The book offers comprehensive coverage of the important topics including: Flower structure and development Development and structure of male and female gametophytes Pollination biology, Fertilization and Self-incompatibility Endosperm, Embryo and Polyembryony Apomixis and Seed Biology

Agroforestry has significantly impacted our forests, but an often-overlooked issue is the effect of harvesting on soils and root systems. Soil and Root Damage in Forestry explains how soil and roots might be damaged through logging activities or silvicultural activities, how resulting root diseases impact the root and soil systems, and the impacts of chemical applications on the soil and root system. This book goes beyond the 'why' to also provide methods to reduce the impacts of machines on soils and offers solutions to minimize the impacts of machines on soils. Soil and Root Damage in Forestry serves as a valuable resource not only for those already working in soil science and forest ecology, but also provides insights for advanced students seeking an entrance to the "hidden half" of the planet.

Pork continues to occupy an important position as a food source in affluent societies as well as in developing countries with slower economic growth. The growth of the world swine population continues at a faster rate than that of the human population, a reflection of the sustained demand for pork in all parts of the world. The technical basis for commercial production of swine was presented in our two earlier textbooks-Swine Production in Temperate and Tropical Environ ments, by Pond and Maner, 1974, and Swine Production and Nutrition, by Pond and Maner, 1984. In view of rapidly advancing technology and an appreciation for the systems approach in industry and agriculture, this third book has been restructured to provide the student and practitioner with an integrated concept of pork production. We have attempted to blend the fundamental principles from genetics, physiology, nutrition, and biotechnology into the modern concepts of systems analysis and simulation modeling. The objective is to create a teaching approach which empha sizes the integrated synthesis of biological with physical and environmental sci ences and economics. This approach is expected to provide an overall pork pro duction systems view that individual producers can adapt to their specific resources, needs, and goals. Our new co-author, Dr. Dewey Harris, has used his expertise and perspective on interacting systems to change the complexion of the book to fulfill this objective. In addition, Dr."

In recent years a startling policy innovation has emerged within global and domestic environmental governance: certification systems that promote socially responsible business practices by turning to the market, rather than the state, for rule-making authority. This book documents five cases in which the Forest Stewardship Council, a forest certification program backed by leading environmental groups, has competed with industry and landowner-sponsored certification systems for legitimacy.
The authors compare the politics behind forest certification in five countries. They reflect on why there are differences regionally, discuss the impact the Forest Stewardship Council has had on other certification programs, and assess the ability of private forest certification to address global forest deterioration.
Benjamin Cashore is sssociate Professor, Environmental Governance and Sustainable Forest Policy & Director, Program on Forest Certification, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University

This textbook aims to describe the role of minerals in plant life cycle; how these nutrients are absorbed, distributed, stored; what functions each mineral plays and the disorders that their excess or absence may cause. From an agronomic perspective, such knowledge is key to boost crop production and improve its quality, and it also helps understand how to better manage fertilizers and prevent environmental issues. The book has focus on tropical agriculture and its specific demands, providing examples of major crops (such as sugarcane, soybeans, coffee etc), silviculture and pasture species.

