The Secret Network of Nature: The Delicate Balance of All Living Things

Everything thing you need to know

We're using this book as a study in our outdoor Green Team parish meetings through the summer (2024). It is a surprisingly good book -- not a difficult read, but incredibly thought-provoking. Example: when man got rid of the wolves in Yellowstone, there was nothing to cull the deer, so the deer and elk population exploded. They grazed away the vegetation, which in turn took food away from the beavers so they went elsewhere and let their dams fall into disrepair. The dams falling into disrepair resulted in much less water flow through the creeks and rivers in the Yellowstone area, which led to a decrease in precipitation. When the wolves were re-introduced, the deer and elk populations went down, the vegetation began reappearing, the beavers had food and suitable trees to make dams, and the precipitation increased. Here's another: aphids suck the leaves on trees, which causes the trees to release sap. This, in turn, causes certain ants to gather around the base of the trees. The ants don't want the aphids to go away, so they bite the wings off the aphids. The aphids become more or less the "slaves" of the ants; but the tree will allow a fungus to grow to capture the sugar and return it to the roots of the trees. Every chapter is like this. It's the most interesting book study we've done in YEARS. I really, strongly recommend this book!

Questo libro è davvero illuminante sui nessi che legano il mondo animale e il mondo vegetale. È affascinante e, delle volte, scioccante come la modifica della vegetazione o ancora di più la modifica di una certa specie di animale possa avere degli effetti enorme su un'intera ecosistema. Chi avrebbe mai immaginato che l'introduzione di certe specie animali potrebbe addirittura cambiare la corsa di un fiume? Una vera avventura di scoperte inattese.

It is written so well and very enjoyable with lots of information on how important each animal plays a part on the ecology on earth

前作同様、これはホンマ！？と思いつつも、手にして一気に読了。動物、鮭、昆虫、表土、樹木と話題が多岐。時に興味深い学説(ホンマ？）を紹介する。狼と自然から鮭と森の窒素へと話題を進め、森の表土、鹿や昆虫へと展開。なるほど益虫・害虫という白黒区分は単純すぎるのか。著者は過激な自然派ではないようで（動物解放戦線！とか、日本捕鯨船に体当たり！のような）、動物園に反対ではないそうだし、後書きに前作（樹木）で批判の多かった感情移入傾向を弁明している。本書でも森全体がコミュニケーションを取り合っていると記しているが、これは最近の根菌研究からある程度は正しそう。ただ、時に？？の学説を「発見」と紹介する、例えば、渡り鳥がコースを仲間内で相談して決める！？とか(p.122)、母樹は自分の幼樹を認識でき、養分をその子だけにあたえるとか(ｐ.186）、ホンマ！？グリーンな情熱っぽい。ただ、蛾と蝙蝠、キツツキ、針葉樹と雲などとても楽しめる話が多かったで満足しました。英語の語彙も増えた！