Global Life Systems: Population, Food, and Disease in the Process of Globalization"Humans did not begin as a global species; we had to expand to become one. And we could not have done so without other living organisms becoming global along with us." Robert P. Clark develops in this book a global life systems perspective that delineates how biological forces mutually reinforce one another--and what their globalization has meant for both human society and the biosphere. While he resists biological "determinism," Clark traces interconnected developments among population, disease, agriculture, trade, fuels, and other life systems to more thoroughly explore and elucidate the globalization of human endeavors within an ever evolving context of nature and environment. His lucid and richly documented book offers a fresh look at social evolution and a broader basis for understanding the contemporary context for global change. |
Contents
Life Systems and Globalization | 4 |
Population | 28 |
Food | 44 |
Disease | 72 |
Case Studies | 100 |
Agriculture Comes to Europe | 102 |
The Biology of the Silk Road | 128 |
The Biological Impact of Europeans on Eastern North America 16001800 | 154 |
Consequences | 208 |
Global Food Networks in the Information Age | 210 |
Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases | 236 |
The Loss of Biodiversity | 266 |
Where Do We Go from Here? The Biology of Interplanetary and Interstellar Migration | 294 |
Index | 324 |
| 340 | |
Feeding Industrial Cities | 180 |
Other editions - View all
Global Life Systems: Population, Food, and Disease in the Process of ... Robert P. Clark No preview available - 2000 |
Common terms and phrases
adapted Africa agriculture Alfred Crosby Asia Australia began Biodiversity biological biosphere Bogucki bubonic plague cattle century changes chapter China cities climate coevolution coevolved colonists colonization crops cultural decline diet diversity domesticated early Earth Ecological ecosystems environment epidemic Eurasian Europe European Evolution evolved extinction Farmers and Stockherders farming fertility fish food energy food production food supply foraging Forest Farmers genetic global food grazing habitat herbivores herds History horses host human population impact increased Indians indigenous industrialized infected Infectious Diseases interactions Jared Diamond kilometers land large numbers living Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza maize mammals meat microorganisms migration millennia million native Neolithic Europe Neolithic Revolution North America organisms parasites pathogens percent plague plants and animals predators rates routes sheep Silk Road Smil species spread survive technologies terraforming thousand tion trade transport tuberculosis University Press urban virtually virus viruses Washington Post wheat Yellow Fever York