Understanding the current state and dynamics of any forest is extremely difficult - if not impossible - without recognizing its history. Bialowieza Primeval Forest (BPF), located on the border between Poland and Belarus, is one of the best preserved European lowland forests and a subject of myriads of works focusing on countless aspects of its biology, ecology, management. BPF was protected for centuries (15th-18th century) as a game reserve of Polish kings and Lithuanian grand dukes. Being, at that time, a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, BPF was subject to long-lasting traditional, multi-functional utilisation characteristic for this part of Europe, including haymaking on forest meadows, traditional bee-keeping and fishing in rivers flowing through forest. This traditional model of management came to an abrupt end due to political change in 1795, when Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania ceased to exist in effect of partitioning by neighbouring countries, and the territory of BPF was taken over by the Russian Empire. The new Russian administration, influenced by the German trends in forestry, attempted at introducing the new, science-based forestry model in the BPF throughout the 19th century. The entire 19th century in the history of BPF is a story of struggle between new trends and concepts brought and implemented by new rulers of the land, and the traditional perception of the forest and forest uses, culturally rooted in this area and originating from mediaeval (or older) practices. The book will show the historical background and the outcome of this struggle: the forest's history in the long 19th century focusing on tracking all cultural imprints, both material (artificial landscapes, introduced alien species, human-induced processes) and immaterial (traditional knowledge of forest and use of forest resources, the political and cultural significance of the forest) that shaped the forest's current state and picture. Our book will deliver a picture of a crucial moment in forest history, relevant not only to the Central Europe, but to the continent in general. Moment of transition between a royal hunting ground, traditional type of use widespread throughout Europe, to a modern, managed forest. Looking at main obstacles in the management shift, the essential difference in perceptions of the forest and goods it provides in both modes of management, and the implications of the management change for the state of BPF in the long 19th century could help in better understanding the changes that European forests underwent in general.

This book is a state-of-the-art compilation of the latest information on ecosystem services of agroforestry. The last two decades have seen a surge in literature on the ecosystem services of sustainable agriculture practices, including that of agroforestry; however, compilation and synthesis of such information from agroforestry have been limited. This book fills that void by bringing in a number of experts from around the world. In addition to presenting the multiple dimensions of ecosystem services provided by major agroforestry practices, the book also offers case studies from both tropical and temperate regions of the world. Information from this book can be used to design land management practices for climate change mitigation, ecosystem benefits, agricultural productivity and sustainability, and for survival and profitability of family farms and to conserve biodiversity. While synthesizing information of the biophysical aspects of ecosystem services, the book also outlines the socioeconomic and policy dimensions, including appropriate incentive models to enhance adoption of agroforestry so that society at large can enjoy these important benefits

During the 4th International Consultation on Forest Genetics and Tree Building, held in 1998 in Beijing, China, leading scientists were invited to review past achievements, to redefine the role of forest genetics and breeding in contemporary forestry, and to set priorities for future research and development. On the basis of the invited presentations, the volume summarizes the state of knowledge in various fields, such as the impact of forest management and of changing environmental conditions on genetic resources, and the value of genetic markers as indicators for adaptational potential, as well as the tasks of conservation. Detailed reports from the different continents provide a comprehensive diagnosis of the global situation of forest genetics and tree breeding research. The book offers not only an overview of contemporary trends and expected future developments, but also identifies current main problems in funding and cooperation. It may prove therefore useful not only for scientists, university lecturers and advanced students in the field of forestry, ecology and conservation biology, but also for decision makers and managers in companies and conservation organizations.

This comprehensive synthesis systematically covers the entire range of natural and managed oak forests in the highlands of tropical America. Originally, these forests were widely distributed, but largely through human impact large parts have disappeared and the remaining patches are under increasing threat.

For the first time, aspects as diverse as the paleo-ecology, biogeography, stand structure and composition, biodiversity, population dynamics, ecosystem dynamics, fragmentation and recovery, conservation and sustainable use of Neotropical montane oak forests are treated in a coherent manner. Providing a thorough understanding of ecological patterns and processes that determine the structure and functioning of these magnificent forests, this volume can serve as a sound basis for sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation in general.

This book provides essential reading to anyone interested in projecting the future of either the forest products market and/or the forest resource conditions. It is aimed at policy makers, model builders, researchers and graduate students who are building or using forest sector models, as well as at forest industry managers and analysts. While focusing on a specific modeling system the US Timber Assessment models the authors highlight the general elements that might comprise a forest-sector market model of any country or region. Approaches to policy analysis are also general and equally applicable to both national and multi-national forest policy development outside the US particularly in relation to on-going efforts to formulate national programs of sustainable forestry. Darius Adams and Richard Haynes are widely recognized as leading experts in the forest sector modeling field.

