Why Does the World Stay Green?: Nutrition and Survival of Plant-eatersTCR White Nearly every form of life has the capacity to multiply and increase at a really astonishing rate. Think of plagues of locusts or mice. Clearly, for the vast majority of animals this does not happen, otherwise they would swamp the world and destroy all the plants. So why doesn’t it happen, and why does the world stay green? The concept explored in this book contends that animals are not controlled through predation but because plants have outwitted them, they cannot obtain enough of the food they must have to reproduce and grow. Why Does the World Stay Green? explains, in simple terms, how this comes about in nature and describes some of the many fascinating ways in which animals have evolved to cope with this usually chronic shortage of an essential resource. It is fascinating and easy-reading for anyone interested in natural history. The author, TCR White, has acted as a strong influence for the last 40 years on the ecological community, presenting confronting and at times controversial theories on the limiting role that nitrogen plays in the evolution of life. Why Does the World Stay Green? reveals this fascinating and important ecological theory. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Chapter 2 Herbivores are fussy eaters | 15 |
Chapter 3 With a little help from microbes | 33 |
Chapter 4 Meateating vegetarians and cannibals | 47 |
Chapter 5 Feeding the favoured few | 63 |
Chapter 6 Inefficient killers | 79 |
Other editions - View all
Why Does the World Stay Green?: Nutrition and Survival of Plant-eaters Thomas C. R. White Limited preview - 2005 |
Common terms and phrases
abundance actively adults amino acids amount animals aphids areas attack Australia bacteria become behaviour birds body breed carnivores catch caterpillars cells cent changes concentrated contain continue dependent developing diet digest eggs emerged environment essential evolved example faeces feed females fish forests gain gall grass green grow growth habitat happens hard hatch herbivores huge human increase individuals insects introduced invertebrates Island kangaroos kill leaf leaves less limited live look maintain males mammals mature mice microbes native natural nearly nest nestlings nitrogen numbers nutrients observed once organisms outbreaks pass pelicans places plants population predators prey produce protein quickly rabbits rain rare rats reduced remain season seeds selective short soft soon species starve successful sufficient supply survive territories tissues trees usually weather weeks young