This edited book deals with plant genetic resources and their status, availability, and ecological niche in natural habitat. Usage and conservation practices followed by various tribal communities and their rationale are also discussed in the book. The book explores application of biological tools to conserve plant species and optimization protocols for conservation and elicitation of secondary metabolites and other value addition products. The book is organized into sub-themes covering: (i) Ecological status of plant genetic resources (ii) Traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and conservation practices (iii) Ex-situ conservation practices and bioprospecting Globally, plant genetic resources are deeply rooted in culture and economy. Since the early 1990s, the changing socio-economic situation has increasingly put pressure on plant genetic resources, in some cases leading to a severe loss of their diversity. For this reason, most vulnerable areas at risk of genetic erosion have been demarcated and protected by forest laws and regulations. Therefore, this book brings to light the opinions of leading experts in the area of ecology, conservation biodiversity, ethanobotany, and bioprospecting of plant genetic resources. The book is for use by graduate and advanced undergraduate students and researchers in plant physiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and agriculture. Additionally, it is extremely useful as a general reference on conservation of flora and large-scale cultivation.

This book is a comprehensive review of the genera of Lythraceae, a flowering plant family of mostly trees and shrubs, found in tropical East Africa. It presents information on their character, occurrence, habitat, phenotypic variations and distribution of each of the species under these genera.

Papers Presented at a Symposium held May 8--11, 1989, at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC), Beltsville, Maryland, U.S.A.

Symbiotic associations are of great importance in agriculture and forestry, especially in plant nutrition and plant cultivation. This book provides an up-to-date and lucid introduction to the subject. The emphasis is on describing the variety of symbiotic relationships and their agricultural and environmental applications.

There is a critical need for a book to assess the genomics of tropical plant species. Early genomics successes resulted in tremendous advances in high throughput technologies and data management that greatly reduced costs and increased rates of data accumulation. In addition, the early plant successes showed that, although Arabidopsis can be a reasonable model for dicots and rice a model for monocots, there is a real need for species-specific genomic information if it is to be used for crop improvement. Thus began programs for developing the genomics of numerous plant crop species with considerable emphasis on tropical plant species. Reasons for this emphasis are that the tropics are recognized as the regions of origin of a large part of genetic diversity with genes and phenotypes not found in temperate plants, and that human population growth is destroying much of the tropical environment and with it the genetic diversity located there. Remarkable genomics progress has been made in several tropical crop plants, noticeably sorghum and papaya, both of which are undergoing whole genome sequencing. International consortia or networks have been established for a number of tropical crops to mobilize and coordinate resources and efforts towards generating genomic tools and eventual sequencing of the genome for basic biological research and crop improvement. These crops include sugarcane, banana, coffee, citrus, millet, cacao, and peanut. The genomic information generated by these international consortia will enhance the capacity for identification, characterization, and cloning of agronomically important genes of tropical crop plants. This book covers the recent progress ongenome research in tropical crop plants, including the development of molecular markers, genomic and cDNA libraries, expressed sequence tags (ESTs), genetic and physical maps, gene expression profiles, and whole genome sequences. The first section of this book provides background information for tropical agriculture of its crops. The second section consists of concise summaries of genomic research for the economically most important tropical crop plant species. As a comprehensive genomic resource, it is of considerable interest to practicing plant biologists, graduate and undergraduate students, and research professionals such plant breeders and germplasm curators who work on or are interested in tropical plant species.

It is now well established that jasmonates, originally identified as the major component of jasmine scent, play a universal role in the plant kingdom and are involved in the regulation of diverse aspects of plant biology, including growth, development, metabolism, and interaction with the environment. In Jasmonate Signaling: Methods and Protocols, experts in the field aim to unite powerful emerging omics platforms with a number of key reductionist approaches to form a comprehensive collection of tools and protocols. The detailed chapters in this book embrace physiological, environmental, molecular, omics, and bioinformatics approaches that allow dissecting jasmonate actions in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana or in other plants. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters feature introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, along with tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Jasmonate Signaling: Methods and Protocols will empower interested researchers to dissect all steps of jasmonate signaling and the processes they modulate.

