Tree Story

BY VALERIE TROUET, JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS, £20

It is said that elephants remember. Well, it appears that trees do, too. Here, we are taken on a fascinating journey through history, as remembered by the trees of the world. Trouet weaves together stories from the field and the lab to demonstrate that there is far more to studying tree rings than counting them. By combining samples from the oldest known living trees with preserved wood remains, tree ring scientists are able to build long-time series of tree growth and reconstruct past climates and extreme events over millennia. These histories provide the backdrop with which we can begin to understand the rise and fall of civilisations and to contextualise and prepare for the climatic changes we are now experiencing.