What do you think?
Rate this book
New England Forests Through Time : Insights from the Harvard Forest Dioramas
Over the past three hundred years New England's landscape has been transformed. The forests were cleared; the land was farmed intensively through the mid-nineteenth century and then was allowed to reforest naturally as agriculture shifted west. Today, in many ways the region is more natural than at any time since the American Revolution. This fascinating natural history is essential background for anyone interested in New England's ecology, wildlife, or landscape.
In New England Forests through Time these historical and environmental lessons are told through the world-renowned dioramas in Harvard's Fisher Museum. These remarkable models have introduced New England's landscape to countless visitors and have appeared in many ecology, forestry, and natural history texts. This first book based on the dioramas conveys the phenomenal history of the land, the beauty of the models, and new insights into nature.
In New England Forests through Time these historical and environmental lessons are told through the world-renowned dioramas in Harvard's Fisher Museum. These remarkable models have introduced New England's landscape to countless visitors and have appeared in many ecology, forestry, and natural history texts. This first book based on the dioramas conveys the phenomenal history of the land, the beauty of the models, and new insights into nature.
- GenresNatureNonfiction
70 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2000
28 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 4, 2022
After having visited the Harvard Forest Dioramas at the Fisher Museum in New Salem, MA, this book has provided much more insight into the Dioramas themselves and the themes and scenes within. If you can go see the dioramas in person, do it!
October 5, 2011
While worry occurs throughout much of the world due to continued development and enviornmental destruction it is interesting to note the extent the opposite is happening in New England. According to the Connecticut Forest and Park Association in 1895 when they formed as an organization 20% of the state was forested, now 60% of the state is forested. This level of forestation in Connecticut hadn't been present since prior to the founding of country!
This book provides an interesting description of how we got to this point though the use of pictures of the Harvard forest dioramas. These dioramas were created in the 1930's after 2 decades of studies of the old and new growth forests of central Massachusetts and depict the changes that took place over the 300 years from settlement and clearing through the peak of farming, abandonment of farms, pine forest growth, logging of much of those pine forests and finally to the growth of the hardwood forests present throughout much of Southern New England today.
What was most interesting to me was that the early 20th century removal through clear-cutting of most of the pines didn't lead the forests to regress to where it was shortly after the land was abandoned in the mid-19th century. The pine trees that shot up after the farmers left did not regrow rather small hardwood trees quickly took hold. Thus, interestingly clear-cutting of the forests (as well as damage due to events such as the 1938 hurricane) accelerated the progression to the next stage and helped create the hardwood forests now present throughout much of southern New England. It was interesting to me that nature was able to find a way to progress and continue to grow despite the destruction and lack of environmental regard of the early 20th century clear cutting.
This book provides an interesting description of how we got to this point though the use of pictures of the Harvard forest dioramas. These dioramas were created in the 1930's after 2 decades of studies of the old and new growth forests of central Massachusetts and depict the changes that took place over the 300 years from settlement and clearing through the peak of farming, abandonment of farms, pine forest growth, logging of much of those pine forests and finally to the growth of the hardwood forests present throughout much of Southern New England today.
What was most interesting to me was that the early 20th century removal through clear-cutting of most of the pines didn't lead the forests to regress to where it was shortly after the land was abandoned in the mid-19th century. The pine trees that shot up after the farmers left did not regrow rather small hardwood trees quickly took hold. Thus, interestingly clear-cutting of the forests (as well as damage due to events such as the 1938 hurricane) accelerated the progression to the next stage and helped create the hardwood forests now present throughout much of southern New England. It was interesting to me that nature was able to find a way to progress and continue to grow despite the destruction and lack of environmental regard of the early 20th century clear cutting.
July 13, 2012
Miniature worlds, foresty-fun? Count me in! This book is a fantastic resource about forest succession in New England. I thought I had this subject down pat, but I learned a lot from this book. The dioramas are gorgeous and have enticed me to visit the Fisher Museum at the Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA someday.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews