Download or read book Gods Wasps and Stranglers written by Mike Shanahan and published by Chelsea Green Publishing. This book was released on 2016 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They are trees of life and trees of knowledge. They are wish-fulfillers rainforest royalty more precious than gold. They are the fig trees, and they have affected humanity in profound but little-known ways. Gods, Wasps, and Stranglers tells their amazing story.

Download or read book Gods Wasps and Stranglers written by Mike Shanahan and published by Chelsea Green Publishing. This book was released on 2016-11-01 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "If you’re looking for a dose of wonder in your reading life, I recommend this beautiful book about the magic of fig trees."—Book Riot Over millions of years, fig trees have shaped our world, influenced our evolution, nourished our bodies and fed our imaginations. And as author and ecologist Mike Shanahan proclaims, “The best could be yet to come.” Gods, Wasps and Stranglers weaves together the mythology, history and ecology of one of the world’s most fascinating—and diverse—groups of plants, from their starring role in every major religion to their potential to restore rainforests, halt the loss of rare and endangered species and even limit climate change. In this lively and joyous book, Shanahan recounts the epic journeys of tiny fig wasps, whose eighty-million-year-old relationship with fig trees has helped them sustain more species of birds and mammals than any other trees; the curious habits of fig-dependent rhinoceros hornbills; figs’ connection to Krishna and Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad; and even their importance to Kenya’s struggle for independence. Ultimately, Gods, Wasps and Stranglers is a story about humanity’s relationship with nature, one that is as relevant to our future as it is to our past.

Download or read book Ladders to Heaven written by Mike Shanahan and published by Unbound Publishing. This book was released on 2016-09-08 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Irresistible" - Literary Review Fig trees have affected humanity in profound but little-known ways: they are wish-fulfillers, rainforest royalty, more precious than gold. Ladders to Heaven tells their incredible story. They fed our pre-human ancestors, influenced diverse cultures and played a key role in the birth of civilisation. More recently, they helped restore life after Krakatoa's catastrophic eruption and proved instrumental in Kenya's struggle for independence. Figs now sustain more species of bird and mammal than any other fruit – in a time of falling trees and rising temperatures, they offer hope. Theirs is a story about humanity's relationship with nature, as relevant to our past as it is to our future.

Download or read book A Wasp in the Fig Tree written by Mary Bryan Stafford and published by Wasp in the Fig Tree. This book was released on 2014-05-29 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Texas, it's politics as usual, but to Isabel Martin, it threatens her very being. She escapes to her uncle's idyllic Ranch of the Fig Trees in South Texas, expecting a luxurious haven after of her parents' divorce. But there is an insidious little rumor about the family that the whole county is talking about--how Lyndon Johnson won the senate election that launched him into power. Isabel struggles to believe her uncle is innocent of voter fraud, but how can she know what to believe when rumor lays a heavy film of guilt over the family she loves?

Download or read book Wasps written by Eric R. Eaton and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-03-09 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ultimate visual journey into the beautiful and complex world of wasps Wasps are far more diverse than the familiar yellowjackets and hornets that harass picnickers and build nests under the eaves of our homes. These amazing, mostly solitary creatures thrive in nearly every habitat on Earth, and their influence on our lives is overwhelmingly beneficial. Wasps are agents of pest control in agriculture and gardens. They are subjects of study in medicine, engineering, and other important fields. Wasps pollinate flowers, engage in symbiotic relationships with other organisms, and create architectural masterpieces in the form of their nests. This richly illustrated book introduces you to some of the most spectacular members of the wasp realm, colorful in both appearance and lifestyle. From minute fairyflies to gargantuan tarantula hawks, wasps exploit almost every niche on the planet. So successful are they at survival that other organisms emulate their appearance and behavior. The sting is the least reason to respect wasps and, as you will see, no reason to loathe them, either. Written by a leading authority on these remarkable insects, Wasps reveals a world of staggering variety and endless fascination. Packed with more than 150 incredible color photos Includes a wealth of eye-popping infographics Provides comprehensive treatments of most wasp families Describes wasp species from all corners of the world Covers wasp evolution, ecology, physiology, diversity, and behavior Highlights the positive relationships wasps share with humans and the environment

Download or read book The Vulgar Wasp written by Phil Lester and published by . This book was released on 2018-04 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Native to Europe, Vespula vulgaris, the common wasp, has been inadvertently transported around the globe - usually travelling quietly, unseen, sleeping in people's cargo. Today in New Zealand, the highest known wasp densities have up to 40 nests per hectare. Though we know them as pests, wasps are amazingly efficient predators with some exceptionally smart behaviours. Vespula vulgaris excels as both a hunter and an invader. Some people find them pretty tasty too. In this book, entomologist Phil Lester describes the many fascinating and lesser-known sides of the common wasp. He asks: how can we manage wasps? Can we ever learn to live with them? What can they teach us about the challenges we face for pest control? With warmth, wit and intelligence, "The Vulgar Wasp" tells the story of the common wasp and its impact on us and our biodiversity.

