Description
Soft layers of moss and pine needles carpet the ground as dappled sunlight or misty rain filters through the forest canopy’s branches. Western Washington woodlands can be enchanting. Fortunately, these magical places are abundant, covering half the state’s soil. Affording beauty and recreation as well as economic value, they endure as one of the area’s most important natural assets.
In Native Trees of Western Washington, Washington State University’s Kevin Zobrist examines regional indigenous trees from a forestry specialist’s unique perspective. He explains basic tree physiology and a key part of their ecology—forest stand dynamics. He groups distinctive varieties into sections, describing common lowland conifers and broadleaved trees, high-elevation species found in the Olympic Mountains and Cascades, and trees with a limited natural range and small, isolated populations. Numerous full-color photographs illustrate key traits.
In addition, Zobrist discusses notable features, offering information about where to find particular species. He includes brief lists of some common human uses, citing Native American medicines, food, and materials, as well as commercial utilization from the time of European settlement to the present day. The result is a delightful and enlightening exploration of western Washington timberlands.
Illustrations / maps / glossary / references / index / 160 pages (2014)
Recognition
“A beautiful new guide book about native trees is garnering rave reviews…Anyone who loves to walk in the woods will appreciate the guide book’s comprehensive portrait of the trees that make up the lush native forests of Western Washington.” —Everett Herald
“His new primer is helpful without being boring, erudite without being inaccessible and, at fewer than 150 pages, invitingly brief. This is largely because “Native Trees” is not a botany book, field guide or identification key. Rather, it is a broad, richly photographed introduction to the native trees west of the Cascade Crest, from a forestry perspective. This means you’ll find useful context of how these trees grow and survive, how they interact with other plants and animals, as well as traditional and modern human uses…Rife with surprising trivia about the trees we see every day, these chapters are genuinely readable.”—Madison Park Times, Queen Anne & Magnolia News
“Succinctly written and effectively illustrated with the author’s own photos…Convenient to keep in the car or toss in your daypack, while still being a useful and readable reference at home….the photos are a visual highlight, including representation of tree crowns, leaves, bark, and often cones and propagules… the visual quantity and quality exceed those of any other field guides for trees.” —Northwest Science
“If you are looking for a small, well-written, scientifically accurate book about the trees of Western Washington, this may be just the book for you.”—The Acorn, South Sound Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society newsletter
“Native Trees of Western Washington” is a valuable primer on the intricate variety of forest species on the wet side of the Cascades…Even readers outside the book’s stated geographical scope will find its descriptions useful and its purpose inspirational. There’s a whole lot more to wet-side forests than Douglas firs. I’ll be taking it along on walks, putting names and traits to some of the anonymous forest citizens I’ve ignorantly gaped at or ignored over the years.”—The Daily Astorian & Chinook Observer
