What Should a Clever Moose Eat? [recurso electrónico] : Natural History, Ecology, and the North Woods

How long should a leaf live? When should blueberries ripen? And what should a clever moose eat? Questions like these may seem simple or downright strange—yet they form the backbone of natural history, a discipline that fostered some of our most important scientific theories, from natural selection to glaciation. Through careful, patient observations of the organisms that live in an area, their distributions, and how they interact with other species, we gain a more complete picture of the world around us, and our place in it. In What Should a Clever Moose Eat?, John Pastor explores the natural history of the North Woods, an immense and complex forest that stretches from the western shore of Lake Superior to the far coast of Newfoundland. The North Woods is one of the most ecologically and geologically interesting places on the planet, with a host of natural history questions arising from each spruce or sugar maple. From the geological history of the region to the shapes of leaves and the relationship between aspens, caterpillars, and predators, Pastor delves into a captivating range of topics as diverse as the North Woods themselves. Through his meticulous observations of the natural world, scientists and nonscientists alike learn to ask natural history questions and form their own theories, gaining a greater understanding of and love for the North Woods—and other natural places precious to them. In the tradition of Charles Darwin and Henry David Thoreau, John Pastor is a joyful observer of nature who makes sharp connections and moves deftly from observation to theory. Take a walk in John Pastor's North Woods—you'll come away with a new appreciation for details, for the game trails, beaver ponds, and patterns of growth around you, and won't look at the natural world in the same way again. Cover -1 Title Page 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 11 List of Drawings 13 Foreword 15 Preface 19 PROLOGUE: The Beauty of Natural History 27 INTRODUCTION: The Nature of the North Woods 37 The Seasons of the North Woods 39 The Complexity of the North Woods 43 The North Woods and the American Idea of Nature 49 PART I: The Assembly of a Northern Ecosystem and the European Discovery of Its Natural History 55 Chapter 1: Setting the Stage 57 Chapter 2: The Emergence of the North Woods 71 Chapter 3: Beaver Ponds and the Flow of Water in Northern Landscapes 85 Chapter 4: David Thompson, the Fur Trade, and the Discovery of the Natural History of the North Woods 93 PART II: Capturing the Light 101 Chapter 5: How Long Should a Leaf Live? 103 Chapter 6: The Shapes of Leaves 115 Chapter 7: The Shapes of Crowns 127 Chapter 8: How Should Leaves Die? 137 PART III: Foraging, Food Webs, and Population Cycles of Predators and Their Prey 147 Chapter 9: Foraging in a Beaver’s Pantry 151 Chapter 10: Voles, Fungi, Spruce, and Abandoned Beaver Meadows 159 Chapter 11: What Should a Clever Moose Eat? 167 Chapter 12: Tent Caterpillars, Aspens, and the Regulation of Food Webs 179 Chapter 13: Predatory Warblers and the Control of Spruce Budworm in Conifer Canopies 187 Chapter 14: The Dance of Hare and Lynx at the Top of the Food Web 195 PART IV: Pollinators, Flowers, Fruits, and Seeds 207 Chapter 15: Skunk Cabbages, Blowflies, and the Smells of Spring 211 Chapter 16: When Should Flowers Bloom and Fruits Ripen? 217 Chapter 17: Everybody’s Favorite Berries 225 Chapter 18: Crossbills and Conifer Cones 233 PARTV: Fire and the Dynamics of the Landscape 241 Chapter 19: Does Fire Destroy or Maintain the North Woods? 243 Chapter 20: The Legacies of a Fire 255 Chapter 21: Fire Regimes and the Correlated Evolution of Serotiny andFlammability 263 EPILOGUE: Climate Change and the Disassembly of the North Woods 273 POSTSCRI PT: The Natural History of Beauty 281 Notes 291 Glossary 299 Bibliography 305 Index 325 Front Matter....Pages i-xiii The Nature of the North Woods....Pages 1-17 Front Matter....Pages 19-20 Setting the Stage....Pages 21-33 The Emergence of the North Woods....Pages 35-47 Beaver Ponds and the Flow of Water in Northern Landscapes....Pages 49-55 David Thompson, the Fur Trade, and the Discovery of the Natural History of the North Woods....Pages 57-64 Front Matter....Pages 65-67 How Long Should a Leaf Live?....Pages 67-77 The Shapes of Leaves....Pages 79-89 The Shapes of Crowns....Pages 91-99 How Should Leaves Die?....Pages 101-110 Front Matter....Pages 111-113 Foraging in a Beaver’s Pantry....Pages 115-122 Voles, Fungi, Spruce, and Abandoned Beaver Meadows....Pages 123-130 What Should a Clever Moose Eat?....Pages 131-142 Tent Caterpillars, Aspens, and the Regulation of Food Webs....Pages 143-150 Predatory Warblers and the Control of Spruce Budworm in Conifer Canopies....Pages 151-158 The Dance of Hare and Lynx at the Top of the Food Web....Pages 159-170 Front Matter....Pages 171-173 Skunk Cabbages, Blowflies, and the Smells of Spring....Pages 175-180 When Should Flowers Bloom and Fruits Ripen?....Pages 181-187 Everybody’s Favorite Berries....Pages 189-195 Crossbills and Conifer Cones....Pages 197-206 Front Matter....Pages 205-206 Does Fire Destroy or Maintain the North Woods?....Pages 207-218 Front Matter....Pages 205-206 The Legacies of a Fire....Pages 219-226 Fire Regimes and the Correlated Evolution of Serotiny and Flammability....Pages 227-235 Back Matter....Pages 237-298 John Pastor explores the natural history of the North Woods, an immense and complex forest that stretches from the western shore of Lake Superior to the far coast of Newfoundland. From the geological history of the region to the shapes of leaves and the relationship between aspens, caterpillars, and predators, Pastor delves into a fascinating range of topics as diverse as the North Woods themselves. Through his meticulous observations of the natural world, scientists and nonscientists alike learn to ask natural history questions and form their own theories, gaining a greater understanding of and love for the North Woods--and other natural places precious to them