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Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: AudiobookHub Recommendation
Chapter 2: Plants evolved leaves to cope with declining carbon dioxide levels, which in turn kick-started long-term animal and insect evolution.
Chapter 3: A surge in oxygen levels enlarged all living organisms.
Chapter 4: Destruction of the ozone layer triggered mass extinctions for some and genetic mutations for others.
Chapter 5: Rising CO2 levels drove global temperatures higher, which caused ancient life to vanish and then dinosaurs to flourish.
Chapter 6: Deciduous trees ruled northern polar forests by growing rapidly and then eventually dying young.
Chapter 7: Fifty million years ago, greenhouse gases warmed the Earth’s surface, producing a climate vastly different from today’s climate.
Chapter 8: An alternative photosynthesis method lets some plants thrive even when CO2 levels are low.
Description
The Emerald Planet (2007) looks at the central role plants have played in shaping the planet and its environment. New research makes use of plants, both fossilized and living, to explain how the planet got where it is, and where it might go in the future. The Emerald Planet inspired a three-part BBC series called How to Grow a Planet.
Who Should Listen
- Anyone interested in plant biology and paleobotany
- People who want to learn more about ancient mass extinctions
- Evolutionary science enthusiasts