Sweet in Tooth and Claw: Nature is more Cooperative than we Think

A revelatory work about the many connections and mutually beneficial behaviours among plants, fungi, microbes, and animals, and the implications of this reality for the way we manage our forests, farmlands, waters, and even our cities.

In Sweet in Tooth and Claw, Kristin Ohlson talks to scientists, cowboys, and urban engineers, and explores the subtle ways in which nature is in constant collaboration to the betterment of all species. From the bear that discards the leftovers of its salmon dinner on the forest floor, to the bright coral reefs of the islands in the central Pacific, she reveals what lies beneath the surface in natural ecosystems.

Much of the damage that humans have done to our natural environment stems from our ignorance of the largely hidden but dense webs of connection in nature. Yet these cooperative interactions may hold the key to regenerating our environment while improving the function of everything from cattle ranches to coffee plantations to stormwater systems.

Reporting from the front lines of scientific research, Ohlson shows how we can move beyond working against nature and instead work with it, to renew ecosystems — and sustain our own lives and ways of life for generations to come.