Rock surfaces provide a challenging habitat for a broad diversity of micro- or small-sized organisms. They interact with each other forming complex communities as well with their substrate causing biodeterioration of rock. Extreme fluctuation in light, temperature and hydration are the main factors that determine the rock surface habitats. The habitat includes epilithic organisms which thrive on the surface without penetrating the rock, endolithic organisms which live just beneath the surface using a thin layer of the rock surface for protection against adverse conditions of the environment (e.g. light protection, storage of water) and chasmo-endolithic organisms which use fractures of the rock surface for a more habitable environment. The book will provide an overview of the various organismal groups, from prokaryotes to vascular plants and arthropods, as well as survey organism-mediated interactions with the rock surface. The latter include biogenic weathering (biogeochemistry, state-of-the art imaging methods), photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation at and inside the rock surface.

For non-majors and mixed-majors introductory botany (plant biology) courses. Plant Biology focuses students on the function of plants and the role they play in our world. With evolved content and a new organization, the authors emphasize the scientific method to help students develop the critical thinking skills they need to make sound decisions throughout life. Together, the emphasis on how plants work and the development of critical-thinking skills support the authors' goal of fostering scientific literacy.

Fungi are an understudied, biotechnologically valuable group of organisms. Due to their immense range of habitats, and the consequent need to compete against a diverse array of other fungi, bacteria, and animals, fungi have developed numerous survival mechanisms. However, besides their major basic positive role in the cycling of minerals, organic matter and mobilizing insoluble nutrients, fungi have other beneficial impacts: they are considered good sources of food and active agents for a number of industrial processes involving fermentation mechanisms as in the bread, wine and beer industry. A number of fungi also produce biologically important metabolites such as enzymes, vitamins, antibiotics and several products of important pharmaceutical use; still others are involved in the production of single cell proteins. The economic value of these marked positive activities has been estimated as approximating to trillions of US dollars. The unique attributes of fungi thus herald great promise for their application in biotechnology and industry. Since ancient Egyptians mentioned in their medical prescriptions how they can use green molds in curing wounds as the obvious historical uses of penicillin, fungi can be grown with relative ease, making production at scale viable. The search for fungal biodiversity, and the construction of a living fungi collection, both have incredible economic potential in locating organisms with novel industrial uses that will lead to novel products. Fungi have provided the world with penicillin, lovastatin, and other globally significant medicines, and they remain an untapped resource with enormous industrial potential. Volume 1 of Industrially Important Fungi for Sustainable Development provides an overview to understanding fungal diversity from diverse habitats and their industrial application for future sustainability. It encompasses current advanced knowledge of fungal communities and their potential biotechnological applications in industry and allied sectors. The book will be useful to scientists, researchers, and students of microbiology, biotechnology, agriculture, molecular biology, and environmental biology.

This book highlights modern methods and strategies to improve cereal crops in the era of climate change, presenting the latest advances in plant molecular mapping and genome sequencing. Spectacular achievements in the fields of molecular breeding, transgenics and genomics in the last three decades have facilitated revolutionary changes in cereal- crop-improvement strategies and techniques. Since the genome sequencing of rice in 2002, the genomes of over eight cereal crops have been sequenced and more are to follow. This has made it possible to decipher the exact nucleotide sequence and chromosomal positions of agroeconomic genes. Most importantly, comparative genomics and genotyping-by-sequencing have opened up new vistas for exploring available biodiversity, particularly of wild crop relatives, for identifying useful donor genes.

Agriculture is considered as a backbone of developing nations as it caters the needs of the people, directly or indirectly. The global agriculture currently faces enormous challenges like land degradation and reduced soil fertility, shrinking of land, low production yield, water accessibility and a dearth of labor due to evacuation of individuals from farming. Besides, the global population increases at an exponential rate and it is predicted that the global population will be 9 billion by 2050 that in turn leads to food crisis in near future. Although, green revolution revolutionizes the agriculture sector by enhancing the yield but it was not considered as a sustainable approach. Exorbitant use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to boost the crop yield is definitely not a convenient approach for agriculture sustainability in the light of the fact that these chemical fertilizers are considered as double-edged sword, which on one hand enhance the crop yield but at the same time possess deleterious effect on the soil microflora and thus declines its fertility. Besides, it cause irreversible damage to the soil texture and disrupts the equilibrium in the food chain across ecosystem, which might in turn lead to genetic mutations in future generations of consumers. Thus, the increased dependence on fabricated agricultural additives during and post green revolution has generated serious issues pertaining to sustainability, environmental impact and health hazards. Therefore, nano-biotechnology has emerged as a promising tool to tackle the above problems especially in the agriculture sector. Nano-agribusiness is an emerged field to enhance crop yield, rejuvenate soil health, provide precision farming and stimulate plant growth. Nano-biotechnology is an essential tool in modern agriculture and is considered as a primary economic driver in near future. It is evaluated that joining of cutting edge nanotechnology in agribusiness would push the worldwide monetary development to approximately US$ 3.4 trillion by 2020 which clearly indicates that how agri-nanobiotechnology plays a pivotal role in the agricultural sector, without any negative impact on the environment and other regulatory issues of biosafety. Agri-nanobiotechnology is an innovative green technology, which provides the solution to global food security, sustainability and climate change. The current book is presenting the role of nano-biotechnology in modern agriculture and how it plays a pivotal role to boost the agri-business.

