Demons in Eden: The Paradox of Plant Diversity

by Jonathan Silvertown

At the heart of evolution lies a bewildering paradox. Natural selection favors above all the individual that leaves the most offspring—a superorganism of sorts that Jonathan Silvertown here calls the "Darwinian demon." But if such a demon existed, this highly successful organism would populate the entire world with its own kind, beating out other species and eventually extinguishing biodiversity as we know it. Why then, if evolution favors this demon, is the world filled with so many different life forms? What keeps this Darwinian demon in check? If humankind is now the greatest threat to biodiversity on the planet, have we become the Darwinian demon?

Demons in Eden considers these questions using the latest scientific discoveries from the plant world. Readers join Silvertown as he explores the astonishing diversity of plant life in regions as spectacular as the verdant climes of Japan, the lush grounds of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, the shallow wetlands and teeming freshwaters of Florida, the tropical rainforests of southeast Mexico, and the Canary Islands archipelago, whose evolutionary novelties—and exotic plant life—have earned it the sobriquet "the Galapagos of botany." Along the way, Silvertown looks closely at the evolution of plant diversity in these locales and explains why such variety persists in light of ecological patterns and evolutionary processes. In novel and useful ways, he also investigates the current state of plant diversity on the planet to show the ever-challenging threats posed by invasive species and humans.

Bringing the secret life of plants into more colorful and vivid focus than ever before, Demons in Eden is an empathic and impassioned exploration of modern plant ecology that unlocks evolutionary mysteries of the natural world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Biology, Evolution

192 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

Jonathan was born and raised in London and his schoolboy nature watching was done while taking furtive short-cuts on cross-country runs across Hampstead Heath. He made much faster progress when running back from Hampstead’s bookshops in time to beat the end of lunch hour bell. His first scientific paper was submitted with an epigraph by Walter de la Mare which the editor removed with a snide comment, and ever since Jonathan has done his best to hide the poetry in his scientific prose. In Orchard Invisible the poet emerges barefaced in the very first line with the words: “Seeds have a mirrored life, the original in nature and another reflected in literature and the imagination.”

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not much of a botanist, and this is definitely a book for plant lovers, a semi travel narrative where the author visits various places in the world and waxes lyrical about the diversity of plant life found at each locale. What piqued my interest was the discussion about species diversity and the reasons for it, and although this is covered extensively, the theories and explanations for plant diversity are really quite different than for animals. While the author did do a landmark study on hydrological niches of herbaceous plants of England, much of the stupendous variety of plant species of the tropics cannot be explained by niche partitioning. Instead, the similarity of plant needs i.e. sunlight, water and nutrients do not differ substantially at a local level for specialization. Rarity of species is explained by the host of species specific parasites and diseases that make clustering of one species unlikely in the rain forest, essentially the Janzen-Connell hypothesis.

Hubbell's neutral theory was also introduced as an alternative, but not Connell's moderate disturbance explanation surprisingly. Anyhow the author's field trips to admire plants would truly appeal to the plant nerds out there, but I would love to find the equivalent account for animal diversity. Why is there such a variety of herbivorous insects in the first place? Seems like a chicken and egg thing. Did that arise first or after plant species radiation? Such mysteries of ecology continue to elude.

The demons in question are those species that proliferate widely at the expense of others, and although humans are mentioned in the book's description, this is never discussed in the book anywhere, which is false advertising. And the paradox of the title is the fact that, rather counterintuitively the more nutrient rich the environment is, the poorer in plant diversity as only a few 'demon' species tend to dominate by being able to utilize the nutrients most efficiently, crowding out many others.

[Last Ranger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invading the Garden:

This wonderful book is one of the best examples of botanical evolution and Darwin's "Mystery of mysteries", the origin of species, that I've read in a long time. The "Demons of Eden" by botanist Jonathan Silvertown takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of exotic habits around the world as the author explores each region's endemic diversity. How did they get there in the first place and where did they come from? Do invading species have the advantage or do the natives? Who are the "demons" anyway? Turns out they can be either alien or home grown, depending on their reproductive strategies, tolerance of water availability and to locally adverse conditions. From the volcanic slopes of the Hawaiian Islands to the mysterious habitats of South Africa's Cape region, and many locations in between, you will learn how plants deal with changing elevations, seasonly dry environments or other regional differences that may exist. Some will prosper while others fail to find a suitable niche and must either move on or die back. For Natural Selection to work it needs variation, heredity and, of course, selection. Turns out that specialization is one of the keys to diversity and, like the famous puzzle within a puzzle, that diversity itself is under constant threat from both natural and unnatural causes. Avoiding technical jargon as much as possible, Dr. Silvertown writes with clarity and a touch of humor as he helps you through the mysteries of Natural Selection and Species Diversity. I had no downloading or technical issues with this Kindle edition.

Last Ranger

[Sara Van Dyck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable for the non-specialist, with many examples discussing plant diversity, evolution, genes, and nonnative species. One chapter alone stands out: this is the simplest, best-balanced explanation I have seen of the issues with GMO crops. Instead of beating up on Monsanto, Silvertown explores the science and both beneficial and damaging possibilities. Particularly useful is his explanation of the long-term, often unforeseen consequences of human activities. Yes, adding nitrogen to the soil does indeed stimulate the growth of trees. But only at first. The nitrogen gradually changes the soil chemistry, so the certain trees can no longer survive. Restoring some diversity will require a deeper understanding of the forces that keep his “demon” plants in check. And there is probably a demon in your neighborhood.

[John Hewlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll give this one 4 stars. I really didn't care for the size of the print but the subject material was interesting. Concerning the topic of Darwinian Demons - an organism with an unrestricted reproductive capacity, the book asks and answers the question of what keeps one plant from overrunning all others and how does such stunning diversity of plant species arise in a world where plants, at least temporarily, act as Darwinian Demons. In some way's the book is a travelogue of sorts as the author hopscotches his way around the globe answering these questions with examples from a variety of geographic locations.

[Aiyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable little book. The writing is a bit erratic-- academic one moment and casual the next, at times very professional and at other times outright mocking others in the field (scientists can be a snarky lot!). But if you've ever wondered about the bewildering array of plants on Earth-- why they evolved, how they stick around, and what's going to happen to them in the near future-- this is a nuanced introduction that covers both general issues and specific case studies.

On the topic of GMO:
"There are actually two questions here. The first is whether a natural process may contain dangers of its own and the second is whether artifical genetic modification is equivalent to the natural process. If it is clearly different from the natural process, are its own dangers greater or smaller and how can we tell?" p. 121

[Andrew (Drew) Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this well-written book, which began to satisfy my desire to learn more about plant evolution without having to read a botany textbook. Each chapter was a case study of plant diversity in different locales throughout the world. I probably would have gotten more out of it with a better working knowledge of botany and plant sexuality, but Silvertown does a good job of keeping us dilettantes somewhat informed along the way.

[sandusky · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a great introduction to biodiversity in plants; how it arises, how it persists, and how human activity affects plant diversity.

i am not a biologist and found this book to be pitched perfectly for me.