This volume presents a collection of tools currently used for the characterization of rust, the host plant wheat, and their interactions. This book is divided into five parts: Parts I and II discuss advanced techniques for characterizing rust pathogens in rust surveillance, genotyping, and molecular pathogenicity; Part III describes protocols for genetic analysis of rust resistance; Part IV covers methods on rust resistance gene cloning; and Part V talks about the isolation and screening of bacterial endophytes as biocontrol agents for rust disease management. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and authoritative, Wheat Rust Disease: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for both established and novel wheat rust researchers and also the plant science and microbial research community.

Plant Ecology & Conservation is an introduction to the world of plant ecology. It includes the main areas of current research including ideas about plant populations, nutrition and plant community ecology and has a particular emphasis on the interactions of plants with animals, fungi and microorganisms whose important is being increasingly demonstrated. With the world's environmental problems having such a high profile, the book focusses on the human impact on the world's plant species. Conservation of the terrestrial world starts with plants as they form the basis of all ecosystems on land. We can only understand how best to conserve the world's biodiversity with an understanding of the central role of plant ecology. This theme runs throughout with numerous examples of the disruption of ecosystems by human activity emphasising the connection between plant ecology and conservation. Key Features: Boxes present case studies, important statistics and interesting asides Full-colour photos depict key species and habitats and superb line drawings illustrate many concepts Important data are presented in Tables and Figures throughout Each chapter has Key Concepts and review questions to test a reader's grasp of the content Key References and Further Reading are given for each chapter to point the reader towards the most important and influential literature Jargon is kept to a minimum and a full Glossary of all technical terms is presented The book is aimed primarily at undergraduate and graduate students in any aspect of ecology or plant science. It should also appeal to anyone interested in how plants function and are concerned about what is needed for the conservation of the world's ecosystems.

Chloroplasts are vital for life as we know it. At the leaf cell level, it is common knowledge that a chloroplast interacts with its surroundings - but this knowledge is often limited to the benefits of oxygenic photosynthesis and that chloroplasts provide reduced carbon, nitrogen and sulphur. This book presents the intricate interplay between chloroplasts and their immediate and more distant environments. The topic is explored in chapters covering aspects of evolution, the chloroplast/cytoplasm barrier, transport, division, motility and bidirectional signalling. Taken together, the contributed chapters provide an exciting insight into the complexity of how chloroplast functions are related to cellular and plant-level functions. The recent rapid advances in the presented research areas, largely made possible by the development of molecular techniques and genetic screens of an increasing number of plant model systems, make this interaction a topical issue.

Plant-based medicines play an important role in all cultures, and have been indispensable in maintaining health and combating diseases. The identification of active principles and their molecular targets from traditional medicine provides an enormous opportunity for drug development. Using modern biotechnology, plants with specific chemical compositions can be mass propagated and genetically improved for the extraction of bulk active pharmaceuticals. Although there has been significant progress in the use of biotechnology, using tissue cultures and genetic transformation to investigate and alter pathways for the biosynthesis of target metabolites, there are many challenges involved in bringing plants from the laboratory to successful commercial cultivation. This book presents the latest advances in the development of medicinal drugs, including topics such as plant tissue cultures, secondary metabolite production, metabolomics, metabolic engineering, bioinformatics and future biotechnological directions.

Oxygen (O ) appeared in significant amounts in the Earth's atmosphere over 2. 2 2 billion years ago, largely due to the evolution of photosynthesis by cyanobacteria (Halliwell 2006). The O molecule is a free radical, as it has two impaired electrons 2 that have the same spin quantum number. This spin restriction makes O prefer to 2 accept its electrons one at a time, leading to the generation of the so-called reactive oxygen species (ROS). The chemical nature of these species dictates that they can create damage in cells. This has contributed to the creation of the "oxidative stress" concept; in this view, ROS are unavoidable toxic products of O metabolism and 2 aerobic organisms have evolved antioxidant defences to protect against this tox- ity (Halliwell 1981; Fridovich 1998). Indeed, even in present-day plants, which are full of antioxidants, much of the protein synthetic activity of chloroplasts is used to replace oxidatively damaged D1 and other proteins (Halliwell 2006). Yet, the use of the "oxidative stress" term implies that ROS exert their effects through indiscriminate widespread inactivation of cellular functions. In this context, ROS must not be able to react with lipids, proteins or nucleic acids in order to avoid any damage to vital cellular components. However, genetic evidence has suggested that, in planta, purely physicoche- cal damage may be more limited than previously thought (Foyer and Noctor 2005).

