Plant Behaviour and Intelligence

This novel book is the first to properly address the controversial issue of plant intelligence, arguing convincingly that cells and whole plants growing in competitive wild conditions exhibit aspects of plant behaviour that can be accurately described as 'intelligent'. The author expands on three main insights drawn by the Nobel Prize winning botanist Barbara McClintock: firstly that plant cells may have knowledge of themselves; secondly that they receive challenges which lead to behavioural changes; finally, that they do so in a manner which implies assessment and intelligent behaviour. By equating the concept of intelligent behaviour with that of adaptively variable behaviour, the book provides a novel integration of signalling, behaviour, and behavioural ecology, all set within the context of plant studies. Plant Behaviour and Intelligence begins with chapters on the origins and multicellular nature of plant life, before going on to discuss novel behaviours such as branch initiation and growth, unusual behaviour of leaves, and how roots reconstruct their sensing systems and are capable of self-recognition. An entire chapter is devoted to the nature of intelligence and another to the vexed question of 'consciousness', as applied to plant life. This advanced textbook will be suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate level students taking related courses in plant ecology and evolution. It will also be of relevance and use to a broader audience of professional plant ecologists seeking an authoritative reference text to help them navigate the complexity and controversy of plant behaviour.

Table of Contents:
1: A feeling for the organism 2: Plant behaviour foundations 3: The origins of photosynthesis. 1.What are the salient characteristics of living systems? 4: The origins of photosynthesis. 2. The evolution of life and photosynthesis 5: Why did plants become multicellular? 6: Convergent evolution is common in plant systems 7: Are angiosperms more complex than mammals? 8: Plant behaviour: first intimations of self organisation 9: The varieties of plant behaviour 10: The self organising plant: lessons from swarm intelligence 11: Self-organisation: Cambium as the integration assessor 12: Self-organising capacity in leaf behaviour 13: Self-organisation and behaviour in root systems 14: Self-organisation in response to gravity 15: Signals other than gravity 16: Behavioural characteristics of seeds: elements of dormancy 17: Games plants play 18: Competition and cooperation between individual plants for mates and territory: the recognition of self 19: The nature of intelligent behaviour: cognition or adaptation? 20: Brains and nerve cells are not necessary for intelligent behaviour 21: Intelligent genomes 22: Cellular basis of intelligent behaviour 23: Cell organisation and protein networks 24: Instinct, reflex and conditioned behaviours: characteristics of plant behaviour? 25: Intelligence and consciousness 26: Intelligent foraging?

About the Author :
Anthony Trewavas obtained his B.Sc and Ph.D from University College, London in Biochemistry and went to do post doctoral research at the University of East Anglia and the University of Edinburgh, where he became Professor of Plant Biochemistry, as well as undertaking numerous visiting professorships abroad. He has published 250 papers and two books, and is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of London, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and Academia Europea and has been elected as a Life Member of the American Society of Plant Biology.

Review :
The fact that the ideas presented in this book will probably not always be easy to accept gives it a unique value. There are oceans of data papers and books, but many fewer intriguing and inspiring ones. Given the, in general, historically wrong view about plants as almost inanimate creatures, they have not been studied as deeply as have animals. Therefore, there are many aspects of plant biology, especially those that can illuminate their behavior and intelligence, that have been left almost untouched. If this book stimulates researchers to address descriptively, theoretically, and experimentally these many overlooked or neglected aspects of plant biology, the book will be a great success, because it is certainly not a typical scientific book, but rather a manifesto. [E]ngaging, interesting, and thought provoking, with a deep commitment and introspection into the world of plant behavior and intelligence from a multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional perspective and is, most possibly, the first volume of its kind. ... The volume will be useful for both undergraduate and graduate students of botany, plant science, forestry, plant ecology, and evolution. This could also be helpful for introductory courses in biology, biological sciences, life sciences, and environmental sciences and as an introductory resource for agriculture courses. Enthusiastic readers outside academia interested in plant life, ecology, and evolution will also find this volume engaging. I recommend this volume to any student at any level, and any amateur or professional clinician or bench scientist who is interested in what living organisms do (and perhaps think about) to survive in the natural world. ... we believe that applying the rich theoretical perspectives of behavioral ecology to plants can only help scientists to appreciate and better understand the evolutionary significance of plant behavior. And at the very least, this book will likely inspire a bit more respect for a kingdom of master problem-solvers who happen to march to the beat of their own (very slow) drum. Anthony Trewavas at the University of Edinburgh became the first person to seriously broach the topic of plant intelligence. Trewavas defines intelligence as the ability to sense one's environment, to process and integrate such sensory perceptions and decide on how to behave ... You'll stop doubting that plants aren't intelligent organisms because they are behaving in ways that you expect animals to behave Biologists everywhere (but especially zoologists or zoo-minded botanists) should read and heed this book.