Summary

Life would be impossible without plants: they provide food, either directly or in the form of plant-eating animals, as well as the many fibers we use, from the timber to build homes and the fuel for heating and cooking to the wood used to make tools and furniture. It is not surprising, therefore, that people have been studying plants for thousands of years.

Plants details this search for understanding and some of the individuals who have contributed to it. This new full-color volume begins in ancient Greece, where philosophers first speculated about the origin of plants and where the study of botany began. It also examines medicinal plants, which were considered the prime concern for the founders of botany. This book recounts the adventures of some of the most famous plant collectors as well as the system of plant classification used by today's scientists. Describing the early developments of ecology, Plants ends with an explanation of biodiversity and why scientists think it's important.

Chapters include:

• The Father of Botany
• Herbals and Physic Gardens
• Botanical Gardens and Herbaria
• Naming Plants
• The Plant Hunters
• Geography of Plants
• Plant Cultivation
• Evolution of Plants
• Plant Physiology
• Ecology of Plants
• Biodiversity and Plant Conservation.

Specifications

Full-color photographs and line illustrations. Index. Glossary. Web sources. Sidebars. Further resources. Tables and charts. 

About the Author(s)

Michael Allaby is the author, coauthor, or editor of nearly 100 books, mainly on science, natural history, and environmental topics. Among other professional affiliations, he is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences and the Association of British Science Writers. He is the author of several volumes in the Ecosystem set and Encyclopedia of Weather and Climate, Revised Edition, all for Facts On File.