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Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Plant life: general > General
Praise for The Green Planet (BBC One) 'David Attenborough's
gobsmacking, awe-inspiring return' The Guardian 'The Green Planet
reveals the secret lives of plants in the same way The Blue Planet
opened our eyes to the oceans' New Scientist There's something new
under the sun Plants live secret, unseen lives - hidden in their
magical world and on their timescale. From the richest jungles to
the harshest deserts, from the snowiest alpine forest to the
remotest steaming swamp, Green Planet travels from one great
habitat to the next, showing us that plants are as aggressive,
competitive and dramatic as the animals on our planet. You will
discover agents of death, who ruthlessly engulf their host plant,
but also those that form deep and complex relationships with other
species, such as the desert cacti who use nectar-loving bats to
pollinate. Although plants are undoubtedly the stars of the show, a
fascinating new light will be shed on the animals that interact
with them. Using the latest technologies and showcasing over two
decades of new discoveries, Green Planet reveals the strange and
wonderful life of plants like never before - a life full of
remarkable behaviour, emotional stories and surprising heroes.
The Study of Plants in a Whole New Light "Matt Candeias succeeds in
evoking the wonder of plants with wit and wisdom." James T. Costa,
PhD, executive director, Highlands Biological Station and author of
Darwin's Backyard #1 New Release in Nature & Ecology, Plants,
Botany, Horticulture, Trees, Biological Sciences, and Nature
Writing & Essays In his debut book, internationally-recognized
blogger and podcaster Matt Candeias celebrates the nature of plants
and the extraordinary world of plant organisms. A botanist's
defense. Since his early days of plant restoration, this amateur
plant scientist has been enchanted with flora and the greater
environmental ecology of the planet. Now, he looks at the study of
plants through the lens of his ever-growing houseplant collection.
Using gardening, houseplants, and examples of plants around you, In
Defense of Plants changes your relationship with the world from the
comfort of your windowsill. The ruthless, horny, and wonderful
nature of plants. Understand how plants evolve and live on Earth
with a never-before-seen look into their daily drama. Inside,
Candeias explores the incredible ways plants live, fight, and
conquer new territory. Whether a blossoming botanist or a
professional plant scientist, In Defense of Plants is for anyone
who sees plants as more than just static backdrops to more
charismatic life forms. In this easily accessible introduction to
the incredible world of plants, you'll find: Fantastic botanical
histories and plant symbolism Passionate stories of flora diversity
and scientific names of plant organisms Personal tales of plantsman
discovery through the study of plants If you enjoyed books like The
Botany of Desire, What a Plant Knows, or The Soul of an Octopus,
then you'll love In Defense of Plants.
An insightful assessment of the nation's flora, following Mike
Dilger's quest to find 1,000 plant species over the course of a
year. For most of 2020, Mike Dilger's normal day-job of travelling
to the four corners of the British Isles to film wildlife for The
One Show all but disappeared, limiting his daily wildlife fixes to
those short walks to and from home with son and dog. With his wings
clipped, he couldn't shake the feeling he was missing out and even
felt he was suffering from some form of 'nature deficit disorder'.
But as spring slowly turned to summer, the simple pleasure of
getting to know the wild plants on his own local patch turned his
daily exercise from being somewhat tedious to utterly enthralling.
Realising how little he knew about the wild plants just beyond his
doorstep became the catalyst for reigniting a long-buried botanical
passion. With the arrival of 2021 and a third lockdown, Mike
decides to pack an eye lens and plant book alongside his trusty
binoculars to see as many of our wild plants as possible, with
1,000 species the steep target. With the 'plant race' running for
an entire calendar year, he joins up with other hardcore botanists,
pointing him towards good sites with impressive plant lists and
even precise coordinates for twitching for a small, select range of
marquee species. During the course of the year he meets up with the
resilient reserve wardens and courageous conservationists tasked
with protecting some of the nations' richest botanical sites, and
experiences first-hand the many difficulties associated with saving
our rarest and most charismatic plants.
LONGLISTED FOR THE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE 2022 Reflecting on family,
identity and nature, Belonging is a personal memoir about what it
is to have and make a home. It is a love letter to nature,
especially the northern landscapes of Scotland and the Scots
pinewoods of Abernethy - home to standing dead trees known as
snags, which support the overall health of the forest. Belonging is
a book about how we are held in thrall to elements of our past. It
speaks to the importance of attention and reflection, and will
encourage us all to look and observe and ask questions of
ourselves. Beautifully written and featuring Amanda Thomson's
artwork and photography throughout, it explores how place, language
and family shape us and make us who we are.
