Seeing the Forest for the Trees

For centuries people have understood that forests and our utilisation of them influence the climate. With modern environmental concerns there is now scientific governmental and popular interest in planting trees for climate protection. This book examines the historical origins of the idea that forests influence climate the bitter controversy that ended the science and its modern rebirth. Spanning the 1500s to the present it provides a broad perspective across the physical and biological sciences as well as the humanities to explain the many ways forests influence climate. It describes their use in climate-smart forestry and as a natural climate solution and demonstrates that in the forestclimate question human and sylvan fates are linked. Accessibly written with minimal mathematics it is ideal for students in environmental and related sciences as well as anyone with an interest in understanding the environmental workings of forests and their interactions with climate.