The Fish in the Forest: Salmon and the Web of Life

Stokes (Scripps Inst. of Oceanography, Univ. of California San Diego) and White (natural history photographer) cover the evolution of fish and the life cycle of salmon and how salmon and predators interrelate. The idea that these fish are in the tops of trees seems impossible, but Stokes builds his argument carefully, explaining that elements of their bodies get there through the creature's status as a keystone species. Orca, sea lions, and man feed on the adult fish in the ocean; bears and wolves feed on salmon on the fish's upstream swim; crows, eagles, and coyotes eat the fish after spawning or consume carcasses left by other predators. Nutrients from salmon are spread by their waste matter as well as by the animals that eat them. This work is not an easy read, however, it clearly explains why salmon are important to the ecology of the Pacific Northwest and why the habitats should be protected to keep the species healthy and prolific. White's beautiful photos are scattered throughout, although only about half of the pages of images have captions.