Dear ECOLOGGERS: Apologies for maybe waxing a bit too poetic here but I used to use cellular responses as a way to detect and measure stressors. Looking out my window, I now see trees with that same world view and wonder "How are trees (or any organism's) forms informing us?" What I see (and it doesn't really matter where or what they are) are odd forkings, broken spars, and twisted limbs. To what degree can the shapes of living things tell us about their life and ecosystem?
Just wondering what literature there might be or what your thoughts are if you've pondered such things yourself. Cordially yours, GW Patton Silver Spring, MD.
