In the last half century, because of the raising world population and because of the many environmental issues posed by the industrialization, the amount of arable land per person has declined from 0.32 ha in 1961-1963 to 0.21 ha in 1997-1999 and is expected to drop further to 0.16 ha by 2030 and therefore is a severe menace to food security (FAO 2006). At the same time, about 12 million ha of irrigated land in the developing world has lost its productivity due to waterlogging and salinity. Waterlogging is a major problem for plant cultivation in many regions of the world. The reasons are in part due to climatic change that leads to the increased number of precipitations of great intensity, in part to land degradation. Considering India alone, the total area suffering from waterlogging is estimated to be about 3.3 million ha (Bhattacharya 1992), the major causes of waterlogging include super- ous irrigation supplies, seepage losses from canal, impeded sub-surface drainage, and lack of proper land development. In addition, many irrigated areas are s- jected to yield decline because of waterlogging due to inadequate drainage systems. Worldwide, it has been estimated that at least one-tenth of the irrigated cropland suffers from waterlogging.

Forest inventories throughout the world have evolved gradually over time. The content as well as the concepts and de?nitions employed are constantly adapted to the users' needs. Advanced inventory systems have been established in many countries within Europe, as well as outside Europe, as a result of development work spanning several decades, in some cases more than 100 years. With continuously increasing international agreements and commitments, the need for information has also grown drastically, and reporting requests have become more frequent and the content of the reports wider. Some of the agreements made at the international level have direct impacts on national economies and international decisions, e. g. , the Kyoto Protocol. Thus it is of utmost importance that the forest information supplied is collected and analysed using sound scienti?c principles and that the information from different countries is comparable. European National Forest Inventory (NFI) teams gathered in Vienna in 2003 to discuss the new challenges and the measures needed to get data users to take full advantage of existing NFIs. As a result, the European National Forest Inventory Network (ENFIN), a network of NFIs, was established. The ENFIN members decided to apply for funding for meetings and collaborative activities. COST- European Cooperation in Science and Technology - provided the necessary ?n- cial means for the realization of the program.

Research and publications on the potato crop have burgeoned since the first edition of this book was published in 1978. However, the warm reception of the first edition suggested that it had a useful part to play in promoting the scientific basis for understanding and improving the yield and quality of the crop. Since the first edition was out of print and a second reprint would not have taken into account the contributions made by research over the intervening years, it became obvious that a complete revision was necessary. There was, in particular, a need to take account of the rapid extension of interest in the crop into climates and farming systems with which it has not been traditionally associa,ted. Those involved with the crop will be sadly aware that a number of contributors to the first edition are no longer with us. Their contribution to our knowledge of the crop will however be a permanent legacy of their achievement. I would like to thank all those who have contributed to the book for their willingness to cooperate in the difficult task of bringing their particular subject up to date. This is even more noteworthy for the pressure of time appears to be almost an order of magnitude higher than it was when the first edition was tackled.

Plants use resources, i.e. carbon, nutrients, water and energy, either for growth or to defend themselves from biotic and abiotic stresses. This volume provides a timely understanding of resource allocation and its regulation in plants, linking the molecular with biochemical and physiological-level processes. Ecological scenarios covered include competitors, pathogens, herbivores, mycorrhizae, soil microorganisms, carbon dioxide/ozone regimes, nitrogen and light availabilities. The validity of the "Growth-Differentiation Balance Hypothesis" is examined and novel theoretical concepts and approaches to modelling plant resource allocation are discussed. The results presented can be applied in plant breeding and engineering, as well as in resource-efficient stand management in agriculture and forestry.

This work assesses the issues facing biodiversity maintenance on tropical islands, and the impacts of biodiversity loss. The emphasis is on the Indo-West Pacific region, which includes many small islands where the biodiversity is under threat as a result of not only climate change and habitat destruction, but invasions by organisms previously absent from an island. The contributors are distinguished biodiversity scientists from inside and outside the region, and cover topics ranging from the state of conservation action in South-East Asia, the role of parks, and the status and threat to endemics, to impacts of oil and gas exploration and forest fragmentation. Issues needing still to be addressed, especially in relation to implications of biodiversity loss or change for the maintenance of ecosystem processes, are highlighted. The conclusions and case studies have lessons for all involved in the conservation of the biotas and ecosystems of islands. Previously published in Biodiversity and Conservation 19:2 2010

China has been undertaking unprecedented ecological restoration efforts to deal with its problems of soil erosion, flooding, dust storms, and habitat loss. While there have been studies of these efforts, questions remain concerning whether they have been effectively implemented, what their induced socioeconomic and ecological impacts are, and how their performance can be improved. Tackling these important questions in an integrated manner, "An Integrated Assessment of China's Ecological Restoration Programs" is extraordinary for its broad coverage and methodological rigor. It provides a substantial improvement over the conventional approach of simply reporting projects undertaken and accepting uncritically the government assessment, and thus fills an important knowledge gap of the restoration efforts being implemented upon a variety of ecosystems in China.

