The Assembly of a Northern Ecosystem, and the Discovery of its Natural History. Setting the Stage -- The Emergence of the North Woods -- The Birth and Death of a Beaver Pond -- David Thompson's Canoe -- Capturing the Light. How Long Should a Leaf Live? -- The Shapes of Leaves -- The Shapes of Crowns -- How Should Leaves Die? -- Foraging and Food Webs. Foraging in the Beaver's Pantry -- Mouse Wars, Fungi, and Spruce -- What Should a Clever Moose Eat? -- Tent Caterpillars, Aspens, and the Regulation of Ecosystems -- The Diversity of Warblers and the Control of Spruce Budworm -- The Dance of Hare and Lynx -- Pollinators, Flowers, Fruits, and Seeds. Skunk Cabbages, Blowflies, and the Smells of Spring -- When Should Flowers Bloom and Fruits Ripen? -- Everybody's Favorite Berries -- Coevolution of Crossbills and Conifer Cones -- Fire and the Dynamics of the Landscape. Does Fire Destroy or Maintain the North Woods? -- The Legacies of a Fire -- The Correlated Evolution of Serotiny, Flammability, and Fire -- Epilogue: Climate Change and the Disassembly of the North Woods -- Postscript: The Beauty of Natural History.