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  • © 2019

Bark Anatomy of Trees and Shrubs in the Temperate Northern Hemisphere

  • Demonstrates the anatomical variability of bark

  • Includes hundreds of high-quality microphotographs

  • Helps identify prehistorical and historical remnants

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-VI
  2. Introduction

    • Fritz H. Schweingruber, Peter Steiger, Annett Börner
    Pages 1-17
  3. The boreal taiga

    • Fritz H. Schweingruber, Peter Steiger, Annett Börner
    Pages 18-51
  4. Subalpine and subarctic dwarf shrubs

    • Fritz H. Schweingruber, Peter Steiger, Annett Börner
    Pages 52-79
  5. Mountain ranges in Eurasia

    • Fritz H. Schweingruber, Peter Steiger, Annett Börner
    Pages 80-113
  6. Deciduous forest of temperate Europe

    • Fritz H. Schweingruber, Peter Steiger, Annett Börner
    Pages 114-199
  7. Deciduous forest of submediterranean Europe

    • Fritz H. Schweingruber, Peter Steiger, Annett Börner
    Pages 200-247
  8. Deciduous forest of Eastern Asia

    • Fritz H. Schweingruber, Peter Steiger, Annett Börner
    Pages 248-285
  9. Deciduous forest of Eastern North America

    • Fritz H. Schweingruber, Peter Steiger, Annett Börner
    Pages 286-321
  10. Coniferous forest of Pacific North America

    • Fritz H. Schweingruber, Peter Steiger, Annett Börner
    Pages 322-345
  11. Mediterranean hard-leaved forest

    • Fritz H. Schweingruber, Peter Steiger, Annett Börner
    Pages 346-391
  12. Back Matter

    Pages 393-394

About this book

This book presents the microscopic and macroscopic bark structure of more than 180 different tree and shrub species from Europe, Asia and North America. It is the first compendium to demonstrate the anatomical variability in bark since almost 70 years (Holdheide 1951). The introductory chapter explains with high-quality microphotographs the anatomical traits most important for identification and ecological interpretation of barks, and the monographic part demonstrates in text and pictures the species-specific patterns. The species treatments are grouped by their main biomes. Each species description first characterizes the macroscopic aspects with its main form, features and habitat with text and pictures of the whole plant and the barks in a young and old stage. This is followed by the microscopical description of each species. The microscopic photographs are based on double-stained slides, revealing the quality and distribution of unlignified and lignified tissues in low and high magnification.

The book fills a scientific gap: Archeologists and soil scientists want to identify prehistoric and historical remnants. Ecophysiologists are interested in the distribution of conducting and non-conducting tissues in the phloem and xylem along the stem axis and the internal longevity of cells. Ecologists get information about internal defense mechanisms and technologists are enabled to recognize indicators relevant in biophysics and technology.

Reviews

“The intended audience includes a very wide range of readers. Scientists and professionals of various disciplines from archaeology to ecophysiology, soils science to plant ecology will benefit from the book. ... The reader will appreciate the plant descriptions and photographs, which help to link the microscopic views to the scale at which we may have known the plants in our hikes and, in some cases, in our gardens.” (Alan Crivellaro, Plant Science Bulletin, Vol. 66 (2), 2020)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Institute of Forest, Snow and Landscape Research - WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland

    Fritz H. Schweingruber

  • Landscape architect, Rodersdorf, Switzerland

    Peter Steiger

  • Calyptra Pty Ltd., Melrose Park, Australia

    Annett Börner

About the authors

Fritz Hans Schweingruber
After studying at the University of Bern, Switzerland, and pursuing postdoctoral research under Hal Fritts in Tucson, Arizona, he taught wood anatomy and dendrochronology at the University of Basel for 26 years. At the same time he was leader of the research group Tree Rings and Environment at the Swiss Federal Institute of Forest, Snow and Landscape in Birmensdorf, where he set up the Northern Hemispheric Dendroclimatological Densitometric Network and published wood anatomical books for Europe, Russia and the Sahara. In 1986 he founded the International Dendroecological Field Week and in 2001 the International Dendroanatomical Weeks. Since retirement, he has focused on the anatomy of herbs and dwarf shrubs.

 

Peter Steiger

Has a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the Technische Hochschule Hannover. As an independent landscape architect with a strong interest in plant-ecology, he creates private and public gardens, mainly using native plants. He is the author of the book Wälder der Schweiz (4th edition 2010), on the Swiss forest communities. He is also a co-author of the Swiss National Forest-reserve Concept, the red list of Swiss forest communities and forest experts for the research-group Phytosuisse describing all the plant communities of Switzerland. His second book, Esche, Espe oder Erle? - Pflanzenportraits aller wildwachsenden Gehölze Mitteleuropas (2nd edition 2016) is a comprehensive encyclopedia of all native Central European trees and shrubs. Working also as a naturalist guide for British Greentours, he visits and illustrates plant biomes all over the world.

 

Annett Börner
Annett Börner studied geo-ecology at the University of Bayreuth, Germany, and has a special interest in plant ecology. She has been working in the field of scientific publishing and science communication for more than 15 years, and her clients include a number of major research institutes in Europe and Australia. Annett lives in Adelaide, Australia. 






Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access