What Good Is a Dead Tree?: A Science Mystery

Creeaaakkkk . . . CRASH!

A mighty oak has fallen in the forest. But fifty years later, the only evidence that it was there is a dark mark on the forest floor. Where did it go?

Author and photographer Doug Wechsler invites readers to dig into this biological mystery and discover the answer to the disappearance. Trees are the basis of a lot of life in a forest--and that doesn't stop when they die. Millions of creatures depend on dead trees for food and shelter. Following the fall of an oak tree, Wechsler explains how the tree is broken down by animals, insects, and fungi over the course of fifty years. Along the way, explore parts of a tree, insect lifecycles, and the magic of mycelia. And discover how rotten wood benefits the forest by providing essential nutrients for new trees to grow.

Author: Doug Wechsler
Publisher: Millbrook Press (Tm)
Published: 04/07/2026
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Library Binding
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 9.00h x 10.80w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9798348010539
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2026
School Library Journal 03/01/2026 pg. 92
Booklist 04/01/2026

About the Author
Wechsler, Doug: - Doug Wechsler is the author and photographer of 25 children's books on natural science. Previously, he worked at the Academy of Natural Sciences as a wildlife biologist. Doug has been looking under and inside logs since he was knee-high to a salamander.