Download or read book African Fig Trees and Fig Wasps written by and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Biology written by and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2016-04-14 with total page 2138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Biology, Four Volume Set is the definitive go-to reference in the field of evolutionary biology. It provides a fully comprehensive review of the field in an easy to search structure. Under the collective leadership of fifteen distinguished section editors, it is comprised of articles written by leading experts in the field, providing a full review of the current status of each topic. The articles are up-to-date and fully illustrated with in-text references that allow readers to easily access primary literature. While all entries are authoritative and valuable to those with advanced understanding of evolutionary biology, they are also intended to be accessible to both advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Broad topics include the history of evolutionary biology, population genetics, quantitative genetics; speciation, life history evolution, evolution of sex and mating systems, evolutionary biogeography, evolutionary developmental biology, molecular and genome evolution, coevolution, phylogenetic methods, microbial evolution, diversification of plants and fungi, diversification of animals, and applied evolution. Presents fully comprehensive content, allowing easy access to fundamental information and links to primary research Contains concise articles by leading experts in the field that ensures current coverage of each topic Provides ancillary learning tools like tables, illustrations, and multimedia features to assist with the comprehension process

Download or read book Mating Systems and Strategies written by Stephen M. Shuster and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2019-12-31 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents the first unified conceptual and statistical framework for understanding the evolution of reproductive strategies. Using the concept of the opportunity for sexual selection, the authors illustrate how and why sexual selection, though restricted to one sex and opposed in the other, is one of the strongest and fastest of all evolutionary forces. They offer a statistical framework for studying mating system evolution and apply it to patterns of alternative mating strategies. In doing so, they provide a method for quantifying how the strength of sexual selection is affected by the ecological and life history processes that influence females' spatial and temporal clustering and reproductive schedules. Directly challenging verbal evolutionary models that attempt to explain reproductive behavior without quantitative reference to evolutionary genetics, this book establishes a more solid theoretical foundation for the field. Among the weaknesses the authors find in the existing data is the apparent ubiquity of condition-dependent mating tactics. They identify factors likely to contribute to the evolution of alternative mating strategies--which they argue are more common than generally believed--and illustrate how to measure the strength of selection acting on them. Lastly, they offer predictions on the covariation of mating systems and strategies, consider the underlying developmental biology behind male polyphenism, and propose directions for future research. Informed by genetics, this is a comprehensive and rigorous new approach to explaining mating systems and strategies that will influence a wide swath of evolutionary biology.

Download or read book The Social Biology of Wasps written by Kenneth G. Ross and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2018-08-06 with total page 699 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this edited collection, 17 internationally known authorities bring together the results of recent research on the natural history, ecology, behavior, morphology, and genetics of wasps as they pertain to the evolution of social behavior. The first part of the book opens with a review of the classification of the family Vespidae along with a revision of the subfamily Polistinae. Seven subsequent chapters deal with the natural history and social biology of each of the major taxa of social and presocial vespids. The second part of the book offers chapters on reproductive competition; worker polyethism; evolution of nest architecture, of queen number and queen control, and of exocrine glands; population genetics; the nutritional bsis of social evolution; and the nest as the locus of social life. The final chapter is a comparative discussion of social behavior in the Sphecidae, the only family of wasps besides the Vespidae in which well-developed social behavior is known. Providing a wealth of information about the biology of wasps, this comprehensive, up-to-date volume will be an essential reference for entomologists, evolutionary biologists, behavioral ecologists, ethologists, and zoologists. Contributors: James M. Carpenter. David P. Cowan. Holly A Downing. Raghavendra Gadagkar. Albert Greene. James H. Hunt. Robert L. Jeanne. Makoto Matsuura. Robert W. Matthews. Hudson K. Reeve. PeterFrank Roseler. Kenneth G. Ross. J. Philip Spradbery. Christopher K. Starr. Stefano Turillazzi. John W. Wenzel. Mary Jane West-Eberhard.

