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Overview

The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World (2001) examines how plants have evolved to fit our needs. The author, Michael Pollan, looks at four specific plants—the apple, tulip, marijuana and potato—and shows how they’ve adapted to fit human desires for sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control. This has led to a better chance for survival for these plants as well as providing humans with crops that are tailored to their needs.

Humans have been trying to dominate nature since the beginning of time. They’ve tried to change it so that it benefits them, but this often goes against how nature works. For example, humans try to domesticate animals and plants by transforming wild ones into variations that benefit human needs, but this can create an illusion that humanity has control over nature.

All species have a will to increase their numbers and continue evolving. Humans are no different, as we use plants for resources such as food. In turn, the plants can use humans for their benefit by spreading to new continents where they might not otherwise exist. The apple has been able to spread its seeds because of human intervention; it has become a source of nourishment for many people around the world through this process. Potatoes were poisonous in nature but became nutritious when humans began cultivating them, and now they’re an important part of our diet.

Humans have been modifying plants for thousands of years. This has led to the development of new varieties, including apples, tulips, cannabis and potatoes. These developments have helped us meet our needs in terms of food supply and nutrition. However, relying on a limited number of plant species can make us vulnerable to famine if crops are destroyed by disease or other natural disasters. For example, over three million people died during the Irish potato famine because they relied primarily on potatoes for their nourishment.

In order to evolve with plants, humans must allow for biodiversity and recognize the drawbacks of monoculture. Planting seeds of all kinds can ensure a plant’s longevity for generations. A balance must be struck between nature’s capacity for wildness and humanity’s desire for control. By viewing plants as partners in evolution, we can better understand our place in the natural world.

Key Point 1: Nature’s capacity for diversity is essential for evolutionary development.

Plants that are grown from seed have the ability to reshuffle their genes in each new generation. This increases their chances of survival because they can adapt to different environments and predators. The same is true for farmers who grow a variety of crops instead of just one crop, which gives them access to more genetic material so they can be better prepared when something happens that requires them to evolve.

A recent study published in the journal Science revealed that more than 60% of land masses have lost more than 10% of their biodiversity. Once this happens, it’s easier for a region to lose its environmental health. Scientists believe that when we lose plant and animal species, there are some effects on people living in these regions that might not be immediately apparent. For example, charismatic animals like pandas or tigers might get noticed because they’re popular among scientists and environmentalists; but hundreds of other species die out without anyone noticing them. When governments don’t act quickly enough to preserve wildlife and flora in an area, long-term consequences can happen which cannot be undone by humans anymore.

Humans have become the dominant species on Earth because of their effect on biodiversity. Ten thousand years ago, when humans began to farm and domesticate animals, they only made up 1 or 2 percent of land mammals by weight. Now that number is 97 percent thanks to evolution and our influence over it.