Each forest community is identifiable by its own bark, leaf, and smell cues
Evidence
In Chapters 6 through 8, as you learn about the great plant communities, such as the redwood forest of the Pacific Northwest, or the longleaf, loblolly, and shortleaf pine barrens and savannas of the southeastern states, familiarize yourself with the common species of each by studying the brief descriptions and the drawings of leaves and fruits or nuts. … A man who could read the woods could probably walk blindfolded in many of them and tell where he was merely by touch of bark, smell of leaf, the different sounds of the wind whispering in the foliage, and the crackle of his clothes brushing the undergrowth. — Vinson Brown, Reading the Woods, 74
Categorization
- DEFINE: Introduces ‘plant community’ as the book’s basic unit of identification — a forest kingdom with characteristic species.
- SHARE: The blindfolded-woodsman image is a niche, delightful tidbit for a botanist or naturalist friend.
- XREF: connects to: Guided trails extend interpretation to smell, taste, touch, and hearing — Freeman Tilden, Interpreting Our Heritage, 712; Trees warn neighboring trees of insect attack through airborne chemical signals — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom,…, 77; Fire-prone-habitat animals sense fires through infrared, smell, and smoke cues. — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 350
Broader Connections
- Guided trails extend interpretation to smell, taste, touch, and hearing
#expands(0.95) — Freeman Tilden, Interpreting Our Heritage, 712 - Trees warn neighboring trees of insect attack through airborne chemical signals
#expands(0.90) — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass, 77 - Fire-prone-habitat animals sense fires through infrared, smell, and smoke cues.
#expands(0.85) — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology, 350