Heavy metal accumulation in soil and water from natural sources or anthropogenic activities have produced severe environmental contamination in some parts of the world due to the persistence of metals in the environment by their accumulation throughout the food chain. The purpose of this book is to present the most recent advances in this field, mainly concerning the uptake and translocation of heavy metals in plants, mechanisms of toxicity, perception of metal and regulation of cell response under metal stress. Another key feature of this book is related to the studies on signaling and remediation processes in recent years, which have taken advantage of recent technological advances including "omic" approaches. In recent years transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic studies have become very important tools for analyzing both the dynamics of changes in gene expression and the profiles of protein and metabolites under heavy metal stress. This information is also very useful for plotting the complex signaling and metabolic network induced by heavy metals, in which hormones and reactive oxygen species (ROS) also play an important role. Understanding the mechanism involved in sequestration and hyperaccumulation is very important to developing new strategies of phytoremediation, which are reviewed in several chapters of this book. The information included yields very stimulating insights into the mechanism involved in the regulation of plant responses to heavy metals, which in turn improve our knowledge of cell regulation under metal stress and the use of plants for phytoremediation.

This book covers many facets of plant selenium (Se) accumulation: molecular genetics, biochemistry, physiology, and ecological and evolutionary aspects. Broader impacts and applications of plant Se accumulation also receive attention. Plant Se accumulation is very relevant for environmental and human health. Selenium is both essential at low levels and toxic at high levels, and both Se deficiency and toxicity are problems worldwide. Selenium can positively affect crop productivity and nutritional value. Plants may also be used to clean up excess environmental Se. Selenium in plants has profound ecological impact, and likely contributes to Se movement in ecosystems and global Se cycling.

This book highlights the implications of nanotechnology in plant sciences, particularly its potential to improve food and agricultural systems, through innovative, eco-friendly approaches, and as a result to increase plant productivity. Topics include various aspects of nanomaterials: biophysical and biochemical properties; methods of treatment, detection and quantification; methods of quantifying the uptake of nanomaterials and their translocation and accumulation in plants. In addition, the effects on plant growth and development, the role of nanoparticles in changes in gene and protein expression, and delivery of genetic materials for genetic improvement are discussed. It also explores how nanotechnology can improve plant protection and plant nutrition, and addresses concerns about using nanoparticles and their compliances. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the application potential of nanoparticles in plant science and serves as a valuable resource for students, teachers, researchers and professionals working on nanotechnology.

Environmental Change in Lesotho identifies and analyzes the drivers of land-use change and the consequences of these changes on the livelihoods of rural land-users/managers. To accomplish this, a combination of tools from the social sciences and environmental fields were developed to identify causes and consequences of land-use change at selected levels, using a 'nested' approach. These methods were then applied to a case study of two villages in the Lowland region of Lesotho. This book is directed at environmental and social science experts, researchers, decision-makers, and development/aid workers interested in understanding the intricate human-environment relationship as it relates to land-use change in a changing biophysical, socio-economic, political and institutional context, coupled by HIV/AIDS, changing demographics, local perceptions and what is termed here 'dependency syndrome'.

After the generation of genome sequence data from a wide variety of plants, databases are filled with sequence information of genes with no known biological function, and while bioinformatics tools can help analyze genome sequences and predict gene structures, experimental approaches to discover gene functions need to be widely implemented. In Plant Reverse Genetics: Methods and Protocols, leading researchers in the field describe cutting-edge methods, both high-throughput and genome-wide, involving the models Arabidopsis and rice as well as several other plants to provide comparative functional genomics information. With chapters on the analysis of high-throughput genome sequence data, the identification of non-coding RNA from sequence information, the comprehensive analysis of gene expression by microarrays, and metabolomic analysis, the thorough methods of the book are fully supported by scripts to aid their computational use. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, the chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and essential, Plant Reverse Genetics: Methods and Protocols is an ideal guide for researchers seeking an understanding of how the complex web of plant genes work together in a systems biology view.