This Volume contains the papers presented by twenty-eight invited speakers at the symposium entitled, "Genetic Manipulation of Woody Plants," held at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, from June 21-25, 1987. Also included are abstracts of contributed poster papers presented during the meeting. That the molecular biology of woody plants is a rapidly expanding field is attested to by the large attendance and high level of enthusiasm generated at the conference. Leading scientists from throughout the world discussed challenging problems and presented new insights into the devel opment of in vitro culture systems, techniques for DNA analysis and manipulation, gene vector systems, and experimental systems that will lead to a clearer understanding of gene expression and regulation for woody plant species. The presence at the conference of both invited speakers and other scientists who work with nonwoody plant species also added depth to the discussions and applicability of the information presented at the conference. The editors want to commend the speakers for their well-organized and informative talks, and feel particularly indebted to the late Dr. Alexander Hollaender and others on the planning committee who assist ed in the selection of the invited speakers. The committee consisted of David Burger (University of California, Davis), Don J. Durzan (University of California, Davis) , Bruce Haissig (U. S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service), Stanley Krugman (U. S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service) , Ralph Mott (North Carolina State University), Otto Schwarz (Univer.sity of Tennessee, Knoxville), and Roger Timmis (Weyerhaeuser Company).

Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas. Pub/ius Vergilius Mara Forests have long been one of mankind's most important natural re sources and not the least because forests are, if properly managed, re newable. They serve us in many different ways, but above all in pro viding us with wood, one of the most remarkable and useful of all natural materials. Reaction wood, compression wood in gymnosperms and tension wood in the arboreal angiosperms, serves the function of making it possible for trees to perform movements. In the ancient Ginkgo and in the conifers, the ability to form compression wood is of vital importance to each and every tree. Compression wood plays a crucial role in the regulation of tree form in these gymnosperms, and their arborescent habit probably depends on their ability to develop this tissue. Few forest and plantation trees are devoid of compression wood in their stem, and all of them have it in their branches. Unfortu nately, what is necessary and beneficial for the tree in this case is harmful to mankind, for compression wood is a very serious defect in both sawtimber and pulpwood. It is now almost 20 years since the last complete survey of compres sion wood was published, namely Arthur H. Westing's excellent review of this subject. My major objective in writing the present book has been to bring together in one single work everything that is currently known about compression wood."

Plant-driven volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions play a major role in atmospheric chemistry, including ozone and photochemical smog formation in the troposphere, and they extend the atmospheric lifetime of the key greenhouse gas, methane. Furthermore, condensation of photo-oxidation products of BVOCs leads to formation of secondary organic aerosols with profound implications for the earth's solar radiation budget and climate. Trees represent the plant life form that most contributes to BVOC emissions, which gives global forests a unique role in regulating atmospheric chemistry.
Written by leading experts in the field, the focus is on recent advancements in understanding the controls on plant-driven BVOC emissions, including efforts to quantitatively predict emissions using computer models, particularly on elicitation of emissions under biotic and abiotic stresses, molecular mechanisms of volatile synthesis and emission and the role of emissions in plant stress tolerance.

With more than 500 species distributed all around the Northern Hemisphere, the genus Quercus L. is a dominant element of a wide variety of habitats including temperate, tropical, subtropical and mediterranean forests and woodlands. As the fossil record reflects, oaks were usual from the Oligocene onwards, showing the high ability of the genus to colonize new and different habitats. Such diversity and ecological amplitude makes genus Quercus an excellent framework for comparative ecophysiological studies, allowing the analysis of many mechanisms that are found in different oaks at different level (leaf or stem). The combination of several morphological and physiological attributes defines the existence of different functional types within the genus, which are characteristic of specific phytoclimates. From a landscape perspective, oak forests and woodlands are threatened by many factors that can compromise their future: a limited regeneration, massive decline processes, mostly triggered by adverse climatic events or the competence with other broad-leaved trees and conifer species. The knowledge of all these facts can allow for a better management of the oak forests in the future.

