Hidden World - by Kevin Tarner & Rachel Hughes (Paperback)

About the Book

"Hidden World: The Survival Systems of Plants is about the critical survival systems plants use to stay alive. Plants exist because of their powerful ability to resist and defend against an onslaught of life-threatening events. They face this struggle every day and have throughout the millions of years plants have lived on our planet. Plant parts are eaten by mammals, bugs, fungi, bacteria, and fish. Plants even attack and compete with other plants in a quest for water, sunlight, and pollinators. Through millions of years of evolution and against countless environmental challenges, untold numbers of plant species have thrived. Authors Kevin Tarner and Rachel Hughes explore how, despite daunting pressures, plants stay alive. Hidden World will provide an overview of the various ingenious strategies plants use to survive"--

Book Synopsis

For millions of years, plants have managed to resist and defend themselves from a continuous onslaught of life-threatening events. What Kevin Tarner and Rachel Hughes reveal here are the creative and constantly changing methods plants call on to survive in the face of a world that often doesn't want them to. Despite the daunting pressures of being eaten by other species and competing among themselves for water, sunlight, and pollinators, plants manage to survive by calling on a deep well of ingenious strategies.

Unsurprisingly, these tactics have not only affected the success of plants, but humans have also been impacted by them in our own passage through time. We have coexisted with, and even co-opted, plant defense, resulting in tremendous benefits for our species. Indeed, these adaptations are so intimately parallel to our daily lives that we often bump into them unwittingly. This can happen when we cook vegetables, add spices to our food, brew coffee, or smell plants we use for decoration. Such interactions provide opportunity to discuss just a few of the survival strategies Tarner and Hughes explore in Hidden World.

Review Quotes

Tarner and Hughes take the reader on a journey through the world of plant resilience with relevant stories and the science behind what allows plants to thrive against the continuous onslaught of threats to their existence. Science is brought to life in this text and should be considered a must-read for botany students and citizen scientists looking to explore their curiosity of the plant world.--Chuck Bomar "Professor and Dean Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Stout"

A captivating dive into the defenses and decisions of the botanical world--Hidden World shows us just how much plants know about surviving in a hostile world.--Daniel Chamovitz "author of What a Plant Knows"

About the Author

Kevin Tarner (Author)
KEVIN TARNER is a career horticulturist currently growing leafy greens with Gotham Greens. He has previously worked managing scientific research at the University of Georgia as a plant and research facilities manager with the Plant Growth Facilities, a greenhouse manager with the Plant Pathology Department, and a research technician in the Plant Biology Department. He lives in Athens, Georgia.

Rachel Hughes (Author)
RACHEL HUGHES has taught at the university level for more than a decade. She is currently a senior lecturer for the Department of Biology at the University of North Georgia. She previously worked for the Department of Genetics at University of Georgia.