Seasons of Life: The Biological Rhythms That Enable Living Things to Thrive and Survive

by Russell Foster, Leon Kreitzman

Just as daily events are timed by living creatures through circadian rhythms, so seasonal events are timed through an internal calendar that signals birds to return to nesting grounds, salmon to spawn, plants to flower, squirrels to hibernate, kelp to stop growing. In this fascinating book, Russell G. Foster and Leon Kreitzman draw on remarkable recent scientific advances to explain how seasonal change affects organisms, and how plants and animals over countless generations have evolved exquisite sensitivities and adaptations to the seasons. The authors also highlight the impact of seasonal change on human health and well-being. They conclude with a discussion of the dangers posed when climate changes disrupt the seasonal rhythms on which so much life depends. Surprising facts from Seasons of Life :
–The timing of human birth has a small  but significant effect on various later life attributes, such as handedness and the susceptibility to many illnesses, including multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia.
–Plants have the ability to measure the length of a period of light, and they germinate, flower, and successfully reproduce by using this information.
–Birds migrate not in response to weather changes but by using an internal calendar.
–Until recently, human birth was tightly coupled to the seasons, peaking in many societies in the spring.
–Just as internal 24-hour circadian clocks predict daily change, many animals have a circannual clock in their brains that predicts the seasons.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Science, Biology

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 19, 2009

Reviews

[Elentarri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhythms of LifeSeasons of Life deals with circannual or yearly seasonal rhythms.  The first half of the book discusses animals and plants - how they adapt to seasonal cycles, the mechanism, and some interesting examples.  This section discusses changing leaf colour, hibernation, migration and seasonal reproduction.  The second half of the book deals with people.  If we even have a circannual internal clock, how changing seasons effect our reproduction, if they effect the diseases we acquire, our moods and when we die.  Seasons of Life is not nearly as technical as Rhythms of Life, but still makes for fascinating and pleasurable reading.

NOTE:  One does not have to read Rhythms of Life before Seasons of Life.  Each book is a self-contained entity.  They compliment each other.

[Max Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit too science-ey for me so i skipped parts, but overall, Facinating.