The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Professor Hartley asks what has gone wrong when herbivores get the upper hand and strip plants bare.

Sometimes 'outbreaks' of herbivores devastate our forests and crops: why do plant defences fail? Will climate change compromise the abilities of plants, including our crops, to defend themselves? Will pest outbreaks become more common in the future as plant defences weaken? Will alien species invade?

Professor Hartley explores whether climate change will upset the balance in the arms race between plants and herbivores. Will global food production be threatened by new pests and diseases and what we can do about these threats? What are the weapons of the future as we try and protect the world's food supply and its natural resources against climate change?

Whatever the future holds, the 300-million-year war between plants and animals is certain to continue.