This book covers forest mensuration--the process of counting, measuring, and estimating the economic value of a stand of trees. This process also involves measuring non-timber, landscape values such as soils, wildlife habitat, and hydrology.

Global climate change requires the development of programs that consider the active restoration of degraded forests and the use of native trees in afforestation to preserve the natural environment. International commitments like the UN REDD program, the Montreal Process and the Convention on Biological Diversity call for the breeding of species rarely contemplated by large industrial companies. Low-intensity breeding is the most rational strategy for those species: simple but robust, and not dependent on continuously increasing funding, and therefore effective even with a relatively small budget. It commonly focuses on high genetic diversity rather than improving economic traits and adaptability rather than productivity. Controlled crosses with full pedigrees typical of high-intensity breeding are replaced by open pollination. This book presents state-of-the-art breeding strategies from the last two decades for several forest tree species of prime importance in the natural forests of Argentina. They are distributed in the three main forestry ecoregions of the country: the subtropical dry forest (Chaco), the subtropical rain forests (Yungas and Alto Parana rainforests) and the temperate forests of Patagonia. The book also discusses the genetic patterns of the selected species defined using genetic markers together with the analysis of the variation in quantitative traits. Further, it examines the crucial features of their reproductive biology, such as the mating system and gene flow and describes the current breeding programs. Lastly, it presents the latest developments in genetic resources and their emerging applications, concluding with some reflections and perspectives related to the conditioning imposed by climate change.

The aim of this book is to improve the understanding of forest dynamics and the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. How do tree crowns, trees or entire forest stands respond to thinning in the long term? What effect do tree species mixtures and multi-layering have on the productivity and stability of trees, stands or forest enterprises? How do tree and stand growth respond to stress factors such as climate change or air pollution? Furthermore, in the event that one has acquired knowledge about the effects of thinning, mixture and stress, how can one make that knowledge applicable to decision-making in forestry practice? The experimental designs, analytical methods, general relationships and models for answering questions of this kind are the focus of this book. Given the structures dealt with, which range from plant organs to the tree, stand and enterprise levels, and the processes analysed in a time frame of days or months to decades or even centuries, this book is directed at all readers interested in trees, forest stands and forest ecosystems. This work has been compiled for students, scientists, lecturers, forest planners, forest managers, and consultants.

A compilation of concepts, biological relationships and procedures used to organize forested landscapes for combinations of goods, services and effects. Includes such management processes as investments for biological diversity, timber production, wilderness effects, recreational opportunities, esthetic values and habitats for endangered animals and plants.

Dr Samuel Johnson, that famous eighteenth century lexicographer, said of oats 'A grain which in England is generally given to horses but in Scotland supports the people'. And presumably it was a Scotsman who riposted 'But what people and what horses ' That exchange encapsulates much of the history and role of oats - a cereal, once important as human food in parts of northern Europe but latterly used mainly as animal feed, especially favoured for horses. Although no longer a major food anywhere, oats still have a special and favoured niche in the cuisine of people living in the cooler and wetter regions of some parts of northern Europe. However, there is currently a resurgence of interest in the crop, because there is now considerable scientific evidence to support the view of Scotsmen who never doubted its dietary value. This book - very much an international effort, carefully orchestrated by Robert Welch - traces the origin, history and scientific progress which forms a sound basis for any further crop improvement and for broadening the utilization and marketing of oat products. Should rational consider ations lead to an increase in the importance of this cereal, I, for one, would be glad since I believe the rural landscape is the poorer for the increased rarity of golden fields of rippling oats which I used to be involved in harvesting."

The aim of this book is to present, in depth, updated information on soil and microbial processes involved in mixed plantations of Eucalyptus and N2-fixing species, especially Acacia mangium, focusing on Forestry, Soils, Biology, Ecosystem Services and Sustainability. The potential of substituting chemical N fertilizer by a consortium of leguminous species that fix atmospheric nitrogen is an interesting solution for a more sustainable, economically and environmentally sound forest system. Among the main topics, we present reference topics on soil microbiology, as biological nitrogen fixation, the role of mycorrhiza in mixed plantations, bio-indicators of soil quality, and plantgrowth promoting bacteria with biotechnological potential. Here we discuss Ecosystem services and ecological benefits of these systems, the invasive potential of A.mangium, as well as the regulations and perspectives of land use policies for mixed forests and their role in the sustainability of the system.

