“The Monad in the mineral kingdom evolves by the breaking up of its forms for the production and support of plants.
Minerals are disintegrated that plant-forms may be built out of their materials; the plant draws from the soil its nutritive constituents, breaks them up, and incorporates them into its own substance.
The mineral forms perish that the plant-forms may grow, and this law of sacrifice stamped on the mineral kingdom is the law of the evolution of life and form.
The life passes onward and the Monad evolves to produce the vegetable kingdom, the perishing of the lower form being the condition for the appearing and the support of the higher.
The story is repeated in the vegetable kingdom, for its forms in turn are sacrificed in order that animal forms may be produced and may grow; on every side grasses, grains, trees perish for the sustenance of animal bodies; their tissues are disintegrated that the materials comprising them may be assimilated by the animal and build up its body.
Again the law of sacrifice is stamped on the world, this time on the vegetable kingdom; its life evolves while its forms perish; the Monad evolves to produce the animal kingdom, and the vegetable is offered up that animal forms may be brought forth and maintained.”
Annie Besant
The Mark Of God: Understanding Your "I AM Presence" 