Advances in the flavonoid field have been nothing short of spectacular over the last 20 years. While the medical field has noticed flavonoids for their potential antioxidant, anticancer and cardioprotectant characteristics, growers and processors in plant sciences have utilized flavonoid biosynthesis and the genetic manipulation of the flavonoid pathway in plants to improve the nutritional and ornamental value of crops. Flavonoids: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Applications covers each class of flavonoid and presents the historic advances made in flavonoid research since the 1994 publication of an earlier text, Flavonoids Advances in Research Since 1986. This book details the analytical techniques scientists have used to achieve an improved understanding of flavonoid structures and functions as well as advances in the genetic manipulation of the flavonoid pathway, and the discovery of many new flavonoids. It indicates which techniques are best suited for the isolation and structure determination of flavonoids and whether the structures are novel. While explaining how to evaluate the flavonoid content in food and beverages, the book reveals the biotechnological advances that have allowed nutritionists and plant physiologists to assess the possible effects of flavonoids. As interest regarding the impact and health benefits of flavonoids continues to grow, Flavonoids: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Applications reflects the continuing commitment of flavonoid researchers to the improvement of human health and provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date source of information for all known flavonoids.

Islands are special because they promote unique forms of life, and large proportions of the species they hold are found nowhere else on Earth. The mammals of the South-west Pacific are no exception, with many distributed only across single islands or archipelagos. Mammals of the South-west Pacific details the natural history for more than 180 species of marsupials, bats and rodents from 24 Pacific nations and territories. Species profiles are accompanied by distribution maps, illustrations and photographs – many being the first images ever captured for the species. By combining available knowledge with unpublished data collected over years of field work, Mammals of the South-west Pacific forms a definitive guide to the mammals from this region.

Victor P. Bulgakov, Yuri N. Shkryl, Galina N. Veremeichik, Tatiana Y. Gorpenchenko and Yuliya V. Vereshchagina: Recent Advances in the Understanding of Agrobacterium rhizogenes-Derived Genes and Their Effects on Stress Resistance and Plant Metabolism. Le Zhao, Guy W. Sander and Jacqueline V. Shanks: Perspectives of the Metabolic Engineering of Terpenoid Indole Alkaloids in Catharanthus roseus Hairy Roots. Jian Wen Wang and Jian Yong Wu: Effective Elicitors and Process Strategies for Enhancement of Secondary Metabolite Production in Hairy Root Cultures. Amanda R. Stiles and Chun-Zhao Liu: Hairy Root Culture: Bioreactor Design and Process Intensification. Marina Skarjinskaia, Karen Ruby, Adriana Araujo, Karina Taylor, Vengadesan Gopalasamy-Raju, Konstantin Musiychuk, Jessica A. Chichester, Gene A. Palmer, Patricia de la Rosa, Vadim Mett, Natalia Ugulava, Stephen J. Streatfield and Vidadi Yusibov: Hairy Roots as a Vaccine Production and Delivery System. Zahwa Al-Shalabi and Pauline M. Doran: Metal Uptake and Nanoparticle Synthesis in Hairy Root Cultures.

Any scientific discipline needs a theoretical framework to guide its development and to sharpen the questions its researchers pursue. In biology, evolution is the grand theoretical framework, and an his torical perspective is necessary to understand present-day biological conditions. In its formative years, the modern study of the fruit-frugivore mutualism was guided by the 'specialist-generalist' paradigm developed by D. Snow, D. McKey, and H. Howe. Howe reviews the current status of this evolution ary paradigm and points out that it has been dismissed by many workers before being adequately tested. This is because ecologists working with the tropical plants and frugivorous birds for which the paradigm was originally developed rarely measure the seed dispersal effectiveness of different disperser species. He indicates that this paradigm still has heuristic value and suggests that several additional ecological paradigms, including the concept ofkeystone species ofplants and frugivores and the role that frugivores play in density-dependent mortality in tropical trees, are worth studying. The concept of seed dispersal quality has been central to discussions of fruit-frugivore coevolution. Schupp thoroughly reviews data bearing on this concept, constructs a hierarchical framework for viewing disperser effectiveness, and points out that disperser effectiveness depends on both the quantity and quality of seed dispersal. Effectiveness, in turn, affects both evolutionary and ecological relationships between dispersers and their food plants."

July 8 -13, 1985, an international group of scientists met in Uppsala for a symposium on the subject 'Theory and models in Vegetation science' . A volume of over 70 extended abstracts had already been published in time for the symposium (Leemans et at., 1985). That volume included contributions from nearly all of those who gave talks or presented posters at the symposium. The present volume represents the fully-refereed proceedings of the symposium and features articles by a majority of speakers, plus a handful by poster authors, and two that were sent independently to Vegetatio and seemed timely and relevant to the symposi um's theme. As organizers, we tried to bring together for the symposium people whose interests covered several key aspects of modern vegetation science: vegetation dynamics, on shorter or longer time scales; the analysis of community data, and of vegetation-environment relationships in both time and space; and the functional basis of vegetation in terms of the individual plants and plant populations that it comprises. We encouraged contributors to focus on theory and models - not necessarily mathematical models, but also conceptual models that might contribute to the development of theory and mathematical models."

