Le piante viaggiano, il mondo cambia
Despite being firmly attached to the ground, plants move, just like other organisms. Spores and seeds constitute the usual vehicle, however every journey made by this dispersive structure, even their simple fall under gravitational pull, is conditioned by the random nature of natural processes and d...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Milano University Press
2013-11-01
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| Series: | Altre Modernità |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/AMonline/article/view/3303 |
| _version_ | 1797727323661795328 |
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| author | Enrico Banfi |
| author_facet | Enrico Banfi |
| author_sort | Enrico Banfi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite being firmly attached to the ground, plants move, just like other organisms. Spores and seeds constitute the usual vehicle, however every journey made by this dispersive structure, even their simple fall under gravitational pull, is conditioned by the random nature of natural processes and does not necessary lead to success. This applies both to natural dissemination, be it mediated (by air, water, animals, etc.) or autonomous (passive fall, active expulsion), and, particularly in this day and age, when dispersion is in some way associated with Homo sapiens. In this last case, it is essential to make a distinction between wild and cultivated, remembering that the dead end of any crop is reached when, due to guided selection, the plant loses all capacity for autonomous life. The whole of human history is characterised by plant transfers (opportunist species) that were largely unplanned and in part outside human control, taking root in the natural environment thereby damaging and deteriorating biodiversity, human economics and health. These transfers increased with the discovery of America as a consequence of the contacts with the colonies established by Europe all over the world. The analysis of the success of international plant transfers, be they voluntary and involuntary, allows us to identify their causes, measure their development and build a general model from which to ascertain the chances offered to each new appearance for its future in foreign soil. Invasiveness indicates the “excess” of an alien presence and figures negatively as an increasingly pressing problem for the future of our planet. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T10:58:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-063979d7412347b49f0710b3f6adda18 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2035-7680 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T10:58:11Z |
| publishDate | 2013-11-01 |
| publisher | Milano University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Altre Modernità |
| spelling | doaj.art-063979d7412347b49f0710b3f6adda182023-09-02T06:01:29ZengMilano University PressAltre Modernità2035-76802013-11-0101011010.13130/2035-7680/33032916Le piante viaggiano, il mondo cambiaEnrico BanfiDespite being firmly attached to the ground, plants move, just like other organisms. Spores and seeds constitute the usual vehicle, however every journey made by this dispersive structure, even their simple fall under gravitational pull, is conditioned by the random nature of natural processes and does not necessary lead to success. This applies both to natural dissemination, be it mediated (by air, water, animals, etc.) or autonomous (passive fall, active expulsion), and, particularly in this day and age, when dispersion is in some way associated with Homo sapiens. In this last case, it is essential to make a distinction between wild and cultivated, remembering that the dead end of any crop is reached when, due to guided selection, the plant loses all capacity for autonomous life. The whole of human history is characterised by plant transfers (opportunist species) that were largely unplanned and in part outside human control, taking root in the natural environment thereby damaging and deteriorating biodiversity, human economics and health. These transfers increased with the discovery of America as a consequence of the contacts with the colonies established by Europe all over the world. The analysis of the success of international plant transfers, be they voluntary and involuntary, allows us to identify their causes, measure their development and build a general model from which to ascertain the chances offered to each new appearance for its future in foreign soil. Invasiveness indicates the “excess” of an alien presence and figures negatively as an increasingly pressing problem for the future of our planet.https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/AMonline/article/view/3303Wild plantscultivated plantsdiscovey of Americainvasiveness. |
| spellingShingle | Enrico Banfi Le piante viaggiano, il mondo cambia Altre Modernità Wild plants cultivated plants discovey of America invasiveness. |
| title | Le piante viaggiano, il mondo cambia |
| title_full | Le piante viaggiano, il mondo cambia |
| title_fullStr | Le piante viaggiano, il mondo cambia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Le piante viaggiano, il mondo cambia |
| title_short | Le piante viaggiano, il mondo cambia |
| title_sort | le piante viaggiano il mondo cambia |
| topic | Wild plants cultivated plants discovey of America invasiveness. |
| url | https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/AMonline/article/view/3303 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT enricobanfi lepianteviaggianoilmondocambia |