Fig Trees and Humans Ficus Ecology and Mutualisms across Cultures

About this book

Humans and figs form hybrid communities within the context of anthropogenic landscapes, supported by biocultural mutualisms driven by traits of Ficus species and people's imagination and practices, and where humans also positively influence Ficus species ecology. Fig Trees and Humans examines the interactions between the biology and ecology of the genus Ficus and how humans use and think of Ficus species across the tropics and in the Mediterranean region. It demonstrates a high level of convergence of material and symbolic uses of human-fig interactions that affect various aspects of human culture, as well as the ecology of wild or cultivated Ficus species.

Contents

Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
List of Illustrations
Notes on Text

Introduction

Chapter 1. Human-Tree Interaction: What about Ficus Species?
Chapter 2. The Biology of Ficus Species: An Exceptional History of Co-Evolution
Chapter 3. The Civilising Role of Ficus Species
Chapter 4. Ficus in Anthropogenic Landscapes: Nurturing Ficus Ecologies

Conclusion

References
Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Yildiz Aumeeruddy-Thomas is Director of Research at the Centre for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology (CEFE), CNRS, France. She coordinates interdisciplinary research that integrates anthropological and ecological studies.

Martine Hossaert-McKey, based at the CEFE, is currently the CNRS Director of SOLUBIOD, a long-term programme on Nature-Based Solutions funded by the French government.