Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson
Список книг автора Anne Sverdrup-ThygesonExtraordinary Insects
*The Sunday Times Bestseller*‘Extraordinary Insects is a joy’ The TimesA Sunday Times Nature Book of the Year 2019A journey into the weird, wonderful and truly astonishing lives of the small but mighty creatures who keep the world turning.Out of sight, underfoot, unseen beyond fleeting scuttles or darting flights, insects occupy a hidden world, yet are essential to sustaining life on earth.Insects influence our ecosystem like a ripple effect on water. They arrived when life first moved to dry land, they preceded – and survived – the dinosaurs, they outnumber the grains of sand on all the world’s beaches, and they will be here long after us.Working quietly but tirelessly, they give us food, uphold our ecosystems, can heal our wounds and even digest plastic. They could also provide us with new solutions to the antibiotics crisis, assist in disaster zones and inspire airforce engineers with their flying techniques.But their private lives are also full of fun, intrigue and wonder –musical mating rituals; house-hunting for armies of beetle babies; metamorphosing into new characters; throwing parties in fermenting sap; cultivating fungi for food; farming smaller species for honey dew and always ensuring that what is dead is decomposed, ready to become life once again.Here, we will discover life and death, drama and dreams, all on a millimetric scale. Like it or not, Earth is the planet of insects, and this is their extraordinary story.
Putukate planeet. Imelikest, kasulikest ja vaimustavatest mutukatest, kelleta me elada ei saa
Iga inimese kohta elab maakeral 200 miljonit putukat. Kõik kohad kubisevad putukatest – neid on metsas ja niidul, ojas ja pargis. Neid elab kuue tuhande meetri kõrgusel, sügavates koobastes, ristimisastjates, arvutites ja morsa ninasõõrmetes. Putukad on hoopis teistsuguse kehaehitusega kui inimesed – nende keha katab skelett, mis toimib kui turvis, ja neil võivad olla kõrvad põlvedel, silmad peenisel ja keel jalatalla all. Ehkki nende aju on seesamiseemne suurune, suudavad nad nägusid meeles pidada. Lisaks on putukatel meeletu paljunemis- ja kohanemisvõime. Aga kuigi putukaid on palju, kahaneb nende arv drastiliselt. Kui inimeste arv maakeral on viimase neljakümne aastaga kahekordistunud, siis putukate hulk on samal ajal poole võrra kahanenud. Ilma putukateta saavad inimesed ja loomad hukka. Putukad muudavad närbunud taimed, sõnniku ja surnud loomad viljakaks mullaks. Nad tolmeldavad lilli ja on teiste loomade toit. Nad on hammasrattad, mis panevad maailma pöörlema. Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson (snd 1966) on bioloog, töötab Norra Maaülikoolis ja on palju aastaid putukaid uurinud. Selles raamatus saab lugeda sellest, mis teda putukate juures vaimustab ja miks meil tuleks neid taibukaid olevusi paremini hoida.