A tribute to the natural history of some of our most iconic British
woods. The National Trust manages hundreds of woods, covering over
60,000 acres of England and Wales. They include many of the oldest
woodlands in the land and some of the oldest living things of any
kind - trees that are thousands of years old. From Dean to Epping,
from Hatfield to Sherwood, this book covers the natural history of
our forests and how they have changed the face of our landscape.
Covering the different species of trees that give our woods their
unique characters, the plants and animals that inhabit them and the
way their appearance changes throughout the seasons, Woods is a
fascinating and beautifully illustrated celebration of Britain's
trees and the ancient stories that surround them.
Learn to identify Minnesota trees with this handy field guide,
organized by leaf type and attachment. With this famous field guide
by award-winning author and naturalist Stan Tekiela, you can make
tree identification simple, informative, and productive. There's no
need to look through dozens of photos of trees that don't grow in
Minnesota. Learn about 93 species found in the state, organized by
leaf type and attachment. Just look at a tree's leaves, then go to
the correct section to learn what it is. Fact-filled information
contains the particulars that you want to know, while full-page
photographs provide the visual detail needed for accurate
identification. Book Features 93 species: Every native tree plus
common non-natives Easy to use: Thumb tabs show leaf type and
attachment Compare feature: Decide between look-alikes Stan's
Notes: Naturalist tidbits and facts Professional photos: Crisp,
stunning full-page images This new edition includes updated
photographs; expanded information; a Quick Compare section for
leaves, needles, and silhouettes; and even more of Stan's expert
insights. So grab Trees of Minnesota Field Guide for your next
outing-to help ensure that you positively identify the trees that
you see.
Covering 825 species, more than any comparable field guide, "
Trees of Eastern North America" is the most comprehensive, best
illustrated, and easiest-to-use book of its kind. Presenting all
the native and naturalized trees of the eastern United States and
Canada as far west as the Great Plains--including those species
found only in tropical and subtropical Florida and northernmost
Canada--the book features superior descriptions; thousands of
meticulous color paintings by David More that illustrate important
visual details; range maps that provide a thumbnail view of
distribution for each native species; "Quick ID" summaries; a
user-friendly layout; scientific and common names; the latest
taxonomy; information on the most recently naturalized species;
keys to leaves and twigs; and an introduction to tree
identification, forest ecology, and plant classification and
structure. The easy-to-read descriptions present details of size,
shape, growth habit, bark, leaves, flowers, fruit, flowering and
fruiting times, habitat, and range. Using a broad definition of a
tree, the book covers many small, overlooked species normally
thought of as shrubs. With its unmatched combination of breadth and
depth, this is an essential guide for every tree lover.The most
comprehensive, best illustrated, and easiest-to-use field guide to
the trees of eastern North AmericaCovers 825 species, more than any
comparable guide, including all the native and naturalized trees of
the United States and Canada as far west as the Great
PlainsFeatures specially commissioned artwork, detailed
descriptions, range maps for native species, up-to-date taxonomy
and names, and much, much moreAn essential guide for every tree
lover
A new approach to foraging Roger Phillips is the legendary
godfather of foraging. Drawing upon decades of experience, his
knowledge of wild food is unrivalled and in this richly illustrated
book he shares some of his most recently gathered wisdom, collected
from around the world. Roger reveals the edible and therapeutic
secrets of our fields, woodlands and flower beds, and suggests tips
for sourcing delicious morsels growing throughout the countryside
and in our gardens. He also describes the native habitat and
history of many fascinating plants and fungi, both common and
unusual: from the camas bulbs eaten by the Native Americans of the
Pacific Northwest, to the Italian and Spanish favourite, Caesar's
amanita; from hostas, the familiar garden foliage consumed as a
succulent vegetable in Japan, to the newly popular Australian
citrus fruits. The Worldwide Forager is divided into four sections:
mushrooms and fungi; flowers, leaves and herbs; fruit and nuts; and
roots and tubers, and Roger uses each one to provide a wide range
of ideas for making your meals more colourful, delicious and
sustainable.
An authoritative and beautifully illustrated book on wild food and
foraging by one of the leading experts. 'I can safely say that if I
hadn't picked up this book some twenty years ago I wouldn't have
eaten as well, or even lived as well, as I have. It inspired me
then and it inspires me now' - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstal Wild food
is all around us, growing in our hedgerows and fields, along river
banks and seashores, even on inhospitable moorland. In Roger
Phillips and Martyn Rix's Wild Food, hundreds of these plants are
clearly identified, with colour photography and a detailed
description. This definitive guide also gives us fascinating
information on how our ancestors would have used the plant as well
as including over 100 more modern recipes for delicious food and
drinks. From berries, herbs and mushrooms to wild vegetables, salad
leaves, seaweed and even bark, this book will inspire you to start
cooking with nature's free bounty.
