Tapestry Press
Tales from the Underground
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Tapestry Press
Tales from the Underground
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Tales from the Underground, a Natural History of Subterranean Life. By David W. Wolfe. 2001. Perseus Publishing. 221p. David Wolfe, a plant ecologist at Cornell University, spins true tales, one in each chapter, related to soil. Chapter one describes the surprising possibility of the origin of life-not in shallow seas- but on clay surfaces in soil. Chapter two reveals the incredible capacity of certain ancient bacteria, termed extremophiles to thrive in truly inhospitable environments some thousands of feet deep in soil. Other chapters share recent scientific findings on mycorrhiza, the mutualistic fungi that allow one plant to feed another; on nitrogen-fixing bacteria such as Rhizobium that convert gaseous nitrogen to usable nitrogen at ambient temperatures, a feat that eludes the best human engineers; on burrowing owl males that decorate their burrow entrances with feathers, beetle wings or human litter such as tin foil to attract a female; on the soil inhabiting plant pathogen of the great Irish potato famine that again threatens. These tales surprise and captivate the reader with their improbability. Who would have predicted an ancient bacterium (Domain Archaea), Pyrolobus fumarii that prefers water at 223o F, well above boiling? Who would have predicted that earthworms reduce apple scab fungi in orchards by pulling infected leaves into their burrows? Or that prairie dogs in their alarm calls distinguish humans dressed in white from those in bright clothing? The wonders of nature leave me awestruck.Review written July 2003 Back to Book Reviews
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