Reaching for the Sun How Plants Work [Hardcover]

A lively introduction to how plants function covering everything from energetics and development to their interaction with the environment.Written with the non-specialist in mind, this book provides a lively introduction to how plants function. Topics include energy, nutrition, growth, development and, new to this edition, the interaction of plants with their environment, particularly exploring the impact of problems created by human activities such as pollution and global warming.Written with the non-specialist in mind, this book provides a lively introduction to how plants function. Topics include energy, nutrition, growth, development and, new to this edition, the interaction of plants with their environment, particularly exploring the impact of problems created by human activities such as pollution and global warming.From their ability to use energy from sunlight to make their own food, to combating attacks from diseases and predators, plants have evolved an amazing range of life-sustaining strategies. Written with the non-specialist in mind, John King's lively natural history explains how plants function, from how they gain energy and nutrition to how they grow, develop and ultimately die. New to this edition is a section devoted to plants and the environment, exploring how problems created by human activities, such as global warming, pollution of land, water and air, and increasing ocean acidity, are impacting on the lives of plants. King's narrative provides a simple, highly readable introduction, with boxes in each chapter offering additional or more advanced material for readers seeking more detail. He concludes that despite the challenges posed by growing environmental perils, plants will continue to dominate our planet.Preface to the Second Edition; Preface to the First Edition; Part I. Plants and Energy: 1. Photosynthesis: the leitmotiv of life; 2. Plant respiration: breathing without lungs; References; Part II. Plant Nutrition: 3. Plants are cool, but wl“Ü