Chocolate Tree: A Natural History of Cacao.

Allen M. Young.

ISBN 10: 1560983574 / ISBN 13: 9781560983576

Published by Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC, 1994

About this Item

First Edition; First Printing indicated. Near Fine in Near Fine DJ: Both book and DJ show only very minor indications of use. Book shows very light shelf wear, but no obvious damage; the binding shows barely discernible lean, but remains perfectly secure; text clean. DJ shows only mild rubbing; mylar-protected. Overall, very close to 'As New'. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. 200pp., with 15 colour and some b/w photos. (Smithsonian Nature Books). Hardback with DJ. This book is very aptly titled. It is exactly a natural history of the cocoa tree, a biography of a plant. I've never read a book quite like this before- -an entire book written about the detailed life cycle, evolution, and economic uses of a single plant. Although the book covers all aspects of the cocoa tree, it does emphasize the author's research on the pollinators of the cocoa tree. It was fascinating to learn how difficult it is to cultivate this rain forest plant commercially, and the science behind why it is difficult to do so. The book is written in an academic style with many citations to the published literature on the cocoa tree. The book also includes a listing of common names and scientific names for all plants and animals mentioned in the text. Despite the academic bent, the book is written for general audiences, and is not too technical. Anyone with a deep interest in the cultivation of cocoa will be interested in this book, as well as anyone with a general interest in the botany of the tropical rainforest. First Edition; First Printing indicated. Seller Inventory # 43911

Bibliographic Details

Title: Chocolate Tree: A Natural History of Cacao.

Publisher: Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC

Publication Date: 1994

Binding: Hardcover

Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included

Edition: 1st Edition

About this title

Synopsis:

The Chocolate Tree chronicles the natural and cultural history of Theobroma cacao and explores its ecological niche. Tracing cacao's "journey" out of the rain forest, into pre-Columbian gardens, and then onto plantations adjacent to rain forests, Allen M. Young describes the production of this essential crop, explaining how the seeds are extracted from the large, colorful pods. He details the environmental price of Europeanized cultivation, and ways that current reclamation efforts for New World rain forests can improve the natural ecology of the cacao tree.
Recounting more than a dozen years of ecological fieldwork in and around cacao plantations in Costa Rica, Young reviews his research into the problem of poor levels of natural pollination on plantations. He recalls encounters with sloths, toucans, butterflies, giant tarantula hawk wasps, and other creatures found in cacao groves. Among these creatures Young discovered a tiny fly that provides a vital link between the chocolate tree and its original rain forest habitat. This discovery leads him to conclude that cacao trees in cultivation today may have lost their original insect pollinators due to the plants' long history of agricultural manipulation.

Synopsis:

Traces the history of chocolate, describes how plantations cultivate and harv cacao trees, and describes the tree's ecological niche.