Advances in Phytonanotechnology: From Synthesis to Application guides readers through various applications of nanomaterials on plants by presenting the latest research related to nanotechnology and nanomaterials on plant systems. The book focuses on the effects of these applications on plant morphology, physiology, biochemistry, ecology and genetics. Sections cover the impact on plant yield, techniques, a review of positive and negative impacts, and an overview of current policies regarding the use of nanotechnology on plants. Additionally, the book offers insights into the appropriate application of nanoscience to plants and crops for improved outcome and an exploration of their bioavailability and toxicity in the environment.

Traditional methods in synthetic chemistry produce chemical waste and byproducts, yield smaller desired products, and generate toxic chemical substances, but the past two centuries have seen consistent, greener improvements in organic synthesis and transformations. These improvements have contributed to substance handling efficiency by using green-engineered forerunners like sustainable techniques, green processes, eco-friendly catalysis, and have minimized energy consumption, reduced potential waste, improved desired product yields, and avoided toxic organic precursors or solvents in organic synthesis. Green synthesis has the potential to have a major ecological and monetary impact on modern pharmaceutical R&D and organic chemistry fields. This book presents a broad scope of green techniques for medicinal, analytical, environmental, and organic chemistry applications. It presents an accessible overview of new innovations in the field, dissecting the highlights and green chemistry attributes of approaches to green synthesis, and provides cases to exhibit applications to pharmaceutical and organic chemistry. Although daily chemical processes are a major part of the sustainable development of pharmaceuticals and industrial products, the resulting environmental pollution of these processes is of worldwide concern. This edition discusses green chemistry techniques and sustainable processes involved in synthetic organic chemistry, natural products, drug syntheses, as well various useful industrial applications.

Cadmium Toxicity and Tolerance in Plants: Agronomic, Genetic, Molecular and Omic Approaches presents research and latest developments on mechanisms of cadmium tolerance covering both lab and field conditions. This book contains important insights and options for minimizing Cd accumulation in plants and mitigating Cd toxicity. Topics covered include using various omics approaches to understanding plant responses to Cd, novel technologies for developing Cd tolerance and integrated breeding approaches to mitigate Cd stress in crops. Cadmium Toxicity and Tolerance in Plants: Agronomic, Genetic, Molecular and Omic Approaches is a valuable resource for both researchers and students working on cadmium pollution and plant responses as well as related fields of environmental contamination and toxicology.

The term 'botanical aesthetics' refers to the visual and embodied modes which inform the perception, understanding, and appreciation of plant life. Green Sense is an interdisciplinary study of human aesthetic relationships to wild plants and the 'cultures of flora' that may characterise a region. The book explores botanical aesthetics through a study of the South-West region of Western Australia; a biodiversity 'hotspot' of international standing. Through a diverse range of materials, approaches, and perspectives, this title points to the interplay of values informing cultures of flora-from visual aesthetics and scientific knowledges, to embodied appreciations and sensory entanglements. The book provides a model for better understanding human relationships to wild plants, and offers an intriguing journey through science, poetry, philosophy, ethnography, Indigenous Australian knowledges, regional tourism, and memory studies. John Charles Ryan is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Centre for Research in Entertainment, Arts, Technology, Education, and Communications (CREATEC) and the School of Communications and Arts at Edith Cowan University in Mount Lawley, Western Australia. Prior to his appointment, he completed a research doctorate with a focus on ecocultural studies of Australian biodiversity and creative responses to place. In 2003, he was awarded a Master of Arts degree in Values and the Environment (MAVE) from the University of Lancaster, UK. With the artist Ellen Hickman, he is co-author of Two with Nature, published in 2012. He is also a contributor to a forthcoming collection Fremantle Poets 3: Performance Poets. His ecocultural research has appeared in Continuum; Australian Humanities Review; Australian Garden History; Nature and Culture; New Scholar; and Transformations. Green Sense will appeal to readers interested in the sensory and embodied aspects of human relationships to plants.

This edited volume summarizes the recent advancements made in plant science including molecular biology and genome editing , particularly in the development of novel pathways tolerant to climate change-induced stresses such as drought, extreme temperatures, cold, salinity, flooding, etc. These stresses are liable for decrease in yields in many crop plants at global level. Till date conventional plant breeding approaches have resulted in significant improvement of crop plants for producing higher yields during adverse climatic conditions. However, the pace of improvement through conventional plant breeding needs to be accelerated in keeping with the growing demand of food and increasing human populationl, particularly in developing world. This book serves as a comprehensive reference material for researchers, teachers, and students involved in climate change-related abiotic stress tolerance studies in plants.

Ecometabolomics: Metabolic Fluxes versus Environmental Stoichiometry focuses on the interaction between plants-particularly plants that have vigorous secondary metabolites-and the environment. The book offers a comprehensive overview of the responses of the metabolome of organisms to biotic and abiotic environmental changes. It includes an introduction to metabolomics, summaries of metabolomic techniques and applications, studies of stress in plants, and insights into challenges. This is a must-have reference for plant biologists, plant biochemists, plant ecologists and phytochemists researching the interface between plants and the environment using metabolomics.