On the Economy of Plant Form and Function PDF Download

Author: Thomas J. Givnish
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521262965
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 1072

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Book Description
This book summarizes the major recent advances in the economic analysis of plant behavior.

Author: Thomas J. Givnish
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521022491
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 736

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Book Description
Recent studies that analyze the impact of various plant traits on whole-plant growth and competitive ability have provided insights into the selective pressures on characteristics such as leaf reflectivity, effective leaf size, stomatal conductance, size of photosynthetic enzyme pools, crown form, xylem structure, nitrogen fixation, and root versus shoot allocation. This research has reached an exciting stage, leading to quantitative predictions of favoured trends in these traits as a function of environmental parameters and fundamental physiological constraints. Such results reveal the importance of ecological patterns in plant form and physiology, and of evolutionary constraints on photosynthesis and primary productivity. On the Economy of Plant Form and Function summarizes the major recent advances in the economic analysis of plant behavior and suggests a framework for a unified, quantitative approach to understanding photosynthetic adaptations, their integration with other aspects of plant form, and their relationship to carbon balance and ultimate limits on plant productivity.

Author:
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0323139272
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 449

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Book Description
There is a new emerging interest in the effects of gaps and patches on succession and biodiversity. This innovative volume is a synthesis of studies of plant responses to temporal and spatial heterogeneity, the exploitation of resources from pulses and patches by plants, and their competition with neighbors in the face of this variability.Aboveground, the book focuses upon the nature of canopy patchiness, consequences of this heterogeneity for the light environment, and the mechanisms by which plants respond to and exploit this patchiness. Belowground, the text explores the heterogeneity of soil environments and how root systems obtain nutrients and water in the context of this temporal and spatial variability. As a new reference in an evolving and growing field, this text is sure to be a valuable tool for researchers and advanced students in plant physiology, ecology, agronomy, and forestry alike.

Author: Ernst-Detlef Schulze
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9783540208334
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 716

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Book Description
This textbook covers Plant Ecology from the molecular to the global level. It covers the following areas in unprecedented breadth and depth: - Molecular ecophysiology (stress physiology: light, temperature, oxygen deficiency, drought, salt, heavy metals, xenobiotica and biotic stress factors) - Autecology (whole plant ecology: thermal balance, water, nutrient, carbon relations) - Ecosystem ecology (plants as part of ecosystems, element cycles, biodiversity) - Synecology (development of vegetation in time and space, interactions between vegetation and the abiotic and biotic environment) - Global aspects of plant ecology (global change, global biogeochemical cycles, land use, international conventions, socio-economic interactions) The book is carefully structured and well written: complex issues are elegantly presented and easily understandable. It contains more than 500 photographs and drawings, mostly in colour, illustrating the fascinating subject. The book is primarily aimed at graduate students of biology but will also be of interest to post-graduate students and researchers in botany, geosciences and landscape ecology. Further, it provides a sound basis for those dealing with agriculture, forestry, land use, and landscape management.

Author: Francisco Pugnaire
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 9780849390418
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 928

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Book Description
"Offers the latest findings and research breakthroughs in plant ecology, as well as consideration of classic topics in environmental science and ecology. This wide-ranging compendium serves as an extremely accessible and useful resource for relative newcomers to the field as well as seasoned experts. Investigates plant structure and behavior across the ecological spectrum, from the leaf to the ecosystem levels."

Author: Thomas J. Givnish
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521779296
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 652

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Book Description
This volume surveys advances in the study of adaptive radiation showing how molecular characters can be used to analyze the origin and pattern of diversification within a lineage in a non-circular fashion.

Author:
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0080567096
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 317

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Book Description
Concerns about the increasing greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and the resulting global effects have received high visibility in the general media as well as scientific journals. These concerns have been translatedinto several projects from the international scientific community-projects aimed to better understand the processes of climate and how these changes impact the ecosystem.The lively selection of articles in this issue of Advances in Ecological Research cover a wide spectrum of ecology and provide something of interest to all ecologists. Topics include temperature and organism size, carbon allocation in trees, and the role of morphological plasticity in resource acquisition.

Author: Roland Ennos
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1444311379
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
There are almost one third of a million species of plants which range in form from unicellular algae a few microns in diameter to gigantic trees that can grow to a height of 100 meters. Plant Life makes sense of the bewildering diversity of plants by treating them not just as photosynthetic factories, but as living organisms that are the survivors of millions of years of evolutionary struggle. The book examines plants from an evolutionary perspective to show how such a wide range of life forms has evolved and continues to thrive. The book is divided into three main sections. The first introductory section sets out the necessary background of evolutionary and taxonomic theory and introduces a classification of living plants based on the ways in which they have evolved. The second part investigates how the challenges of life in the water and on land have led to the evolution of the major taxonomic groups of the plants, and describes the key adaptations that have contributed to the success of each group. The final section shows how the contrasting environments of the world's major climatic zones have led to the evolution of such different floras as those of tropical rainforests, prairies and deserts. This section introduces a fascinating range of plants with ingenious and often bizarre methods of survival and reproduction. The book is enriched by detailed case studies, points for discussion and suggestions for further investigation. In addition, extensive color plates and line drawings bring the world of plants vividly to life. Clear classification charts and a full glossary are also useful. Plant Life is an essential elementary text for undergraduate students and should prove a breath of fresh air for jaded botanists who are accustomed to the traditional taxonomic grind through the plant kingdom. New, environmental approach in keeping with modern course content. Beautifully written in a clear, concise and accessible style. Extensive colour plates, electron micrographs and line drawings bring the world of plants vividly to life. Uses carefully chosen examples of species in each group, so that students are not overwhelmed with excessive information and species lists. Discussion questions at the end of chapters encourages further reading and provides essay topics for teachers. Clear classification charts and a full glossary provide useful material for revision.

Author: Malcolm C. Press
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521549295
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 510

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Book Description
The last decade has seen rapid and major advances in our understanding of the physiological ecology of plants. This volume reviews some of these advances and new challenges. The chapters cover five broad themes: resource acquisition and utilization; interactions between organisms; responses to global environmental changes; ecosystems; and integration and scaling. This book brings together an unrivalled collection of leading practitioners in the discipline from North America, Europe and Australia and adopts a broad approach, ranging from the molecular to the ecosystem level. It has proven a valuable tool for researchers and advanced students in the discipline.

Author:
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0323139574
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 410

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Book Description
Traditional plant physiological ecology is organism centered and provides a useful framework for understanding the interactions between plants and their environment and for identifying characteristics likely to result in plant success in a particular habitat. This book focuses on extending concepts from plant physiological ecology as a basis for understanding carbon, energy, and biogeochemical cycles at ecosystem, regional, and global levels. This will be a valuable resource for researchers and graduate students in ecology, plant ecophysiology, ecosystem research, biometerology, earth system science, and remote sensing. - The integration of metabolic activities across spatial scales, from leaf to ecosystem - Global constraints and regional processes - Functional units in ecological scaling - Models and technologies for scaling