Here is a book that sets forth vital information growers need to produce highbush blueberries effectively and efficiently. Written from the grower's point of view, The Highbush Blueberry and Its Management presents technical information in a highly readable manner that is easy to understand. It helps growers make proper decisions before they plant--saving them both time and money. Simply by following the directions on planting, a grower could cut his post-plant mortality rate to less than ten-percent. The Highbush Blueberry and Its Management provides detailed information that growers can apply directly to their work. The author addresses various aspects of blueberry management, including how to select new cultivars, pruning techniques, soil preparation and management, harvesting, pest control, and marketing. He describes over four-dozen cultivars and discusses blueberry growth and development, fruit production, propagation, and more. The problem of pests such as birds, nematodes, and insects and mites is addressed and strategies for control of these pests are included. An appendix provides a chart, the first of its kind, to help diagnose disorders of highbush blueberries. The chart contains descriptions and discussions of these disorders to help growers identify and treat them quickly and effectively. Appendixes also include handy tables, equivalence charts, and calculations for fast and easy reference. An overview of world production of highbush blueberries informs readers of developments in other countries. This thorough and readable book is sure to become a trusted guide for growers of highbush blueberries worldwide.The book is international in scope and contains information useful to growers from Australia and Japan to Chile, Poland, and Finland, places where such information is often scarce, if available at all. Bursting with practical, helpful knowledge, The Highbush Blueberry and Its Management is a vital guidebook not just for professional growers, but for cooperative extension personnel and university-level small fruit researchers as well. With its readable style, it can also be used as an ancillary text at the graduate and advanced undergraduate level.

Part of a series on the flora of tropical East Africa, this work considers Proteaceae. The flora is prepared at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in close collaboration with East African Herbarium and in liaison with the University of Dar es Salaam, the University of Nairobi and the Makerere University. Significant contributions are also made by specialists from elsewhere. The flora should be a useful reference for anyone concerned with the identification and utilization of plants in eastern Africa. Each family is published as a separate part. New parts are published annually. All back volumes are also available.

Over the past four centuries botanists and gardeners in the British Isles have gathered, maintained and propagated many varying species of plants. Their work has been documented in innumerable books and articles which are often difficult to trace. The Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturalists represents a time-saving reference source for those who wish to discover more about the lives and achievements of the horticulturalists listed. The dictionary's utility comes not only from indicating the major publications of the named authors, but also the location of their herbaria and manuscripts.; The previous 1977 edition of the Dictionary has for many years been a much used source of information for botanists, botanic artists and archivists. In this revised edition the scope has been expanded to include among its 13,000 entries flower painters in addition to botanical artists over 1400 entries and, for the first time, garden designers.; Finally the Dictionary should have international appeal since so many botanists and gardeners worked on collective plants overseas, in particular in North America and the British Commonwealth.; Each entry gives, wherever possible, details of dates and places of birth and death, educational qualifications, professional posts, honours and awards, publications, location of plant collections, manuscripts, drawings and portraits. Its main function, however, is to provide further biographical references to books and periodicals. Comprehensive classified indices facilitate access by professions and activities, countries, and plant interests.

This second edition compiles state-of-art protocols to study the molecular mechanisms that determine proteome composition and contribute to maintaining protein homeostasis. Chapters describe methods that range from the in vitro analysis of enzyme cascades to real-time in vivo studies. Written in the 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 protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Plant Proteostasis: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition aims to be a useful practical guide to researches to help further their study in this field.

Stem cells are found in almost all organisms from the early stages of development to the end of life. There are several types of stem cells and all of them may prove useful for medical research; however, each of the different types has both promise and limitations. "Somatic Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols" presents selected genetic, molecular, and cellular techniques used in somatic stem cell research and its clinical application. Chapters focus on the isolation, characterization, purity, plasticity, and clinical uses of somatic stem cells from a variety of human and animal tissues. 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 key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Through and intuitive, "Somatic Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols" seeks to provides scientists with the fundamental techniques of stem cell research and its potential application in regenerative medicine.

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Elms occur, both naturally and cultivated, throughout much of the temperate world. Because of their high tolerance to extreme growing conditions and their widespread distribution, elms have been widely planted in cities, towns and rural areas throughout North America and northern Europe. As such, their current demise due to several pandemics of Dutch elm disease has spurred a huge body of research on breeding for disease resistance, conservation and systematics. The Elms: Breeding, Conservation and Disease Management provides the current state of knowledge in these areas and is an important reference work for pathologists, breeders, taxonomists, and arborists.

With one volume each year, this series keeps scientists and advanced students informed of the latest developments and results in all areas of the plant sciences.
The present volume includes reviews on genetics, cell biology, physiology, comparative morphology, systematics, ecology, and vegetation science.

Jointly published with INRA, Paris.
The use of haploid plants is of increasing importance in plant biology and plant breeding. This book illustrates how the advances in plant molecular and cell biology provide an exciting means for the analysis of androgenesis in terms of pollen development and the initiation of embryogenesis. It provides both an appraisal of techniques and their practical application, and is the most up-to-date source of information about the biology of gametophytes.

