It takes the average reader 2 hours and 12 minutes to read The Olympic Rain Forest by Ruth Kirk
Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more
The forest of the northwest coast of North America accounts for two thirds of the world's temperate-zone rain forest, which is a fraction of the size of the more publicized tropical rain forest but is currently being lost at a comparable rate. Coming at a time of public concern and controversy regarding the future of the forest, this book provides a fresh examination of the natural dynamics that have produced the remarkably lush growth characterizing roughly two thousand miles of coast from Coos Bay, Oregon, to the gulf of Alaska--a stretch of greater north-south ecological sameness than exists anywhere else on earth. The rain forest valleys of Washington's Olympic Peninsula stand out as the showpiece of this region. Because the forest's productivity and sheer biomass per square mile are among the world's greatest, it is recognized as a National Park, a World Biosphere Reserve, and a World Heritage Site. Pointing out that ecology and economics share the same root (oikos, meaning ?home?), this book evokes the forest's beauty and intricacy while summarizing scientific understanding of components and interactions. We learn that moldering logs produce their own moisture as a by-product of decay, and are virtual reservoirs as well as storehouses of nutrients--qualities that contribute to their role as the rain forest's famed nurse logs, which act as seedbeds for oncoming generations of spruce and hemlock. We also learn that fallen trees affect stream flow and crucially influence the well-being of aquatic organisms (including fish) and that, washed downriver, they modify both beach character and life in the ocean near river mouths. The unique ecological web of this ancient forest--which has existed for at least five thousand years--includes the peculiar above-ground rooting of maple trees, which actually feed from the mossy ?upholstery? covering their trunks and branches; the role of elk as ?landscape gardners? preventing the understory from becoming a thicket; and a newly discovered life community within the gravel zone of river bottoms and out under the forest floor. ?Many of the spruce and hemlock trees we walk among today were alive when men like Sir Francis Bacon and Johannes Kepler first recognized the value of objective data over mystical portents,? write authors Ruth Kirk and Jerry Franklin. ?They have been pushing their roots through the soil and wafting seeds into the air throughout the entire existence of science.' This book will be welcomed by resident Northwesterners and travelers as well as by all who are interested in nature. Its prose is both broadly readable and scientifically sound. More than 100 color photographs catch the variety and grandeur of this magnificent forest.
The Olympic Rain Forest by Ruth Kirk is 128 pages long, and a total of 33,024 words.
This makes it 43% the length of the average book. It also has 40% more words than the average book.
The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 3 hours to read The Olympic Rain Forest aloud.
The Olympic Rain Forest is suitable for students ages 10 and up.
Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.
When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.
The Olympic Rain Forest by Ruth Kirk is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.
To buy The Olympic Rain Forest by Ruth Kirk on Amazon click the button below.
Buy The Olympic Rain Forest on Amazon