Download or read book Plants and Human Conflict written by Eran Pichersky and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2018-07-27 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perhaps the least appreciated dramatis personae in human history are plants. Humans, like all other animals, cannot produce their own food as plants do through photosynthesis, and must therefore acquire organic material for survival and growth by eating plants or by eating other animals that eat plants. Humans depend on plants not only as a food source, but also as building and clothing materials and as sources of medicines, psychoactive substances, spices, pigments, and more. With plants being such valuable resources, it is therefore not surprising that plants have been involved in practically all violent conflicts among different human societies. Ironically, plants have also been the source of materials to construct weapons or weapon parts. Wars have always constituted a large part of human history, and the overall theme of this book is that to understand the history of violent human conflict, we need to understand what specific materials plants make that people find so useful and worth fighting over, and what roles such plant products have played in specific conflicts. To do so, Plants and Human Conflict begins with a chapter explaining the basic biological facts of the interdependence between plants and humans, and the subsequent seven chapters describe the physical and chemical properties of specific plant products demonstrating how the human need for these products has led to wars as well as contributed to the prosecution of wars. These chapters recount some well-known (and some lesser known) historical events in which plants have played a central role. This book uniquely combines the modern scientific knowledge of plants with the human history of war, introducing readers to a new paradigm that will make them reconsider their understanding of human history, as well as to bring about a greater appreciation of plant biology.

Download or read book Lessons from Plants written by Beronda L. Montgomery and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2021-04-06 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploration of how plant behavior and adaptation offer valuable insights for human thriving. We know that plants are important. They maintain the atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. They nourish other living organisms and supply psychological benefits to humans as well, improving our moods and beautifying the landscape around us. But plants don’t just passively provide. They also take action. Beronda L. Montgomery explores the vigorous, creative lives of organisms often treated as static and predictable. In fact, plants are masters of adaptation. They “know” what and who they are, and they use this knowledge to make a way in the world. Plants experience a kind of sensation that does not require eyes or ears. They distinguish kin, friend, and foe, and they are able to respond to ecological competition despite lacking the capacity of fight-or-flight. Plants are even capable of transformative behaviors that allow them to maximize their chances of survival in a dynamic and sometimes unfriendly environment. Lessons from Plants enters into the depth of botanic experience and shows how we might improve human society by better appreciating not just what plants give us but also how they achieve their own purposes. What would it mean to learn from these organisms, to become more aware of our environments and to adapt to our own worlds by calling on perception and awareness? Montgomery’s meditative study puts before us a question with the power to reframe the way we live: What would a plant do?

Download or read book Bugs in the System written by May R. Berenbaum and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010-11-05 with total page 694 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An introduction to insect physiology, genetics and behaviour which looks at the interaction between humans and insects, and explores both the positive and negative aspects of the relationship.

Download or read book Federal Register written by and published by . This book was released on 1988-07-11 with total page 1066 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Life Sciences written by and published by National Academies. This book was released on 1970-01-01 with total page 552 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Biology and the Future of Man written by Philip Handler and published by . This book was released on 1970 with total page 968 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A survey of the current status of all the life sciences sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences. Has sections on the biology of behaviour, ecology, diversity of life, digital computers and the life sciences, feeding mankind, environmental health, renewable resources, etc.

Download or read book Intertwined Histories written by Jim Ellis and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do we understand the boundaries of individual creatures? What are the systems of interdependency that bind all living creatures together? Plants were among the the first to colonize the planet. They created the soil and the atmosphere that made life possible for animals. They are some of the largest and oldest life forms on Earth. In spite of their primacy, Western cultures have traditionally regarded plants as the lowest life forms, lacking mobility, sensation, and communication. But recent research argues that plants move and respond to their environment, communicate with each other, and form partnerships with other species. Art, poetry, and essays by cultural anthropologists, experimental plant biologists, philosophers, botanists and foresters expose the complex interactions of the vibrant living world around us and give us a lens through which we can explore our intertwined histories.

