for me。 Worried it would be too clinical for my tastes。 While at times the vocabulary did send me to Google， it was anything but clinical。At times poetic， The Treeline begins in Scotland and travels east around the globe， ending in Wales， the auth The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth by Ben Rawlence was a pleasant surprise。 I had entered my name in Goodreads Giveaways for a free copy because I thought it would be good for the tree lover in the family， and not necessarily for me。 Worried it would be too clinical for my tastes。 While at times the vocabulary did send me to Google， it was anything but clinical。At times poetic， The Treeline begins in Scotland and travels east around the globe， ending in Wales， the author’s home。 I found myself caught up in the stories of the indigenous peoples who occupied these regions， stories Rawlence told with charm and humour。 Sharing how some have adapted， while others found themselves assimilated into the general population。Every chapter focuses on the trees of a particular region and how they are moving northward or dying out because of the warming climate。 Rawlence doesn’t provide answers to the questions surrounding global warming， just facts。I found The Treeline well written and educational。 I will definitely be on the look out for his other books。Thank you Goodreads Giveaways。 。。。more
James
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A fascinating and interesting look at climate change - not only how it is affecting trees， but the interconnectedness of trees to soil， to insects to birds and between animals， landscape and man。
Kristina
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Well written。 So glad the epilogue focused on hope after all the hard facts that came before。
Heather Densmore
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I received an ARC of The Treeline and am so grateful for the opportunity to read about the Earth’s lungs and the negative impact on the northern forests by global climate change。 Portions of the book are quite dense and a slow read but the overall storytelling and science are not too difficult to follow。 This book should be a reference to all interested in climate science。
Evalyn
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This was terrific！ And terrifying。。。 but in an at-a-distance sort of way。I don't live in the northern reaches of the world， but being in a high altitude state in the US I have observed some changes to seasonal weather over my lifetime， and it is a bit sobering to hear how much more drastic the changes are nearer the pole。 The author going out to these remote regions and experiencing remote cultures first hand （and how modern society has changed them） must have been quite something， was mesmerizi This was terrific！ And terrifying。。。 but in an at-a-distance sort of way。I don't live in the northern reaches of the world， but being in a high altitude state in the US I have observed some changes to seasonal weather over my lifetime， and it is a bit sobering to hear how much more drastic the changes are nearer the pole。 The author going out to these remote regions and experiencing remote cultures first hand （and how modern society has changed them） must have been quite something， was mesmerizing to read some chapters。 I also greatly enjoyed finding the remote towns visited in northern Russia on Google Maps。 This was often a companion of mine as I read but especially that section。 The humanity he could bring to a discussion on trees， making us see them as a critter in their own right in some respects rather than a stationary thing， I feel was well done and do recommend。I won an early reader's edition in a Goodreads Giveaway and am quite glad I did， I devoured this one。 。。。more
Candee Adams
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WOW！！ Very enlightening
lilias
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What a brilliant idea for a book！ Author Ben Rawlence introduces Treeline in a clear and precise paragraph; please excuse the long quote， but I couldn’t put it better than he does:“The terrain， both scientific and geographic， though， is vast， and the scope of what the boreal represents so huge， it seems impossible to encompass within the scope of a single book。 It was only when I discovered that a tiny handful of tree species make up the treeline that I began to see that an attempt at descriptio What a brilliant idea for a book！ Author Ben Rawlence introduces Treeline in a clear and precise paragraph; please excuse the long quote， but I couldn’t put it better than he does:“The terrain， both scientific and geographic， though， is vast， and the scope of what the boreal represents so huge， it seems impossible to encompass within the scope of a single book。 It was only when I discovered that a tiny handful of tree species make up the treeline that I began to see that an attempt at description might be possible。 An elite club， the six featured here are the familiar markers of the northern territories: three conifers and three broadleaves evolved to survive the cold。 Moreover， remarkably， each of these tree species has made a section of the treeline its own， outcompeting other species and anchoring unique ecosystems: Scots pine in Scotland， birch in Scandinavia， larch in Siberia， spruce in Alaska and， to a lesser extent， poplar in Canada and rowan in Greenland。 I decided to visit each tree in its native territory， to see how the different species were faring in response to warming， and what their stories might mean for the other inhabitants of the forest， including us。” （7）Treeline is organized into different sections; each one dedicated to each tree listed above in their territory。 The introduction to each section includes drawings of the tree itself as well as details of its flowers or seeds and the like。 I really loved this about the book。 It was such a beautiful yet informative way to introduce each tree。Rawlence is not a scientist， but he is a researcher， a gatherer of knowledge and information。 And he speaks with scientists who are studying the boreal forests。 He also speaks with Indigenous people who live on the land of boreal forests。 With these visits that he shares， he reveals the huge representations of the forest he mentions in the quote above。 Rawlence is a wonderful guide， partly because he is practically learning as we learn。 He does not underestimate the reader。 He writes in a voice that is patient and earnest。 I loved that he observed and noted the names of flora and fauna and how they interact with and influence one another。 As you read， you realize how important knowledge of such things is。My mind did wander quite a bit as I read。 This is more likely due to my mood than the book itself， but as my ratings are on the subjective side of things， I can’t give it the full five stars。 I do highly recommend it， though， and foresee it doing well upon its release。 Actually， I can’t wait for other people to read it because it’s the kind of book I want to talk about or， rather， hear someone else’s thoughts。 There is so much information here， I know I didn’t absorb it all。Thank you to St。 Martin’s Press for the ARC。 。。。more
Lbmayson
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This book is essential for anyone interested in dendrology。 It is extremely well written and obvious that the author has a true appreciation of our changing environment。
Kay
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Really enjoyed the book。 Worth reading。
Richard
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Never knew a thing about the boreal forest。 I will soon complete reading the book and have thoroughly enjoyed it。 I finished the book today and it will be passed on to a family member。
LKay
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I received an ARC of this book from St。 Martin’s Press。 It’s clear that I’m not the target audience for this book as it is heavily scientific and it was a challenging read for me。 I requested this ARC because it sounded so interesting， but there was so much information packed into this book that I felt overwhelmed。 I was determined to see it through but it wasn’t easy！The parts I liked best about this book were the slices of life from the people living in the remote areas that Rawlence visited。 I received an ARC of this book from St。 Martin’s Press。 It’s clear that I’m not the target audience for this book as it is heavily scientific and it was a challenging read for me。 I requested this ARC because it sounded so interesting， but there was so much information packed into this book that I felt overwhelmed。 I was determined to see it through but it wasn’t easy！The parts I liked best about this book were the slices of life from the people living in the remote areas that Rawlence visited。 Learning about their different ways of life， their struggles， and the way that they’ve adapted to climate change is what was most interesting to me。 I also enjoyed the bits about the wildlife - reindeer & beavers & belugas， oh my！This book and I were not meant to be so don’t let my review stop you from reading it and learning about this important topic！ 。。。more
Meaghan Babin
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This books is wonderful and really informative！ I really enjoyed reading The Treeline and learning about the last rainforest。 I like how this book addresses climate change and talks about trees in a way that is with love。
Aftyn Shah
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