Product Description

There has always been interest in how animals live their lives it is easy for us to identify with them. But there are many remarkable stories about plants that deserve to be told. The Nature of Plants tells how plants adapt to the challenges of their habitats. Plants may live in places that provide too little rainfall, yet they thrive, either by evading drought, like the animals that live in deserts, or by tolerating the scarcity. There are plants that use other plants, climbing on them, strangling some, living in their leafy canopies, or parasitizing them. And The Nature of Plants explores the love-hate relationships that plants have with animals, some feeding on plants but others drawn into serving plants by pollinating them, scattering their fruits and seeds, or being eaten themselves. The mostly hidden associations that plants have with bacteria and fungi are also revealed. Illustrated throughout with superb color photographs, it is written in a way that is clear to anyone who wishes to understand the life of plants.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #107017 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-10
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.08" h x 7.60" w x 10.66" l, 2.55 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 314 pages

From Booklist
Whether they procreate courtesy of fire or flying insects, bury their roots in sand or salt, thrive in toxicity or bask in treetops, many plants demonstrate a prodigious ability to adapt to punitive conditions and external provocations. In this superlative and erudite resource, the authors present the causes and effects of such biological modifications through a vivid and intricate investigation of the realm of environmental challenges plants must overcome to survive. From the frigid wastelands of the arctic tundra to the parched expanses of unyielding deserts, habitats that cannot support other life forms frequently manage to manifest hospitable conditions sufficient to support some forms of plant life. Positioning their findings within a broad context that examines evolutionary patterns, climatological conditions, and geographic influences, the authors provide pertinent background information, thereby enhancing one's understanding and appreciation of plants' tenacious characteristics. Although written in a clear and approachable manner, this scholarly exploration is best suited to the serious student of botany and horticulture. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
The book, studded with stunning photographs, is divided into nine botanically based but very readable chapters. Lynne Terry, Oregonian, May 5, 2005 (Oregonian )

Tells dramatic stories of how plants struggle throughout their lives, how they adapt to their often-inhospitable surroundings, and how they change when their surroundings change. Science News, May 21, 2005 (Science News )

A plant lover's dream. ... Recommended for anyone with an interest in plants and their ability to survive in even the harshest of climates. All topics are explained with diverse examples and fantastic color photographs. Lee Luckeydoo, Sida, Contributions to Botany, Summer/Fall 2006 (Contributions to Botany )

About the Author
Although officially retired from Victoria University in Wellington, John Dawson continues to study plants in New Zealand and abroad. He received his doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, and has written Forest Vines to Snow Tussocks: The Story of New Zealand Plants in addition to many other botanical contributions.