Trees of Michigan and the Upper Great Lakes

by Norman Foster Smith

Of Michigan's great wealth of natural resources, few have been more important in the past or are more highly valued today than our forests and the trees which compose them. Not only are they a continuous source of raw materials for industry and agriculture but they affect the climate, water resources, and soil, purify our air, furnish food and shelter for wildlife and are indispensable to our vast recreational and scenic areas. They form a basic part of our diverse natural environment - our ""biodiversity."" Their protection and management are vital to the state's wellbeing. Industries which depend upon trees for their existence are major employers and rank high in the state's economy. The annual production and manufacture of forest products is measured in billions of dollars. The recreation ""industry,"" including vacation travel, resorts, food, lodging, hunting, fishing, and camping, is likewise a multi-billion dollar a year business. Equally important is the intangible wealth which trees bring to us through sheer enjoyment of beauty and love of nature. Whether in field, fencerow, woodlot or forest, or along highways, rural roads, urban streets, or greenbelts, this bounty is ours for the taking. We have only to picture ourselves without trees to appreciate this value.

Genres: Nature

178 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 1995

Reviews

[Anthony]

A neat tree book with quite a bit of information on the trees in my area. The sections for most trees include information not only about identifying characteristics—leaves, bark, size—but also quite a bit of information about the habitats the trees prefer, shade tolerance, the trees it usually coexists with, its root system (and occasionally the ease of transplanting).



The book has color photos of each tree, usually of (1) the leaves, (2) the bark, (3) the overall shape of the tree in the open, and (4) the flowers. However, since it doesn't have any kind of key I wouldn't exactly recommend this book for the purpose of IDing, but it has plenty of useful information you might be interested in.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent reference for Great Lakes residents. Not an 'trees are sacred' book, more 'timber as harvestable', perfect for helping manage small woodlots and whether to let the errant locust grow or to grub out the slippery elm.