Plants have evolved an amazing array of metabolic pathways leading to molecules capable of responding promptly and effectively to stress situations imposed by biotic and abiotic factors, some of which supply the ever-growing needs of humankind for natural chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, agrochemicals, food and chemical additives, biofuels, and biomass. In Plant Secondary Metabolism Engineering: Methods and Applications, expert researchers provide detailed practical information on some of the most important methods employed in the engineering of plant secondary metabolism pathways and in the acquisition of essential knowledge in performing this activity, including the significant advances and emerging strategies. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biologya" series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Authoritative and cutting-edge, Plant Secondary Metabolism Engineering: Methods and Applications will aid scientists engaged in the challenging task of modifying some of the most intricate products of plant evolution and support their efforts directed toward the vital goal of sustainable natural chemicals.

Insects multiply. Destruction reigns. There is dismay, followed by outcry, and demands to Authority. Authority remembers its experts or appoints some: they ought to know. The experts advise a Cure. The Cure can be almost anything: holy water from Mecca, a Government Commis sion, a culture of bacteria, poison, prayers denunciatory or tactful, a new god, a trap, a Pied Piper. The Cures have only one thing in common: with a little patience they always work. They have never been known entirely to fail. Likewise they have never been known to prevent the next outbreak. For the cycle of abundance and scarcity has a rhythm of its own, and the Cures are applied just when the plague of insects is going to abate through its own loss of momentum. -Abridged, with insects in place of voles, from C. Elton, 1924, Voles, Mice and Lemmings, with permission of Oxford University Press This book is an enquiry into the "natural rhythms" of insect abundance in forested ecosystems and into the forces that give rise to these rhythms. Forests form unique environ ments for such studies because one can find them growing under relatively natural (pri meval) conditions as well as under the domination of human actions. Also, the slow growth and turnover rates of forested ecosystems enable us to investigate insect popula tion dynamics in a plant environment that remains relatively constant or changes only slowly, this in contrast to agricultural systems, where change is often drastic and frequent."

The book comes during a time of rapid expansion in molecular technology-based selection approaches that are destined to modify or supplement conventional breeding methodology. The new technologies will allow genetic and physiological factors influencing sugar yield and quality to be assessed in great detail and manipulated. These novel techniques will also reduce the dependence of the sugar beet crop on chemical pesticides and fertilizers by using unique and improved resistance mechanisms against the various abiotic stresses and diseases and by producing varieties that use soil resources more efficiently. A whole chapter deals with the current information on the development of these new techniques and their integration into sugar beet breeding.

The assimilation of sulfur in higher plants and its reduction in metabolically important sulfur compounds are crucial factors determining plant growth and vigor and resistance to stresses. The present book discusses the aspects of sustainable crop production with sulfur, the importance of sulfur metabolites and sulfur metabolizing enzymes in abiotic stress management in plants. The book provides the most up-to-date reference on sulfur assimilation in plants.

The sustainability of both natural and managed ecosystems is strongly influenced by soil biological processes. A major question in soil biology and ecosystem ecology is the extent to which these processes are affected by the function and structure of the soil's biotic community. The Significance and Regulation of Soil Biodiversity presents the discussions of a group of soil biologists and ecosystem ecologists in which they synthesize available information, present innovative methodologies, and develop cross-taxa and cross-habitat collaborations to advance our understanding of soil biodiversity. The volume addresses the extent and regulation of soil biodiversity and describes initial approaches to the linking of soil biodiversity and ecosystem function. Audience: Researchers and students in a wide range of environmental scientific disciplines.

"Molecular Pharmacognosy" discusses the application of molecular biology in resource science and authentication of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This book reviews the latest developments in pharmacognosy, introduces a series of new views and insights, presents the hotspots and focus of the field of study on molecular pharmacognosy, and predicts a new direction of study on the resource science of TCM. Furthermore, the book also provides an open communications platform for the development of molecular pharmacognosy. This book is intended for biomedical scientists and researchers in the fields of molecular biology, traditional medicine and natural pharmaceutics.

Professor Lu-qi Huang is Director of the Collaborating Centre of the World Health Organization for Traditional Medicine (Chinese Materia Medica) and Vice-Chairman of the Australia Chinese Association for Biomedical Sciences Inc.

These proceedings bring together diverse disciplines that study nitrogen fixation and describe the most recent advances made in various fields: chemists are now studying FeMoco, the active site of nitrogenase in non-protein surroundings, and have refined the crystal structure of the enzyme to 1.6 angstroms.

