The Secret Network of Nature by Peter Wohlleben

“The natural world is a web of intricate connections, many of which go unnoticed by humans”.  Humans have created a complex society resulting in constant distraction, and consequently the intricacies of the natural world are often overlooked. Peter Wohlleben is a forester in Germany who shares his knowledge of the interactions within ecology.  His book “The Secret Network of Nature”, explores how seemingly insignificant changes to nature can have enormous effects through its subtle networks.

Humans tend to shape their environment to suit their needs. For example, clearing land for farming or eradicating a certain species to protect crops.  Wohlleben goes on to outline the chain of events resulting in major shifts within the natural world. For example, how wolves can alter the course of a river or that earthworms can control wild boar populations.  It has been shown that eradicating a species can impact nature, but conversely it is apparent that allowing a species to breed widely can also can also have detrimental effects.

Since Wohlleben’s experience lies in Germany, many of his examples are set in Central Europe and some in North America. Despite this locality, the lessons taken from his book can be applied to all natural environments around the world.  A key message I took is that natural ecosystems are filled with different animals, plants, rivers, rocks and weather systems which cooperate together to work in unison.

The connections in nature’s network are beyond comprehension and will never be mapped in its entirety.  Human civilisation is dependent on its environment and we often intervene when nature needs help.  Considering we don’t understand nature’s inner workings, Wohlleben argues that we should instead let nature repair itself, as it has done for millions of years.  Nature’s way of healing from both human or natural causes may take longer without human intervention, but it will repair ecosystems to their correct order better than our abilities permit.

Wohlleben also looks at greater issues in the world such as climate change. He argues that with time, trees could adapt to increased rates of carbon dioxide as they have done in the past.  But due to the rate at which carbon dioxide levels are rising, nature cannot keep up.  Wohlleben’s message implies that we should respect nature for what it is and give it space to breathe and evolve on its own timeline.

The author has beautifully tied the end of each chapter into the next, furthermore showing the connectedness between seemingly unrelated parts of nature. The book was originally translated from German, and I feel some phrases could have been more eloquently translated. Despite the limited examples, the breadth of connections exemplifies nature’s finely balanced equilibrium.

Are you interested in learning more by reading this book?