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.

Offers basic data on more than 3,600 radionuclides. Emphasizes practical application such as basic research, acheo0logy and dating, medical radiology and industrial. Balanced and informative details on the biological effects of radiation and resultant controversy. Trimmed down student version of a product that costs many times the price.

This monograph has been written in the hope that it will prove of value to medical students and clinicians, to Honours undergradu ates in appropriate branches of the natural sciences, and to repro ductive biologists in general. It would be pleasing if the text also caught the attention of veterinary undergraduates, since there is much information bearing on reproduction in domestic animals. First and foremost, however, the intended audience is a medical one, for scientific studies of human reproduction have been cata lyzed by the intense interest in procedures of fertilization in vitro. Some would judge that this very activity has narrowed our view of physiological events occurring within the Fallopian tubes. The pre sent work may therefore serve as a useful counterbalance to the overwhelming series of publications on procedures of in vitro fer tilization, and offer opportunities to those in the clinical field for extending their knowledge of the scientific background to much of the current work.

The past two decades have seen rapid advances in the technology used to produce pot plants. Glasshouses designed and orientated to give maxi mum light transmission, fully automatic heating and ventilating systems, carbon dioxide enrichment of the atmosphere, controlled photoperiods using automatic blackouts and incandescent lamps which enable plants such as chrysanthemum to be flowered at any time of the year, mist propagation techniques, chemical growth regulators which control the height of plants, automatic watering and feeding systems, etc.: these are only some of the developments which have transformed pot plant culture. There have also been many changes in the composts and systems used to grow the plants. Mineral soils, which formed the basis of the John Innes composts, are now either too expensive or too difficult to obtain in suitable quality and sufficient quantity. Consequently the grower has been forced to seek other materials such as peat, perlite, vermiculite, plastic foam, shredded bark, etc. New types of fertilizers, new methods of heat sterilization and new chemical sterilizing agents are also being used.

Thisbookisconcernedwiththewaysinwhichcropsmightbedevelopedfor soilsthatare,atthepresent,agriculturallyunproductivebecauseofexcesses and/ordeficienciesofcertainminerals. Wehaveconcentratedonsoils,rather thanonenvironmentalconditionsthatlimitproductivity,sincetherehavebeen anumberofrecenttextsdealingwithtopicssuchasdroughtandtemperature. Theaimisthatthoseworkingtoderivecropsforgrowthonthese"problem" soilsshouldbeawareofthemanydiverseavenuesthatareavailable. These comefromthedisciplinesofplantbreeding,geneticsandphysiology,andthe interfacesthataredevelopingbetweenthem. Thebackground,therequirementstofeedtheprojectedincreaseinhuman population,issetoutintheintroductorychapter. Thenextfivechaptersthen dealwiththeapproachestocropimprovement:themeritsofaconventional breedingprogramme,theimportanceofphysiologicalcharactersinmaking selections,theuseofinvitrotechniques,ofcytogenetics,andthevalueof developingnativeplantsintocropsintheirownright. Althoughsalinityisoften usedasanexample,reflectingtheresearchinterestsofmanyoftheauthors,the methodsandapproachesdescribedhavemuchwiderapplicability. Twochap- tersarethenconcernedmorespecificallywithbreedingfortolerancetoother metaltoxicitiesandwithdeficienciesandtoxicitiesofmicronutrients. Finally,in theconcludingchapter,wesummariseandfindcommongroundbetweenthe differentapproachesandpointsofview. Brighton,April1994 ANTHONYR. YEO TIMOTHY J. FLOWERS Contents Chapter1 Introduction:WorldPopulationandAgriculturalProductivity T. 1. Flowers 1. 1 HowManyPeopleAreThere? . 1 1. 2 AgriculturalRequirements. . 2 1. 2. 1 FoodRequirements...2 1. 2. 2 FoodSupply...4 1. 3 Population-CarryingCapacity...5 1. 4 HowMuchLandIsThere? . 6 1. 5 IncreasingFoodProduction . 7 References...9 Chapter2 ConventionalPlantBreedingforTolerancetoProblemSoils C. N. ChaubeyandD. Senadhira 2. 1 ScreeningTechniques . 11 2. 2 VariabilityinToleranceforSoilStresses . 14 Rice . 15 2. 2. 1 2. 3 GeneticsofToleranceforSoilStresses...16 19 2. 3. 1 GeneLocationandLinkages...CorrelatedChanges...20 2. 3. 2 2. 4 Crop-Improvement . 21 2. 4. 1 Introduction...21 2. 4. 2 PureLineandMassSelection...21 2. 4. 3 HybridisationandSelection. 23 2. 4. 3. 1 PedigreeMethod...23 2. 4. 3. 2 BulkMethod...23 BackcrossBreeding...2. 4. 3. 3 26 2. 4. 3. 4 RecurrentSelection...26 2. 4. 3. 5 RapidGenerationAdvanceProcedures...27 2. 4. 4 MutationBreeding...28 2. 4. 5 PolyploidBreeding. 28 2. 4. 6 HeterosisBreeding. 29 2. 5 Summary...29 References...29 VIII Contents Chapter3 PhysiologicalCriteriainScreeningandBreeding A. R. Yeo 3. 1 Introduction...37 3. 2 ReasonsfortheUseofPhysiologicalSelection . 38 3. 2. 1 TheComplexityofTolerance...38 3. 2. 2 ImportingTolerancefromWildRelatives . 39 3. 2. 3 MeasuringStressTolerance . 40 3. 2. 4 InteractionBetweenEnvironmentalStresses...42 3. 2. 5 LimitationstotheUseofYieldasaSelectionCriterion...42 3. 3 Salinity . 43 3. 3. 1 BasicProblems...43 SaltExclusion...44 3. 3. 2 3. 3. 3 ConditionsRequiringOsmoticAdjustment. . 45 3. 3. 4 CharacteristicsNeededinSalt-TolerantPlants . 46 3. 3. 4. 1 ControlofSaltUptake...