Download or read book Thinking Like a Plant written by Craig Holdrege and published by SteinerBooks. This book was released on 2013-10-15 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who would imagine that plants can become master teachers of a radical new way of seeing and interacting with the world? Plants are dynamic and resilient, living in intimate connection with their environment. This book presents an organic way of knowing modeled after the way plants live. When we slow down, turn our attention to plants, study them carefully, and consciously internalize the way they live, a transformation begins. Our thinking becomes more fluid and dynamic; we realize how we are embedded in the world; we become sensitive and responsive to the contexts we meet; and we learn to thrive within a changing world. These are the qualities our culture needs in order to develop a more sustainable, life-supporting relation to our environment. While it is easy to talk about new paradigms and to critique our current state of affairs, it is not so easy to move beyond the status quo. That’s why this book is crafted as a practical guide to developing a life-infused way of interacting with the world.

Download or read book The Odyssey of a Woman Field Scientist written by JEAN H. LANGENHEIM and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2010-02-22 with total page 541 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here, Jean Langenheim presents her odyssey as a woman field scientist, who crossed boundaries of botany, geology, and chemistry in doing ecological studies. The book includes almost two hundred photographs and maps and uses a unique timeline as context for her story in relation to relevant historical events, significant changes in the status of women, and milestones in ecology from the 1920s to the present. Her research spans five continents and ranges from arctic-alpine to tropical environments. It includes many adventures (such as a forced plane landing in Amazonia and working in the midst of a coup dtat in Colombia) and interactions with diverse cultures, from Alaska Eskimo to Ghanain family life. She tells the story of a rich life of learning and discovery, through difficult and good times, which she has shared with her husband and later with her students, colleagues, and many friends many around the world. INITIAL REVIEW STATEMENTS Anyone who reads this rich and wonderfully interesting memoir will be inspired by what Jean Langenheim has accomplished scientifically and personally during her long and distinguished career at the interface of multiple scientific fields. This is more than a personal memoir by a leading scientist. It is a deeply insightful reflection on how major scientific disciplines have developed over the past half century and how the culture of scientific research itself has changed. John Thompson, Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolution, University of California, Santa Cruz (quoted in UCSC press release http://press.ucsc.edu/text.asp?pid=3771 ) The title of this good read is truly apropos---it is an odyssey of the mind as well as life of a self-confessed adventurous woman, someone always open to the next chapter in an ever-changing life, lived during a period of significant social and technological changes. Theres a solid dose of real scientific research and discovery, tempered by the authors vivid descriptions of her travels, of the wonders of the natural world, and of the cultures she encounters in some amazing places she finds herself. Provocatively, you may recognize and view elements of your own life in ways you never thought about before. Susan Martin, retired researcher US Department of Agriculture, Colorado State University. I liked very much your life metaphor about weaving threads in your life tapestry. It was delightful to read how those threads were constructed and woven. Your life has been very rich, impacting and inspiring many people with your thoughts and action. Francisco Espinosa-Garcia, Professor, National University of Mexico Center for Ecosystem Research, Morelia, Mexico.

Download or read book The Secret Life of Plants written by Peter Tompkins and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2018-06-12 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Once in a while you find a book that stuns you. Its scope leaves you breathless. This is such a book." — John White, San Francisco Chronicle Explore the inner world of plants and its fascinating relation to mankind, as uncovered by the latest discoveries of science. In this truly revolutionary and beloved work, drawn from remarkable research, Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird cast light on the rich psychic universe of plants. The Secret Life of Plants explores plants' response to human care and nurturing, their ability to communicate with man, plants' surprising reaction to music, their lie-detection abilities, their creative powers, and much more. Tompkins and Bird's classic book affirms the depth of humanity's relationship with nature and adds special urgency to the cause of protecting the environment that nourishes us.

Download or read book Economic Botany written by S. L. Kochhar and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2016-07-01 with total page 684 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers an up-to-date account of important crops grown worldwide. It provides detailed discussion on the history of plant exploration, migration, domestication and distribution, and crop improvement. The text starts with the origin and diversification of cultivated plants, followed by discussion on tropical, subtropical and temperate crops that are sources of food, beverages, spices and medicines, as well as plant insecticides, timber plants and essential oil-yielding plants. The genetic and evolutionary aspects of different plants and their health benefits are highlighted. The book covers topics dealing with biodiversity conservation, petro-crops, ethnobotanical studies, and important sub-tropical and temperate plants that have commercial importance. The significance of major plant species under each category is described in detail. Illustrated with numerous well-labelled line diagrams and pictures, this book will be useful for students of botany, food and nutrition, forestry, agriculture, horticulture, plant breeding and environmental science.