This book gives a comprehensive overview on the various aspects of Trichoderma, a filamentous fungus ubiquitously present in soil. Topics addressed are the biology, diversity, taxonomy, ecology, biotechnology and cultivation of Trichoderma, to just name a few. Basic as well as applied aspects are covered and a special focus is given on use of Trichoderma in agriculture and beyond. Trichoderma species are widely distributed throughout the world in soil, rotting plant material, and wood. Although they are often considered as a contaminants, Trichoderma species are also known for their ability to act as biocontrol agents against various plant pathogens and plant diseases, and also as biostimulants promoting plant growth. The contents of this book will be of particular interest to, agricultural scientists, biotechnologists, plant pathologists, mycologists, and microbiologists, students, extension workers, policy makers and other stakeholders.

This book critically explores the political ecology of human marginalization, wildlife conservation and the role of the state in politicizing conservation frameworks, drawing on examples from forests in India. The book specifically demonstrates the nuances within human-environmental linkages, by showing how environmental concerns are not only ecological in content but also political. In India a large part of the forests and their surrounding areas were inhabited far before they were designated as protected areas and inviolate zones, with the local population reliant on forests for their survival and livelihoods. Thus, socioecological conflicts between the forest dependents and official state bodies have been widespread. This book uses a political ecology lens to explore the complex interplay between current norms of forest conservation and environmental subjectivities, illustrating contemporary articulation of forest rights and the complex mediations between forest dependents and different state and non-state bodies in designing and implementing regulatory standards for wildlife and forest protection. It foregrounds the issues of identity, migration and cultural politics while discussing the politics of conservation. Through a political ecology approach, the book not only is human-centric but also makes significant use of the role of non-humans in foregrounding the conservation discourse, with a particular focus on tigers. The book will be of great interest to students and academics studying forest conservation, human-wildlife interactions and political ecology.

This book presents a synopsis, with an innovative approach, of abundance, types and conditions of work performed in the tropical plantation and natural forests. It covers work of formally and informally employed, and of own-account small-scale forest users, women and children. Activities in tree harvesting are analyzed, also on-site conversion by pitsawing, planting and pruning. The abilities of the workers and their efforts while fulfilling their tasks, resulting in performance and workload, are described with many examples of published studies. Influencing variables from organizational, technical and managerial sides are considered as much as included in the studies. The detailed descriptions demonstrate the methodical state of ergonomic research. For better understanding of the coverage the background of the development of forest work science is described. The lasting influence of Taylorism and the roles of ILO and FAO as well as NGOs, e.g. in certification, are pointed out.

This collection features five peer-reviewed reviews on ecosystem services delivered by forests. The first chapter summarises the current state of knowledge on the interactions between forest ecosystems and the climate system and the way in which forests influence the water cycle. The second chapter reviews the wealth of research on the range of species, functional groups and ecological processes which can develop as a result of the biodiversity in tropical forests. The chapter also considers the main threats to tropical forest biodiversity. The third chapter examines the importance of forest carbon content and the methods currently used to monitor it. The chapter also explores the mechanisms driving forest carbon storage and offers a considered discussion on whether forests should be considered sources or sinks of carbon. The fourth chapter highlights how sustainable forest management (SFM) can be used to maintain or enhance biodiversity in temperate and boreal forests. The chapter utilises two case studies to demonstrate successful implementation of SFM in Ireland and Canada. The final chapter considers the benefits of introducing agroforestry into agroecosystems, focussing on its influence on soil health. The chapter discusses the benefits of agroforestry systems on key soil physical, chemical and biological properties.