The Hidden Universe
Adventures in Biodiversity
-
- $21.99
-
- $21.99
Publisher Description
An unforgettable exploration of the natural world and the concept of biodiversity—what it is, why it matters, and how we as individuals can work to preserve it.
We are now living in an environmental emergency. As climate change, habitat loss, and other threats have placed almost one-fifth of all species on Earth at risk of extinction in the coming decades, a deeper understanding of biodiversity has never been more important. Biodiversity encompasses the rich variety of all life on Earth—the building blocks of life that provide invaluable sources of food, medicine, clothing, building materials, and more.
Marking the arrival of a bold new voice in popular science, The Hidden Universe shows readers what’s at stake in the fight to protect and restore biodiversity, but also what can and should be done now to protect our planet and ourselves for the future. As director of science at one of the world’s largest research organizations in plant and fungal sciences, Brazilian-born scientist Alexandre Antonelli is ideally suited to reveal the wonders of biodiversity at a genetic, species, and ecosystem level—what biodiversity is, how it works, and why it is the most important tool in our battle against climate change. Antonelli offers recommendations for large-scale political changes, as well as smaller, practical steps that readers can implement in their own lives and homes. With Antonelli as our guide, The Hidden Universe helps us imagine a future where biodiversity is not just preserved but cherished.
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.
