Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 2023. Octavo, paperback, black and white illustrations.

Standing in an old-growth forest, you can instinctively
sense the ways it is different from forests shaped by
humans. These ancient, undisturbed ecosystems are
increasingly rare and largely misunderstood.
Nature’s
Temples
explores the science and alchemy of old-growth
forests and makes a compelling case for their protection.
Many foresters are proponents of forest management,
while ecologists and conservation biologists believe that
the healthiest forests are those we leave alone. Joan
Maloof brings together the scientific data we have about
old-growth forests, drawing on diverse fields of study to
explain the ecological differences among forests of various
ages. She describes the life forms and relationships that
make old-growth forests unique — from salamanders
and micro-snails to plants that communicate through
fungi — and reveals why human attempts to manage
forests can never replicate nature’s sublime handiwork.
This revised and expanded edition also sheds new light
on the special role forests play in removing carbon from
the atmosphere and shares what we know about the
interplay between wildfires and ancient forests.
Nature’s Temples
features drawings by Andrew Joslin
that illustrate scientific concepts and capture the
remarkable beauty of ancient trees.