Following the publication of Part One of this work, "Coast Plants",
a self-appointed committee consisting of Rolf Nordhagen, Johannes
Lid, Knut Faegri, Per Stormer and Olav Gjaerevoll decided that
mapping of Norwegian vascular plants should continue, priority
given to alpine plants and species belonging to the southern and
southeastern floral elements. The work includes discussion of the
concept of alpine plants, the distribution of the Scandinavian
alpine plants, the history of the alpine flora, the ecology of
alpine plants, and the species.
A photographic identification guide to 286 native and introduced
species of tree, shrub and palm most commonly seen in Southeast
Asia. High quality images from the region's top nature
photographers including bark, flower and fruit details are
accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include
nomenclature, identifying features, distribution and ecology, as
well as uses, where relevant. The user-friendly introduction covers
climate seasonality, urban habitats, tree diversity in Southeast
Asia and an explanation of the classification system.
From one of the region's foremost mushroom hunters-Walter E.
Sturgeon-comes a long-overdue field guide to finding and
identifying the mushrooms and fleshy fungi found in the Appalachian
mountains from Canada to Georgia. Edibility and toxicity, habitat,
ecology, and detailed diagnostic features of the disparate forms
they take throughout their life cycles are all included, enabling
the reader to identify species without the use of a microscope or
chemicals. Appalachian Mushrooms is unparalleled in its accuracy
and currency, from its detailed photographs to descriptions based
on the most advanced classification information available,
including recent DNA studies that have upended some mushrooms'
previously accepted taxonomies. Sturgeon celebrates more than 400
species in all their diversity, beauty, and scientific interest,
going beyond the expected specimens to include uncommon ones and
those that are indigenous to the Appalachian region. This guide is
destined to be an indispensable authority on the subject for
everyone from beginning hobbyists to trained experts, throughout
Appalachia and beyond.
This book was written for those individuals who are concerned about
the techniques and practices of plant cell cultures for
horticultural crops. It was designed to serve as a text and
reference for students and professionals in ornamental
horticulture, fruit and vegetable crop pro duction, botany,
forestry, and other areas of plant science. Research during the
last twenty-five years in the area of plant tissue culture has led
to many developments and changes in this field. Al though the
techniques involved in the manipulation of plant tissue culture are
now relatively straightforward, the presentation of these
techniques in a short volume for the beginner in the field is
generally unavailable. In addition to describing the techniques for
establishment and manipulation of specific species, several
chapters in this book also provide a brief, general review of
important cultural parameters. Spe cific protocols and laboratory
procedures may also be found in the appendix. I hope that this
presentation of information will be helpful to those individuals
wanting to apply plant tissue culture techniques for horticultural
crops."
Every schoolchild learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers: The bee collects nectar and pollen to make honey and, in the process, spreads the flowers’ genes far and wide. In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan ingeniously demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed a similarly reciprocal relationship. He masterfully links four fundamental human desires—sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control—with the plants that satisfy them: the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. In telling the stories of four familiar species, Pollan illustrates how the plants have evolved to satisfy humankind’s most basic yearnings. And just as we’ve benefited from these plants, we have also done well by them. So who is really domesticating whom?
A manual for opening the doors of perception and directly engaging
the intelligence of the Natural World
- Provides exercises to directly perceive and interact with the
complex, living, self-organizing being that is Gaia
- Reveals that every life form on Earth is highly intelligent and
communicative
- Examines the ecological function of invasive plants, bacterial
resistance to antibiotics, psychotropic plants and fungi, and the
human species
In "Plant Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm," Stephen Harrod
Buhner reveals that all life forms on Earth possess intelligence,
language, a sense of I and not I, and the capacity to dream. He
shows that by consciously opening the doors of perception, we can
reconnect with the living intelligences in Nature as kindred
beings, become again wild scientists, nondomesticated explorers of
a Gaian world just as Goethe, Barbara McClintock, James Lovelock,
and others have done. For as Einstein commented, "We cannot solve
the problems facing us by using the same kind of thinking that
created them."
Buhner explains how to use analogical thinking and imaginal
perception to directly experience the inherent meanings that flow
through the world, that are expressed from each living form that
surrounds us, and to directly initiate communication in return. He
delves deeply into the ecological function of invasive plants,
bacterial resistance to antibiotics, psychotropic plants and fungi,
and, most importantly, the human species itself. He shows that
human beings are not a plague on the planet, they have a specific
ecological function as important to Gaia as that of plants and
bacteria.
Buhner shows that the capacity for depth connection and
meaning-filled communication with the living world is inherent in
every human being. It is as natural as breathing, as the beating of
our own hearts, as our own desire for intimacy and love. We can
change how we think and in so doing begin to address the
difficulties of our times.
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