'Gordan Bonan's new book provides a fascinating historical context for pressing questions about the role of forests in altering climate. It should be required reading for anyone interested in preserving or manipulating forests to benefit humans and the climate we live in. There is no better author to tell the story of the historical understanding on this topic than Bonan, the leading expert in our modern understanding of forest-climate interactions.' Abigail L. S. Swann, University of Washington
Part I: Historical Perspective: 1. The Forest-Climate Question; 2. Tempering the Climate, c. 1600–1840; 3. Destroying the Rains, c. 1500–1830; 4. Planting Trees for Rain, c. 1840–1900; 5. Making a Science: Forest Meteorology, c. 1850–1880; 6. American Meteorologists Speak Out, c. 1850–1910; 7. Views of Forests; Part II: The Scientific Basis: 8. Global Physical Climatology; 9. Forest Biometeorology; 10. Scientific Tools; 11. Forest Microclimates; 12. Water Yield; 13. Carbon Sequestration; 14. Forest Macroclimates; 15. Case Studies; 16. Climate-Smart Forests; 17. Forests of the Future; 18. The Forests Before Us; Notes; References; Index.