Forest fIres are considered a major environmental problem in many European Union Member States as well as in other parts of the world. According to a recent report of the European Commission, forest fues are a dominant feature of the landscapes of the fIve Southern European Member States - Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece, and almost a half of the Community's forests have been classed as fue-risk areas. Protection from forest fues is an interdisciplinary endeavour, which needs to be addressed from both the technological and methodological point of view, and which necessitates a wide spectrum of various scientifIc disciplines. It also implies the solution of numerous practical problems (both of a generic nature and of a specifIc one) and the consideration of the characteristics of the specifIc areas in which fue fIghting is carried out. ScientifIc research is offering a major contribution to forest fIre fIghting. The European Commission (DG XII, Directorate General for Science, Research and Development) has supported since the 1980s a number of multinational research projects through its successive RTD programmes in the fIeld of the Environment.

Forest stands are thinned all over the world. Yet, there was hitherto no consistent theory which allowed deriving unambiguous conditions for thinnings as the harvest of trees prior to the rotation age. Renke Coordes closes this gap by proposing a new, more general view on the Faustmann model as the basic investment model in forest resource economics. With the introduction of mutual interdependencies between the trees growing in a stand and the opportunity to harvest trees prior to the rotation age, optimal thinning regimes can be derived and analyzed. The implications of the proposed model are thoroughly discussed against the background of practical forest management decisions. The author closes with adaptations to the problems of the management of mixed, multiple-use and uneven-aged stands and entire forests. In this way, a unified perspective on the management of forests as natural resources is offered.

The present volume contains papers developed from courses given at the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) Bio chemical Genetics Workshop (Working Party S.04-5) held at the Univer sity of Gottingen, Germany on July 5 through 28, 1973. The workshop was organized by Professor Robert G. Stanley and was held in memory of Professor Klaus Stern. Unfortunately, both met with untimely deaths. Professor Stanley was also instrumental in initiating the process of having the workshop proceedings published. I was asked by the workshop participants to complete this task, and I wish to acknowledge their cooperation, advice and encouragement. In addition to the courses and subsequent papers resulting from the above workshop, we have included some papers by colleagues who were unable to attend the meeting. The contents of this text may, there fore, be considered a working-manual of generally "modern" techniques that are applicable to forest genetics and breeding programs. The chapters are placed in five major categories. The first three categories follow according to classes of chemical constituents in herent to plants which are nucleic acids (DNA, RNA), primary gene products (amino acids, proteins and enzymes) and primary and secon dary metabolites (carbohydrate polymers, resins, phenolics, pigments, etc.). The fourth category is concerned with the interaction of en vironment and gene systems. Indirect selection, crossing and proto plasmic and flowering manipulation are factors covered in the fifth category."

