Made for Each Other: A Symbiosis of Birds and Pines

by Ronald M. Lanner

A beautifully written account of the symbiotic relationship between pine trees and jays; a cycle of dependency has progressed for several million years as birds have effectively planted the trees that sustain them by dispersing the seeds. This book covers a wide range of regions, focusing on the Rocky Mountains and the American Southwest, but also ranging from the Alps to Finland, and from Siberia to China. The book is written from the perspectives of evolution, ecology, and animal behaviour.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biology, Ecology, Birds, Nature

180 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Ashwini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book and it has made me look at pines more closely. Living in the mountains I see Clark's Nutcracker regularly but had no idea about the symbiotic relationship between this bird and pine trees. Recommend it highly for some insights into the natural world, how forests begin and how mammals (incl humans) and birds are linked closely together.

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not an easy read- very scientific, most chapters read like a scientific paper with a ton of difficult to comprehend figures and data thrown in. Organization was really scattered. I was surprised to find the "Origins" chapter at the end of the book. The most interesting (and well-written) chapters (Pine Nuts and People and Is the Keystone Slipping?) were glossed over. I can tell this was written by a botanist- a ton of time devoted to the minutia of white bark pine genus and seed/cone structure and not a lot of details provided about the Clark's nutcracker. But the story is still amazing and I was able to glean some useful information.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in-depth study of these relationships. I've never found this information anywhere else. Love the writing style personally, but it's not as easily comprehendible if the botanical and ornithological terms are unfamiliar to the reader.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable. But a good book to read, a little at a time, during lunch breaks.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating interdependence of pine trees and birds that cache the seeds.

Bears and squirrels also depend on the pine seeds as an important nutritional source.