After a fire, you might think a burned area is as barren and lifeless as the moon. But take a closer look and you'll find that even before the last wisps of smoke have cleared, the newly burned forest is already teeming with life. Many plants and animals find fertile ground here to grow, eat, and have offspring; some species are dependent on fire and cannot thrive or reproduce without it. Unlike most books, which concentrate on the fire itself, The Charcoal Forest explores the new habitat created by the fire. Focusing on the Northern Rocky Mountains of the United States and Canada, the book...