A spectacularly illustrated journey into the intimate communities that native trees share with animals, insects, fungi, and microbes

You can tell a lot about a tree from the company it keeps. James Nardi guides you through the innermost unseen world that trees share with a wondrous array of creatures. With their elaborate immune responses, trees recruit a host of allies as predators and parasites to defend against uninvited advances from organisms that chew on leaves, drain sap, and bore into wood. Microbial life thrives in the hidden spaces of leaf scales, twigs, and bark, while birds, mammals, and insects benefit from the more visible resources trees provide. In return, animals help with pollination, seed dispersal, and recycling of nutrients. The Hidden Company That Trees Keep blends marvelous storytelling with beautiful illustrations and the latest science to reveal how the lives of trees are intertwined with those of their diverse companions.

• Features a wealth of richly detailed drawings accompanied by breathtaking images of microscopic landscapes on leaf, bark, and root surfaces
• Includes informative fact boxes
• Draws on new discoveries in biology and natural history
• Written by one of the world's leading naturalists

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 02/07/2023
ISBN: 9780691237978
Pages: 320
Weight: 1.30lbs

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 12/05/2022
Library Journal 12/02/2022 pg. 1