The Rosaceae Family is represented by approximately 3,000 species of diverse plants, primarily con?ned to temperate climates. The family has a rich variety of architectural forms and contains herbaceous, tree and shrub species. Many family members are readily recognizable because of their edible seasonal fruits that are prized for their unique ?avors, colors and nutritious properties (e.g. apple, str- berry, raspberry, pear, cherry, plum, apricot, pear), as well as familiar ornamentals (e.g. roses) and nuts (e.g. almonds). Today's rosaceous cultivars have been derived from centuries of careful sel- tion and breeding, using a palette of some of evolution's most curious creations. The careful sculpting that has transformed the germplasm was not trivial, as several of the most coveted fruit species maintain complicated genomes-in some cases among the most complex of cultivated plants (e.g. strawberry). Other species in the family are represented by large perennial tree crops that exhibit substantial juven- ity phases, posing a barrier to standard breeding and genetic analyses. Yet, today's superiorcultivarsfeaturerobustgrowth,substantialyieldsandresistancetocommon biotic and abiotic stresses; traits fostered by human intervention. When the hurdles to ef?cient cultivation, breeding and selection are considered, the quality and qu- tity of rosaceous plant products derived from traditional breeding techniques is little short of amazing.

Drug discovery originating in Africa has the potential to provide significantly improved treatment of endemic diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. This book critically reviews the current status of drug discovery research and development in Africa, for diseases that are a major threat to the health of people living in Africa. Compiled by leading African and international experts, this book presents the science and strategies of modern drug discovery. It explores how the use of natural products and traditional medicines can benefit from conventional drug discovery approaches, and proposes solutions to current technological, infrastructural, human resources, and economic challenges, which are presented when attempting to engage in full-scale drug discovery. Topics addressed are varied; from African medicinal plants to marine bioprospecting, pharmacogenetics and the use of nanotechnology. This book brings together for the first time a collection of strategies and techniques that need to be considered when developing drugs in an African setting. It is an unprecedented and truly international effort, highlighting the remarkable effort made so far in the area of drug discovery research by African scientists, and scientists from other parts of the world working on African health problems.

This detailed volume provides a collection of protocols for the study of miRNA functions in plants. Beginning with coverage of miRNA function, biogenesis, activity, and evolution in plants, the book continues by guiding readers through methods on the identification and detection of plant miRNAs, bioinformatic analyses, and strategies for functional analyses of miRNAs. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Plant MicroRNAs: Method and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital area of plant science.

This book highlights state-of-the-art research and practices for adaptation to climate change in food production systems (agriculture in particular) as observed in Japan and neighboring Asian countries. The main topics covered include the current scientific understanding of observed and projected climate change impacts on crop production and quality, modeling of autonomous and planned adaptation, and development of early warning and/or support systems for climate-related decision-making. Drawing on concrete real-world examples, the book provides readers with an essential overview of adaptation, from research to system development to practices, taking agriculture in Asia as the example. As such, it offers a valuable asset for all researchers and policymakers whose work involves adaptation planning, climate negotiations, and/or agricultural developments.

Volume 2 covers nitrogen fertilizer efficiency, acid tolerance of the legume symbiosis, fruit tree nutrition, rhizosphere pH change, iron deficiency in crop production, the effects of nutrient deficiences on seed production, the elemental composition of plants, and the role of potassium. The articles in this volume join together both the fundamental and the applied parts of this discipline. The editors' aim to make the reviews comprehensible to scientists in relevant disciplines, rather than purely to the specialist. The format of each volume is a small number of full-length reviews of important topics, plus an editorial which briefly mentions other rapidly developing topics that may therefore be reviewed in future volumes.

In spite of international agreements at the political level not much has changed since the late 1980s in terms of reducing the speed of destruction of original tropical environments.

However, since the publication of the first edition ten years ago, international research efforts in physiological ecology of plants in the tropics has increased enormously in quantity and quality. In some fields advances were more substantial than in others. New approaches came up in remote sensing and at the other end of the scope in some areas molecular biology was particularly developed regarding ecological performance of tropical plants, e.g. in understanding the adaptation of resurrection plants to the extreme habitat of inselbergs.

The wealth of new information made it necessary to break large chapters down into smaller ones. Tropical forests which occupy about half of the entire volume of the book were now arranged in 5 chapters covering structure and function under the influence of environmental cues and including epiphytes and mangroves as part of the tropical forest complex. Savannas were now treated in two chapters. Coastal salinas have been combined with a new section on the Brazilian restingas in a chapter on coastal sand plains.

