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Interest in trees, whether in our streets, parks or forests, has in creasedconsiderablyin thelast 20 years or so.One reason for this has been the decline and dying of forests, which caused great concern about our environment during the 1980s. Because ofthe prominenceofthis event,which is nowblamedon abiotic factors, it is all too easyto forget that the life oftrees is also affected by a multitude of biotic factors: viruses, bacteria, fungi and animals. These may have very different relationships with trees, but are usually deleterious. The fungi playa particularlyimportant part, and during the course of their evolution they have developed various abilities and strategies in order to obtain nutrients and energy by decomposing wood. On the other hand, the tree has ´learned´ to react to external and internal infections. The various interactions between fungi and trees form the main themeofthis book. In reviewing this new book I was involuntarily reminded of a work by Robert Hartig over a century ago, entitled Die Zerset zungserscheinungen des Holzes der Nadelbiiume und der Eiche in forstlicher, botanischer und chemischer Richtung, which laid the foundation of mycological and pathological research on wood.

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From the reviews
" ... The illustrations are superb, and combine specially-drawn three dimensional interpretative diagrams of wood cellular anatomy with annotated colour micrographs. The science is up to date, with an excellent select bibliography. ... the authors have produced an excellent and innovative book and I would strongly recommend it for individual purchase by all involved in decisions about urban tree preservation, as well as researchers and teachers in mycology and plant pathology." (Mycological Research, UK)

"... The book is extremely well illustrated with 63 figures, many with multiple images and in color. .... this book is a nice compact compendium of selected fungi that invade living tres that would most benefit the arborist seeking to learn a bit more about the fungit that attack shade trees." (Mycopathologia 2001, Vol. 154)

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Claus Mattheck, geb. 1947, Promotion in Theoretischer Physik 1973, Habilitation im Fach Schadenskunde an der Universität Karlsruhe 1985, lehrt dort als apl. Professor. Seit 1991 öffentlich bestellter und vereidigter Sachverständiger für Mechanik und Bruchverhalten der Bäume. Träger zahlreicher Preise für Forschung und Publikation. Leiter der Abteilung Biomechanik am Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe.

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