Download or read book Geology and Plant Life written by Arthur R. Kruckeberg and published by University of Washington Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Before any other influences began to fashion life and its lavish diversity, geological events created the initial environments--both physical and chemical--for the evolutionary drama that followed. Drawing on case histories from around the world, Arthur Kruckeberg demonstrates the role of landforms and rock types in producing the unique geographical distributions of plants and in stimulating evolutionary diversification. His examples range throughout the rich and heterogeneous tapestry of the earth's surface: the dramatic variations of mountainous topography, the undulating ground and crevices of level limestone karst, and the subtle realm of sand dunes. He describes the ongoing evolutionary consequences of the geology-plant interface and the often underestimated role of geology in shaping climate. Kruckeberg explores the fundamental connection between plants and geology, including the historical roots of geobotany, the reciprocal relations between geology and other environmental influences, geomorphology and its connection with plant life, lithology as a potent selective agent for plants, and the physical and biological influences of soils. Special emphasis is given to the responses of plants to exceptional rock types and their soils--serpentines, limestones, and other azonal (exceptional) substrates. Edaphic ecology, especially of serpentines, has been his specialty for years. Kruckeberg's research fills a significant gap in the field of environmental science by connecting the conventionally separated disciplines of the physical and biological sciences. Geology and Plant Life is the result of more than forty years of research into the question of why certain plants grow on certain soils and certain terrain structures, and what happens when this relationship is disrupted by human agents. It will be useful to a wide spectrum of professionals in the natural sciences: plant ecologists, paleobiologists, climatologists, soil scientists, geologists, geographers, and conservation scientists, as well as serious amateurs in natural history.

Download or read book Palaeoethnobotany written by F.A. Lone and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2020-08-26 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A study of the palaeoethnobotany of Kashmir, covering covers the period from 4500 BP to 1000 BP. It includes keys to the identification of various species of Triticum, Hordeum, Avena and Prunus, and hard and soft woods, and lists the criteria for identification of weed seeds of some 200 species.

Download or read book Botany written by Jean H. Langenheim and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 1982 with total page 650 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Flora Unveiled written by Lincoln Taiz and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 545 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses on how the the scientific discovery of "plant sex" unfolded due to cultural biases, beliefs, and perceptions about plant reproduction. "Flora Unveiled" is a deep history of perceptions about plant gender and sexuality, from the Paleolithic to the nineteenth century. The evidence suggests that a plants-as-female gender bias both prevented the discovery of two sexes in plants until the late 17th century, and delayed its acceptance for another 150 years.

Download or read book Acorns and Bitter Roots written by Timothy C. Messner and published by University of Alabama Press. This book was released on 2011-04 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: !--StartFragment-- Starch grain analysis in the temperate climates of eastern North America using the Delaware River Watershed as a case study for furthering scholarly understanding of the relationship between native people and their biophysical environment in the Woodland Period People regularly use plants for a wide range of utilitarian, spiritual, pharmacological, and dietary purposes throughout the world. Scholarly understanding of the nature of these uses in prehistory is particularly limited by the poor preservation of plant resources in the archaeological record. In the last two decades, researchers in the South Pacific and in Central and South America have developed microscopic starch grain analysis, a technique for overcoming the limitations of poorly preserved plant material. Messner’s analysis is based on extensive reviews of the literature on early historic, prehistoric native plant use, and the collation of all available archaeobotanical data, a review of which also guided the author in selecting contemporary botanical specimens to identify and in interpreting starch residues recovered from ancient plant-processing technologies. The evidence presented here sheds light on many local ecological and cultural developments as ancient people shifted their subsistence focus from estuarine to riverine settings. These archaeobotanical datasets, Messner argues, illuminate both the conscious and unintentional translocal movement of ideas and ecologies throughout the Eastern Woodlands.

Download or read book University of Michigan Official Publication written by University of Michigan and published by UM Libraries. This book was released on 1974 with total page 1240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Each number is the catalogue of a specific school or college of the University.