Demons in Eden: The Paradox of Plant Diversity - Hardcover

Silvertown, Jonathan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0226757714 ISBN 13: 9780226757711

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 2005

Synopsis

At the heart of evolution lies a bewildering paradox. Natural selection favors above all the individual that leaves the most offspring—a superorganism of sorts that Jonathan Silvertown here calls the "Darwinian demon." But if such a demon existed, this highly successful organism would populate the entire world with its own kind, beating out other species and eventually extinguishing biodiversity as we know it. Why then, if evolution favors this demon, is the world filled with so many different life forms? What keeps this Darwinian demon in check? If humankind is now the greatest threat to biodiversity on the planet, have we become the Darwinian demon?

Demons in Eden considers these questions using the latest scientific discoveries from the plant world. Readers join Silvertown as he explores the astonishing diversity of plant life in regions as spectacular as the verdant climes of Japan, the lush grounds of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, the shallow wetlands and teeming freshwaters of Florida, the tropical rainforests of southeast Mexico, and the Canary Islands archipelago, whose evolutionary novelties—and exotic plant life—have earned it the sobriquet "the Galapagos of botany." Along the way, Silvertown looks closely at the evolution of plant diversity in these locales and explains why such variety persists in light of ecological patterns and evolutionary processes. In novel and useful ways, he also investigates the current state of plant diversity on the planet to show the ever-challenging threats posed by invasive species and humans.

Bringing the secret life of plants into more colorful and vivid focus than ever before, Demons in Eden is an empathic and impassioned exploration of modern plant ecology that unlocks evolutionary mysteries of the natural world.

About this title

About the Author:

Jonathan Silvertown is professor of ecology at the Open University, Milton Keynes. He is the author or editor of Integrating Ecology and Evolution in a Spatial Context; Plant Life Histories: Ecological Correlates and Phylogenetic Constraints; More Than the Parts: Biology and Politics; Introduction to Plant Population Ecology; and An Orchard Invisibile, forthcoming from the University of Chicago Press.

Review:

“In this highly readable and pleasantly anecdotal account of the dynamics of the plant world, Silvertown suggests that tasting the fruit of evolutionary knowledge may provide us with a ticket for readmission to the Garden of Eden, where we can exercise the privilege by ensuring that biodiversity is conserved. Let us hope that he is right.” (Peter D. Moore Nature)

“Silvertown’s enthusiasm for scientific sleuthing is infectious.”

(Sara Alexander Science)

“Silvertown has a knack for explaining complex biological concepts in an accessible and engaging way. He deftly uses analogy and example to illustrate his discussions, and often waxes lyrical in his descriptions.”

(Viveka Neveln American Gardener)

"Silvertown leads the reader on a fascinating tour of the evolutionary and ecological research of the recent past that has addressed the nature of plant diversity, its origins and its maintenance. . . . This book is a quick read and Silvertown's style is engaging. I highly recommend it for biologists looking for a way to better comprehend the alien invasion happening all around us." (Richard G. Olmstead American Journal of Botany)

"A delightful series of vignettes about plant diversity and evolutionary biology. . . . It is evident that Silvertown is a scientist who can communicate complex scientific ideas to the general public. . . . Highly recommended." (Choice)

"Such an interesting, enjoyable, and educational read! . . . An approporiate read for college freshman. I will use it as one of my text-substitute readings the next time I teach honors biology. It would also be a good outline for an upper division/graduate seminar in plant ecology or evolutionary biology. . . . This slim volume should be in every biologist's library!" (Marshall D. Sundberg Plant Science Bulletin)

"The clarity of ecological analysis within this novella-length book is an enviable accomplishment. . . . Ultimately, Demons in Eden is a perceptive ecological narrative, a contemporary and evocative fugue of botanical exploration, evolutionary ecological theory . . . and insight into the very tenuous relationship between ecological robustness and global human impacts. Overall, it is the writer's ability to interweave a succinct analysis of plant evolutionary ecology, his engaging enthusiasm for scientific research and the intrinsic marvel of plant life that furnishes the enduring impressions of this book." (Caroline Chong Austral Ecology)

"This book deserves to be taken seriously. It is written so that the non-expert can get a sound understanding of difficult ecological and evolutionary principles. It is not beyond the grasp of policy makers and politicians, and might be described as required reading by people who will shape the future of our planet." (David F. Cutler Annals of Botany)

“A fascinating journey with an affable host. . . . we get to the heart of so many issues relating to why plants are the way they are, and we are the richer for it.”

(Jonathan Ingram Garden Design Journal)

"[Silvertown] writes in a style which is both engaging and entertaining, and discusses some of the most significant plant conservation issue of the day. . . . This book is a testament to the important role of English scientists in developing understanding of plant diversity and an altogether good read." (John Hopkins English Nature Magazine)

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0226757714
• ISBN 13: 9780226757711
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192