All Flesh Is Grass: Plant-Animal Interrelationships / Edition 1

by Joseph Seckbach, Zvy Dubinsky

Overview

This new book takes us through a journey from early life to modern agriculture. The thirty eight authors present current studies on the interrelation of plants-animals. This topic has always fascinated man, as evidenced even by the first chapters of Genesis. The world of aqueous and terrestrial fauna appeared on early earth only after the flora covered the areas with the green pigmentation. Almost all life depends upon sunlight via the photosynthesis of the botanical world. We read abut the harnessing of bee pollination of crops to make it an essential component of modern agriculture endeavor. Some plants seduce insects for pollination by their appearance (e.g., disguised orchids entice visitors); there is the production of sweet nectar as a bribe in flowers to attract bees, butterflies, and honey-sucking birds. A particular outstanding phenomena are the carnivorous plants that have developed trapping and digesting systems of insects and higher animals.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789048193158
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
Publication date:	10/13/2010
Series:	Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology , #16
Edition description:	2011
Pages:	532
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.40(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction J. Seckbach vii

List of Authors and Their Addresses xi

Part 1 Evolution of Plant Animal Relationship

Evolution of Plant-Animal Interactions Chela-Flores, J. 9

Part 2 Insects Interactions

The Leaf Cutting Ant-Plant Interaction from a Microbial Ecology Perspective Abril A. 39

Intestinal Spirochetes of Termites König, H. Dröge, S. 67

The Plant-Aphid Universe Iluz, D. 93

Insect-Plant Interactions: The Gall Factor Raman, A. 121

Part 3 Pollination and Seed Dispersal

Ants as Pollinators of Plants and the Role of Floral Scents Rostás, M. Tautz, J. 151

Crop Pollination in Modern Agriculture Dag, A. 165

Bee Cognition and Crop Pollination: Proven and Potential Applications Shafir, S. 185

Zoochory: The Dispersal of Plants by Animals Iluz, D. 201

Part 4 Animals and Humans Involvement

Grazing Livestock, Our Connection To Grass: A Mediterra nean Insight: Why They Eat What They Eat, and How It Affects Us Landau, S.Y. Molle, G. 219

Herbivore-Plant Interactions and Desertification in Arid Lands Whitford, W.G. Steinberger, Y. 239

Microscopic in Size: Macroscopic in Impact. Diatom-Human Interactions Kociolek, J.P. 259

Part 5 Plant Defenses

Biochemical Plant Defenses Against Herbivores: From Poisons to Species Smith, C.M. 289

The Xanthium Genus: Cocklebur Toxins Against Hostile Surroundings and Its Pharmacological Properties Seckbach, J. 313

Part 6 Marine Environments

The Diversity of Epizoic Diatoms: Relationships Between Diatoms and Marine Invertebrates Totti, C. 327

Epizoic Diatoms on Gastroped Shells: When Substrate Complexity Selects for Microcommunity Complexity D'alelio, D. 349

Managing the Interactions Between Plants and Animals in Marine Multi-Trophic Aquaculture: Integrated Shrimp and Valuable Low Food Chain Organisms with Seaweeds Robledo, D. Freile-Pelegrín, Y. 367

Marine Microralgae/Cyanobacteria-Invertebrate Symbiosis: Trading Energy for Strategic Material Stambler N. 385

The Role of Rhodolith Beds in the Recruitment of Invertebrate Species: from the South western Gulf of California, Mexico Riosmena-Rodriguez, R. Medina-López, M.A. 417

Fueled by Symbiosis, foraminifera Have Evolved to be Giant Complex Protists Lee, J.J. 429

Part 7 Carnivorous Plants

Ecophysiological Look at Plant Carnivory: Why Are Plants Carnivorous? Adamec, L. 457

Reversing the Roles of Predator and Prey: A Review of Carnivory in the Botanical World Rice, B.A. 493

Organism Index 519

Subject Index 523

Author Index 531

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

“All flesh is grass is a fascinating tome, and should appeal to anyone who has an interest in the broader aspects of botany, particularly the interconnections between plants … and other biota. It is abundantly illustrated throughout, with many colour images. … could be enjoyed by readers at all levels from first undergraduate. … more direct appeal to the teachers of those (under)graduates … . co-operative plant—animal associations tackled in this book provides the book’s real take-home message: species that work together, last longer.” (Nigel Chaffey, Annals of Botany, Vol. 108 (3), September, 2011)

From the Publisher