A clearing opens in the forest around a mighty fallen tree. As it begins to decompose, the tree attracts life from far and wide. First, insects such as alpine longhorn beetles and carpenter ants arrive, feeding on and tunneling through the dead wood. Fungi slowly transform parts of the tree into humus, a valuable food source for nearby plants. Birds and small mammals burrow in the tree’s hollows and use the fallen trunk for safe passage across a stream. With the help of these many forest organisms, the decaying tree becomes essential to the forest’s biodiversity and a great example of symbiosis. This Italian import is packed to the roots with in-depth info about the flora and fauna that interact with a forest’s fallen trees, as well as a segment about the human impact on forest health and tips on how to promote biodiversity in readers’ own backyards. Manageable blocks of text are peppered with scientific words that are bolded and defined, making the information accessible to the upper elementary set for both interest and research, despite its lack of bibliographic sources. Gottardi’s intricate illustrations depict the wonder of the forest in fine lines and eye-catching colors, from majestic foxes dusted with snow to tiny, delicately frilled lichens.