The refinement of molecular techniques and the development of new probes of the phylogeny of diazotrophs has revealed an extreme biodiversity among the nitrogen fixers, which helps explain the role that nitrogen fixation plays in maintaining life on Earth. The most efficient ecosystems are those where the bacteria are associated with a plant in differentiated organs to benefit crop productivity. Most short-term benefit from fundamental research on nitrogen fixation is likely to result in the improvement of existing nitrogen-fixing symbiotic or associative systems. Longer-term efforts are aimed at extending the nitrogen-fixing capacity to other organisms, including transfer of the genetic information for efficient nitrogen fixation into the plant genome and using current knowledge of microbe-plant interactions to extend symbiosis to cereals and, in particular, to rice. Related challenges in sustainable agriculture and forestry include the creation of new nitrogen-fixing associations. All of these approaches were discussed at the 11th International Congress on Nitrogen Fixation, Paris, France, July 20-25, 1997 and covered in the present proceedings volume.

Nitrogen is an essential element for plant growth. During the green revolution nitrogenfertilisation was responsible for spectacular yield increases. At present yield is balanced with commitments towards the environment and sustainable agriculture. For agro-biotechnology comprehensive knowledge of plant functioning is needed. Yield improvement and accumulation of essential nitrogen compounds is relying on selection and gene technologies.

Research on the uptake, acquisition and assimilation of nitrogen, as well as the synthesis and storage of reserve and defence N-compounds, therefore, is essential. The third volume in the Plant Ecophysiology series integrates functional and molecular physiology with ecophysiological and sustainable agricultural approaches to get a better understanding of the regulation and the impact of environmental and stress signals on nitrogen acquisition and assimilation. The book is of interest for advanced students and junior researchers and supplies comprehensive information for scientists working in the field of nitrogen metabolism and readers interested in sustainable development.

Capsicum has been used since ancient times not only as a traditional medicine but also as a natural colourant. The medicinal properties of capsicum makes it popular in both ayirvedic and homeopathic medicines. This book, written by experts, includes material that deals with a variety of aspects, including ethnobotany, chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, cultivation, analysis, tissue culture and commercial aspects of Capsicum. With the recent discovery of the 'hot receptor' in human beings, and because of its variet therapeutic properties, Capsaicin, the pungent, principle component of Capsicum, has earned much industrial importance.
This book discusses in detail, the therapeutic applications of Capsaicin together with its mode of action on different biological systems.

The studies presented in this volume are meant to The reason why we know relatively little about close some gaps in our knowledge of leaf anatomy inner leaf structure of trees from tropical humid of trees in tropical humid forests. Although xero forests is that the leaf anatomy of only a few species morphy of the foliage in tropical humid forests has or genera or - at the most - of an entire family has been much discussed, the statements have generally been studied in detail up to the present. Most of been based on sporadic anatomical studies of part i these studies are, therefore, of taxonomic interest. cular species or genera, a complete area of the size They cannot be included in this study because they of 155. 5 ha has certainly never been considered. do not supply the same information or amount of The present studies analyse an entire inventory of a data presented here. Anatomical studies are very time consuiming because the material first has to be given region in which the number of species and the number of individuals is very well known. This fact prepared and cut before observation can begin. In allows the elaboration of many ecological aspects, vestigation of about 50 characteristics in 230 species which was the main intention of the author."

Prepared at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in close collaboration with the East African Herbarium and in liaison with the University of Dar es Salaam, the University of Nairobi and the Makerere University, this series is designed to the highest academic standards and is a useful reference for anyone concerned with the identification and utilization of plants in eastern Africa. Each family is published as a separate part.

Prepared at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in close collaboration with the East African Herbarium and in liaison with the University of Dar es Salaam, the University of Nairobi and the Makerere University, this series is designed to the highest academic standards and is a useful reference for anyone concerned with the identification and utilization of plants in eastern Africa. Each family is published as a separate part.

This handbook offers effective strategies to modify and adjust crop production processes to decrease the toxicity of soil contaminants, balance soil pH, improve root growth and nutrient uptake, and increase agricultural yield. The Handbook of Soil Acidity provides methods to, measure soil acidity, determine the major causes of soil acidification, calculate acidification rates for specific crop sequences, identify high-risk areas for soil acidification, and model acidification phenomena. This is an essential resource for plant, crop, soil, and environmental scientists, plant and crop physiologists, botanists, agronomists, agriculturists, and upper-level undergraduate, graduate, and continuing-education students in these disciplines.

The first premise of this book is that farmers need access to options for improving their situation. In agricultural terms, these options might be manage ment alternatives or different crops to grow, that can stabilize or increase household income, that reduce soil degradation and dependence on off-farm inputs, or that exploit local market opportunities. Farmers need a facilitating environment, in which affordable credit is available if needed, in which policies are conducive to judicious management of natural resources, and in which costs and prices of production are stable. Another key ingredient of this facilitating environment is information: an understanding of which options are viable, how these operate at the farm level, and what their impact may be on the things that farmers perceive as being important. The second premise is that systems analysis and simulation have an impor tant role to play in fostering this understanding of options, traditional field experimentation being time-consuming and costly. This book summarizes the activities of the International Benchmark Sites Network for Agrotechnology Transfer (IBSNAT) project, an international initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). IBSNAT was an attempt to demonstrate the effectiveness of understanding options through systems analysis and simulation for the ultimate benefit of farm households in the tropics and subtropics. The idea for the book was first suggested at one of the last IBSNAT group meetings held at the University of Hawaii in 1993."