The Hidden Universe
Adventures in Biodiversity
-
- £8.99
-
- £8.99
Publisher Description
We don't know what we've got until it's gone...
This brief, lucid book by the Director of Science at Royal Botanical Gardens takes you on an unforgettable tour of the natural world, showing how biodiversity - the rich variety of life in the world and in our own backyards - provides both the source and the salvation of our existence. Combining inspiration stories and the latest scientific research, Alex Antonelli reveals the wonders of biodiversity at a genetic, species and ecosystem level - what it is, how it works, and why it's the most important tool in our battle against climate change.
A deeper understanding of biodiversity has never been more important, as the slow violence of habitat loss has put the fate of almost one-fifth of all species on Earth at risk of extinction in the coming decades. These building blocks of life form a network that underpins almost every aspect of our lives, providing invaluable sources of food, medicine, fibre, clothing, building material and more. With simplicity and clarity, The Hidden Universe shows you not only what's at stake, but what can be done (and is already being done) to protect and restore biodiversity around the world. It marks the arrival of a bold new voice in popular science.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"If we are to care for biodiversity, we first need to fully understand what it is," writes Antonelli, director of science at England's Royal Botanic Gardens, in his impassioned debut. Through research and globe-trotting anecdotes, Antonelli seeks to answer "big questions about the origins and evolution of whole ecosystems… and how biodiversity has changed, and continues to change." His survey is divided into four parts: the first defines what biodiversity is (it consists of five concepts: "species diversity, genetic diversity, evolutionary diversity, functional diversity, and ecosystem diversity"), and the second explains why it matters (among other reasons, allowing for pollinated crops and clean water). Elsewhere, Antonelli "outline the major threats affecting biodiversity today," which include habitat loss and climate change, and he wraps up with ideas for protecting biodiversity, calling for up to 40% of Earth's "terrestrial areas" to be conservation spaces and for readers to cut back big time on their meat consumption. Along the way, the author gives readers glimpses into ecosystems teeming with diverse life, and while he uses a fair bit of technical language, he's skilled at translating it for the lay reader. This timely appreciation of Earth's varied life forms delivers.