From ugly duckling of agricultural crops to the Cinderella crop, the significance of oilseed brassicas in international trade has increased tremendously with global produc- tion having almost trebled in the past three decades. Over 13. 2% of the world's edible oil requirement is now met from this source. The stimulus for this dramatic reversal was provided by the identification of rapeseed genotypes with greatly reduced levels of nutritionally undesirable erucic acid and meal glucosinolates during the early 1960s. Since then, rapeseed breeding has been oriented towards the need to improve oil quality. Though past achievements have been impressive, greater strides are expected in upgrading productivity through the development ofF hybrids and better mobiliza- 1 tion of genetic diversity available in wild allies. Recent emphasis on cellular and molec- ular biology will help to bypass sexual constraints for genetic enrichment of crop bras- sicas, and to reduce the time frame for cultivar development. The present book was conceived to bring together critical and comprehensive reviews on research approaches, achievements and limitations to breeding better brassicas. As the book has a strong practical bias, certain topics like taxonomy, cytogenetics, etc. are dealt with in relatively lesser detail. Thus, 'Brassica crops and wild allies', edited by S. Tsunoda, K. Hinata and C. Gomez-Campa, will serve as an ideal companion book. It is a matter of immense sorrow that the senior editor, Prof. K. S.

Jointly published with INRA, Paris.
Pesticide resistance is becoming more frequent and widespread with more than 500 insect species known to have become resistant to synthetic insecticides. On the other hand, consumers increasingly demand agricultural products without any pesticide residues. This book, for the first time, shows the alternative: solely physical methods for plant protection by means of thermal, electromagnetic, mechanical and vacuum processes. A glossary rounds up this extremely valuable book.

Aimed at taking the mystery out of soil science, Soils: Principles, Properties and Management is a text for undergraduate/graduate students who study soil as a natural resource. Written in a reader-friendly style, with a host of examples, figures and tables, the book leads the reader from the basics of soil science through to complex situations, covering such topics as: the origin, development and classification of soil physical, chemical and biological properties of soil water and nutrient management management of problem soils, wetland soils and forest soils soil degradation Further, the ecological and agrological functions of soil are emphasized in the context of food security, biodiversity and climate change. The interactions between the environment and soil management are highlighted. Soil is viewed as an ecosystem itself and as a part of larger terrestrial ecosystems.

As biotechnology produces an unprecedented number of new plantvarieties, automated transplant production systems offer the means for their large-scale introduction via a rapid, efficient and economic method. As labour costs increase, so will automated systems assume even greater importance. Reforestation and afforestation projects, anti-des-ertification plantings and an increasing demand for urban greenery also create enormous demands for the mass production of high quality transplants, in addition to the commercial needs of the agriculture industry. The application of engineering techniques to modern micropropagation techniques and plant production means that many tasks can be automated, especially physical manipulation and close control of the microenvironment. This volume provides overviews of the main con-cepts -- plug seedling production, micropropagation, robotization, model development, measurement and environmental control -- with an emphasis on practical considerations. Examples are drawn from flower, vegetable and forest tree species to show how disciplines such as robotics and image analysis have a part to play in plant production.

Offers knowledge on how to resolve human-wildlife conflicts through wildlife damage management. Provides examples of how human-wildlife conflicts can be alleviated by using an integrated approach Discusses management options including employing lethal methods; distributing supplemental food; changing the behavior of either humans or wildlife; and excluding or repelling wildlife. Backed by numerous case studies, informative side bars and full color illustrations. Uses brand new case studies to illustrate the benefits of an integrated approach to wildlife management for resolving wildlife problems.

This book is the result of 14 years of collecting Entolomataceae in the native forests of Tasmania, Australia. Although initially involving only the Tasmanian residents Genevieve Gates and David Ratkowsky, who made twice- or thrice-weekly forays into the forests throughout the year, the project was subsequently joined by agaric specialist Machiel Noordeloos from the Netherlands, and by fungi photographer Michael Pilkington from the United Kingdom. The international character of the project is further evidenced by the earlier contributions of American mycologist Tim Baroni to the Tasmanian Rhodocybe species which form the basis of the chapter on the now-expanded concept of Clitopilus, and a visit of several months in 2010 by Brazilian Ph.D. candidate Fernanda Karstedt, who tested the keys to the Entoloma species. Consequently, several thousand well-annotated collections were found during this inventory and form the basis of this monographic treatment of the Entoloma and Clitopilus of Tasmania. The resulting 90 Entoloma species and 10 Clitopilus species are well documented with standardized descriptions, line drawings of fruit bodies and diagnostic microscopic characters, and, when available, with colour photographs. Thanks to the intensive search, it was possible to illustrate most species in colour. Dichotomous keys facilitate identification of the species. The species concept used is morphologically based; in several cases, however, identification to species level is supported by molecular data.