Download or read book The Fig written by Ali Sarkhosh and published by CABI. This book was released on 2022-04-27 with total page 511 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The common fig Ficus carica L. is an ancient fruit native to the Mediterranean. Dried figs have been successfully produced and processed in arid regions with little sophisticated infrastructure for centuries. Figs are rich in fibre, trace minerals, polyphenols and vitamins, with higher nutrient levels than most fruits. Advances in agricultural production and postharvest technologies have not only improved the efficiency of dried fig production but have facilitated the development of high value fresh fig industries both for export and domestic markets. The result is high quality fresh figs that are marketed internationally throughout the year. This book provides a comprehensive summary of fig growing, processing and marketing from a scientific and horticultural perspective.

Download or read book Photographic Field Guide Wildlife of South India written by Surya Ramachandran and published by . This book was released on 2021-04-02 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Photographic Field Guide - Wildlife of South India' is the first-of-its-kind comprehensive field guide covering all the mammals, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, reptiles and amphibians of the six states (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) of south India. The book is a must have for wilderness enthusiasts as it is a true ambassador to the biodiversity of south India in its own right. It is sure to transform wilderness walks and safaris and even the way people perceive urban wilderness, starting from one's own balconies and gardens. The book, which has 360 pages, covers 1920 species belonging to the six taxa using 1850 photographs contributed by around 280 photographers from India and beyond. The information presented in various sections of 'Photographic Field Guide - Wildlife of South India' has been vetted and added to by experts from the scientific world.

Download or read book Figs of Southern South central Africa written by John Eric Burrows and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Detailed information on the 48 native figs (Ficus) of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi.

Download or read book Tropical Forest Canopies Ecology and Management written by K.E. Linsenmair and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-03-14 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Almost half of all life on earth may exist in the world's forest canopies. They may also play a vital role in maintaining the planet's climate, yet they remain largely unexplored owing to difficulties of access. They are renowned for their great diversity and role in forest functioning, yet there are still great gaps in the understanding of this `last biological frontier'. This seminal book shows how canopy science is now in a position to answer many of the outstanding questions, among which are some of the most pressing environmental issues society is presently facing. It represents a major summary of the current understanding of canopy ecology, and maps a path forward into a greater understanding of tropical forest ecology and management at a time when the very future of this ecosystem is threatened by humanity's actions.

Download or read book Wasps of the World written by Simon van Noort and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2024-02-06 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A richly illustrated guide to wasps around the world Wasps have been around since before the dinosaurs and are one of the world’s largest insect groups. More than 150,000 species have been identified, and while the black-and-yellow insect with a cinched waist may be the most familiar, most wasps are tiny parasitoids that use other insects for food. Wasps of the World provides a breathtaking look at the diverse characteristics, habitats, and lifestyles of these extraordinary insects. Features more than 250 stunning color photos of numerous species Profiles more than 100 families, with absorbing commentary detailing the range, habits, and notable features of members of each family Every profile includes a distribution map and a table of essential facts about size, diet, reproduction, and habitats Discusses the evolution and biology of wasps, exploring the vital role they play in supporting healthy ecosystems Shows how scientific research is expanding our knowledge about wasps and their behavior

Download or read book Advances in Fig Research and Sustainable Production written by Moshe A. Flaishman and published by Cab International. This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book provides a comprehensive review of fig research, both basics and applications. It addresses the recent scientific results in genetics, genomics, metabolomics, pharmaceutical properties, understanding of symbiosis, new management, post-harvest technology and diseases and pest management of figs"--

Download or read book Growing Figs in Cold Climates written by Lee Reich and published by New Society Publishers. This book was released on 2021-10-05 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Minnesota to Moscow — how to grow fresh figs in cold climates Growing Figs in Cold Climates is a complete, full-color, illustrated guide to organic methods for growing delicious figs in cold climates, well outside the traditional hot, arid home of this ancient fruiting tree. Coverage includes: Five methods for growing figs in cold climates including overwintering Cultivar selection for cool and cold climates Pruning techniques for a variety of methods of growing figs in cold climates Pest problems and solutions Harvesting, including ways to speed ripening, identify ripe fruit, and manage an overabundance Small-scale commercial fig production in cold climates. Fresh figs are juicy, full-bodied, and filled with a honey-sweet flavor, and because truly ripe figs are highly perishable, they are only available to those who grow their own. By choosing the right cultivars and techniques, figs can be grown across cool and cold growing zones of North America, Europe, and beyond, putting them within reach of almost every gardener. Easy and delicious — if you can grow a houseplant, you can grow a fig.