The mystique of the rainforest has captured the imaginations of generations of young people, explorers, authors, and biologists. It is a delicate ecosystem whose myriad sounds and smells, whose vibrancy of life, is balanced by constant cycles of death and decay. It is a place of fierce competition where unusual partnerships are forged and creative survival strategies are the norm. In this book, you will meet the scientific pioneers who first attempted to quantify and understand the vast diversity of these tropical forests, as well as their successors, who utilize modern tools and technologies to dissect the chemical nature of rainforest interactions.

This book provides a general background on biodiversity and the study of chemical ecology before moving into specific chemical examples of insect defenses and microbial communication. It finishes with first-hand accounts of the trials and tribulations of a canopy biology pioneer and a rainforest research novice, while assessing the state of modern tropical research, its importance to humanity, and the ecological, political, and ethical issues that need to be tackled in order to move the field forward.

The interactions between the plant, soil and microbes are complex in nature. Events may be antagonistic, mutualistic or synergistic, depending upon the types of microorganisms and their association with the plant and soil in question. Multi-trophic tactics can therefore be employed to nourish plants in various habitats and growth conditions. Understanding the mechanisms of these interactions is thus highly desired in order to utilize the knowledge in an ecofriendly and sustainable way. This holistic approach to crop improvement may not only resolve the upcoming food security issues, but also make the environment greener by reducing the chemical inputs. Plant, soil and microbe, Volume 1: Implications in Crop Science, along with the forthcoming Volume 2: Mechanisms and Molecular Interactions, provide detailed accounts of the exquisite and delicate balance between the three critical components of agronomy. Specifically, these two titles focus on the basis of nutrient exchange between the microorganisms and the host plants, the mechanism of disease protection and the recent molecular details emerged from studying this multi-tropic interaction. Together they aim to provide a solid foundation for the students, teachers, and researchers interested in soil microbiology, plant pathology, ecology and agronomy.

Playing a critical role in both influencing climate change and mitigating its impacts, the world's diverse wetlands have become one of the world's most threatened ecosystems as unsustainable land-use practices coupled with irrational use of water have already resulted in large-scale wetlands loss and degradation. To develop sound management and conservation schemes to assure wetlands sustainability in the long term requires long-term understanding of wetlands ecology. Yet until now, long-term interdisciplinary research into these systems has been limited to only a few systems from tropical or temperate climates (such as the Florida Everglades, and Czech biosphere reserve). This new book adds to the existing wetlands literature, providing a unique reference in basic and applied Mediterranean wetland ecology, based on results from long-term interdisciplinary research at the RAMSAR and UNESCO Biosphere site, of Las Tablas de Daimiel, Spain. Dating back to the early 1990s the research highlights changes in the biotic and abiotic environment in response to cumulative anthropogenic stressors, and provide guidance on applying this understand to sound management and conservation. With particular relevance to researchers dealing with semi-arid wetlands in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, as well as to resource managers, the book discusses the complexity of the interacting abiotic and biotic environment across different spatial and temporal scales and across various levels of biological hierarchy is highlighted, and reveals how management based on poor knowledge causes more damage than repair. The book will be of interest to researchers interested in freshwater ecology, hydrobotany, hydrology, geology, biogeochemistry, landscape ecology and environmental management.

This volume presents a compelling collection of state-of-the-art work in algorithmic computational biology, honoring the legacy of Professor Bernard M.E. Moret in this field. Reflecting the wide-ranging influences of Prof. Moret's research, the coverage encompasses such areas as phylogenetic tree and network estimation, genome rearrangements, cancer phylogeny, species trees, divide-and-conquer strategies, and integer linear programming. Each self-contained chapter provides an introduction to a cutting-edge problem of particular computational and mathematical interest. Topics and features: addresses the challenges in developing accurate and efficient software for the NP-hard maximum likelihood phylogeny estimation problem; describes the inference of species trees, covering strategies to scale phylogeny estimation methods to large datasets, and the construction of taxonomic supertrees; discusses the inference of ultrametric distances from additive distance matrices, and the inference of ancestral genomes under genome rearrangement events; reviews different techniques for inferring evolutionary histories in cancer, from the use of chromosomal rearrangements to tumor phylogenetics approaches; examines problems in phylogenetic networks, including questions relating to discrete mathematics, and issues of statistical estimation; highlights how evolution can provide a framework within which to understand comparative and functional genomics; provides an introduction to Integer Linear Programming and its use in computational biology, including its use for solving the Traveling Salesman Problem. Offering an invaluable source of insights for computer scientists, applied mathematicians, and statisticians, this illuminating volume will also prove useful for graduate courses on computational biology and bioinformatics.