Leaf longevity is a fundamental process underlying patterns of variation in foliar phenology and determining the distinction between deciduous and evergreen plant species. Variation in leaf longevity is associated with a wide array of differences in the physiology, anatomy, morphology and ecology of plants. This book brings together for the first time information scattered widely in the botanical literature to provide a clear and comprehensive introduction to the nature and significance of variation in leaf longevity. It traces the development of ideas about leaf longevity from the earliest descriptive studies to contemporary theory of leaf longevity as a key element in the function of leaves as photosynthetic organs. An understanding of variation in leaf longevity reveals much about the nature of adaptation at the whole plant level and provides fundamental insights into the basis of variation in plant productivity at the ecosystem level. The analysis of leaf longevity also provides a process-based perspective on phenological shifts associated with the changing climate. Readers will find this an informative synthesis summarizing and illustrating different views in a readily accessible narrative that draws attention to a central but too often unappreciated aspect of plant biology. The nature and causes of seasonal patterns in the birth and death of individual plant leaves are essential to the understanding of the health of plant communities, biomes, and consequently our planet.

Social Forestry and its most well-known variant, Community Forestry, have been practiced almost as long as people have used forests. During this time, forests have provided people with countless goods and services, including wood, medicine, food, clean water and recreation. In making use of forest resources, people throughout history have frequently organized themselves and established both formal and informal rules.

However, just as the discipline of Forestry had previously limited and concentrated the function of forests to the timber it provides, the popular understanding of Social Forestry has restricted it to a Forestry sub-topic that deals with welfare, without any connection to income-generation, and is practiced only in developing countries.

This volume introduces the concepts of Social Forestry to the student, gives examples of its practice around the world and attempts to anticipate developments in its future. It aims to widen the concept of Social Forestry from a sub-practice within Forestry to a practice that will make Forestry relevant in countries where wood production alone is no longer the main reason for keeping land forested, thereby rediscovering and redefining this important topic.

Although the majority of the world's forest ecosystems are dominated by uneven-sized multi-species stands, forest management practice and theory has focused on the development of plantation monocultures to maximize the supply of timber at low cost. Societal expectations are changing, however, and uneven-aged multi-species ecosystems, selectively managed as Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF), are often believed to be superior to monocultures in addressing a wide range of expectations. This book presents methods which are relevant to CCF management and planning: analysing forest structures, silvicultural and planning, economic evaluation, based on examples in Europe, Asia, Africa and North and South America.

Any reader eager to gain a comprehensive insight into forest development policy, praxis and reality shouldn't miss this excellent publication. Hard to find a comparable reading where the author is digging as deep into Forest Development Policy. The author discovered numerous highly relevant theories as well as inspiring cases about forests and people from around the world, focusing on 'change' rather than 'development' and on the role of various actors in creating or preventing 'change'. The exciting results uncover reality and lead to inspiring discussions on concepts of development cooperation. All individual theoretical arguments and empirical proofs are well based and shed light into the political process of Forest Development Policy. The book is an essential contribution to scholarly debate and research on forestry in the South, and its relations to development cooperation, for both, readers with theoretical and practice related interests.

This book provides current knowledge about tropical rain forest genetics and its implications for the profitable and sustainable management of forest resources in Southeast Asia. Each chapter covers a major topic in the evolutionary biology of tropical rain forest trees and how management systems interact with these natural dynamics. Authors provide an up-to-date and insightful review of important scientific findings and conclude with practical recommendations for the modern forester in Southeast Asia. Several chapters provide compelling discussions about commonly neglected aspects of tropical forestry, including the impact of historical dynamics of climate change, anthropogenic threats to genetic viability, and the important role of wildlife in maintaining genetic diversity. These discussions will promote a deeper appreciation of not only the economic value of forests, but also their mystery and intangible values. The silvicultural industry in Southeast Asia is a major contributor to the regional economy but the connection between scientific research and the application and development of policy could be improved upon. This book will help bridge that gap.

This book will prove beneficial reading for forestry students, professional forest managers, and policy makers, who do not have technical training in genetics. It is also intended for non-specialists who are involved in the tropical timber industry, from the local forest manager to the international timber purchasing agent.

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