* A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK * 'The very treeline is on the move: a devastating image. This book is an evocative, wise and unflinching exploration of what it will mean for humanity.' Jay Griffiths, author of Wild A ground-breaking and beautifully written investigation into the Arctic Treeline with an urgent environmental message The Arctic treeline is the frontline of climate change, where the trees have been creeping towards the pole for fifty years already. These vast swathes of forests, which encircle the north of the globe in an almost unbroken green ring, comprise the world's second largest biome. Scientists are only just beginning to understand the astonishing significance of these northern forests for all life on Earth. Six tree species - Scots pine, birch, larch, spruce, poplar and rowan - form the central protagonists of Ben Rawlence's story. In Scotland, northern Scandinavia, Siberia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland, he discovers what these trees and the people who live and work alongside them have to tell us about the past, present and future of our planet. At the treeline, Rawlence witnesses the accelerating impact of climate change and the devastating legacies of colonialism and capitalism. But he also finds reasons for hope. Humans are creatures of the forest; we have always evolved with trees. The Treeline asks us where our co-evolution might take us next. Deeply researched and beautifully written, The Treeline is a spellbinding blend of nature, travel and science writing, underpinned by an urgent environmental message. * SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES CROPPER WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2022 *

In einer Zeitspanne von 15 Jahren hat sich die Spanplattenindustrie zum groessten Zweig der Holzindustrie entwickelt. In allen Erdteilen ent- stehen neue Spanplattenwerke. Die Kurve der Produktion zeigt noch keine Anzeichen fur eine Abflachung. Im Gebiet der Bundesrepublik Deutschland wurde im Jahr 1961 die Grenze von 1 Million Kubikmeter uberschritten, wobei die Tagesproduktion der grossen Werke um oder uber 400 Kubikmeter liegt. Die weitgehend automatisierten Maschinen- anlagen erfordern eine sorgfaltige Betriebsuberwachung, die an das Kontrollpersonal hohe Anspruche stellt. Da die Schwierigkeiten der Spanplattenherstellung haufig unter- schatzt werden, besteht die Gefahr, dass gut kontrollierte Qualitats- erzeugnisse durch minderwertige Platten in Misskredit kommen. Um ihr zu begegnen, wurde schon im Jahr 1956 mit dem Aufbau einer deut- schen Guteschutzorganisation begonnen. Die Grundlagen einer solchen Organisation sind Prufverfahren und Gutebedingungen, die in verhalt- nismassig kurzer Zeit in die Form von DIN-Normen gebracht werden mussten. Diese Vorarbeiten sind im wesentlichen im Forschungsinstitut fur Holzwerkstoffe und Holzleime in Karlsruhe ausgefuhrt worden. Wegen der gebotenen Eile haben die Forschungsergebnisse aber keinen Niederschlag in der Fachliteratur gefunden. Der Kreis der in der deut- schen Gutegemeinschaft Spanplatten zusammengeschlossenen Hersteller- werke nimmt rasch zu, so dass es erforderlich ist, die ganze Industrie mit diesen Arbeiten vertraut zu machen. Der Wunsch, die Vorarbeiten des Karlsruher Instituts mit einer Anleitung zum Aufbau der Betriebsuber- wachung abzuschliessen und diese in Buchform herauszugeben, ging vom Verband der deutschen Sperrholz-und Spanplattenindustrie aus (VDSS).

No matter where you look in Australia, you're more than likely to see a eucalyptus tree. Scrawny or majestic, smooth as pearl or rough as a pub brawl, they have defined a continent for thousands of years, and they continue to shape our imagination. First Nations Australians have long known the abilities of the eucalyptus. And as part of the raft of changes wrought by the arrival of colonial Australia, botanists have battled in a race to count, classify and own the species - a battle that has lasted more than two hundred years. Gum: The Story of Eucalypts and Their Champions is the story of that battle and of so many other eucalyptographers - explorers, poets, painters, foresters, conservationists, scientists (and engine drivers) - who have also been obsessed by these trees and who have championed their powers. Gum trees have been feted as a cure for malaria, as a solution for the drainage problems that defeated the Roman emperors, as the tree that could forest the Sahara, the tree that could divine gold. This new edition of Gum, from award-winning author Ashley Hay, is a powerful and lyrical exploration of these magical, mythical, medicinal trees, and the story of new worlds, curious people and big ideas.