A unique and personal insight into the ecology and evolution of pollinators, their relationships with flowers, and their conservation in a rapidly changing world. The pollination of flowers by insects, birds and other animals is a fundamentally important ecological function that supports both the natural world and human society. Without pollinators to facilitate the sexual reproduction of plants, the world would be a biologically poorer place in which to live, there would be an impact on food security, and human health would suffer. Written by one of the world's leading pollination ecologists, this book provides an introduction to what pollinators are, how their interactions with flowers have evolved, and the fundamental ecology of these relationships. It explores the pollination of wild and agricultural plants in a variety of habitats and contexts, including urban, rural and agricultural environments. The author also provides practical advice on how individuals and organisations can study, and support, pollinators. As well as covering the natural history of pollinators and flowers, the author discusses their cultural importance, and the ways in which pollinator conservation has been portrayed from a political perspective. The book draws on field work experiences in South America, Africa, Australia, the Canary Islands and the UK. For over 30 years the author has spent his career researching how plants and pollinators evolve relationships, how these interactions function ecologically, their importance for society, and how we can conserve them in a rapidly changing world. This book offers a unique and personal insight into the science of pollinators and pollination, aimed at anyone who is interested in understanding these fascinating and crucial ecological interactions.

Insects and plants, whether or not they coevolved, have intimate interrelationships. This book concisely yet thoroughly describes these phenomena. In one chapter the salient facts known about carnivorous plants are described. In another, ant and plant relationships are summarized as an introduction to this vast subject. Pollination, of great interest to agriculturists and horticulturists, is briefly explained without the complexities detailed in the massive literature on this topic. Many other subjects are discussed, such as the memory of adult butterflies, which enables them to return to their host plants in the case of the polyphagous species. The book is seeded with such thought-provoking discussions as prostitution among the orchids and botanical indigestion in some plants.

This volume reviews the historical roots and theoretical foundations of biological systematics in an approachable text. The author outlines the structure and main tasks of systematics. Conceptual history is characterized as a succession of scientific revolutions. The philosophical foundations of systematic research are briefly reviewed as well as the structure and content of taxonomic theories. Most important research programs in systematics are outlined. The book includes analysis of the principal problematic issues as "scientific puzzles" in systematics. This volume is intended for professional taxonomists, biologists of various specialties, students, as well as all those interested in the history and theory of biology and natural sciences. Key Features Considers the conceptual history of systematics as the framework of evolutionary epistemology Builds a hierarchically organized quasi-axiomatic system of taxonomic theory Contends that more reductionist taxonomic concepts are less objective Supports taxonomic pluralism by non-classic philosophy of science as a normal condition of systematics Documents that "taxonomic puzzles" result from conflict between monistic and pluralistic attitudes Related Titles de Queiroz, K. et al., eds. Phylonyms: A Companion to the PhyloCode (ISBN 978-1-1383-3293-5) Sigwart, J. D. What Species Mean: A User's Guide to the Units of Biodiversity (ISBN 978-1-4987-9937-9) Rieppel, O. Phylogenetic Systematics: Haeckel to Hennig (ISBN 978-1-4987-5488-0) Wilkins, J. S. Species: The Evolution of the Idea, 2nd ed. (ISBN 978-1-1380-5574-2)

This volume includes treatments of systematics and related topics for both fungi and fungus-like organisms in four eukaryotic supergroups, as well as specialized chapters on nomenclature, techniques and evolution. These organisms are of great interest to mycologists, plant pathologists and others, including those interested in the animal parasitic Microsporidia. Our knowledge of the systematics and evolution of fungi has made great strides since the first edition of this volume, largely driven by molecular phylogenetic analyses. Consensus among mycologists has led to a stable systematic treatment that has since become widely adopted and is incorporated into this second edition, along with a great deal of new information on evolution and ecology. The systematic chapters cover occurrence, distribution, economic importance, morphology and ultrastructure, development of taxonomic theory, classification, and maintenance and culture. Other chapters deal with nomenclatural changes necessitated by revisions of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants, including the elimination of separate names for asexual states, as well as methods for preservation of cultures and specimens, character evolution and methods for ultrastructural study, the fungal fossil record, and the impact of whole genomes on fungal studies.

Interest in the potential medical use of naturally occuring chemicals in plants is increasing. This is intended to provide a comprehensive and up- to-date directory of plants and the substances found in them. It covers over 8000 plant species

This book is a comprehensive review of the genera of Burseraceae, a moderate-sized family of flowering plants, found in tropical East Africa. It presents information on their character, occurrence, habitat, phenotypic variations and distribution of each of the species under these genera.

This work outlines the life of James Bruce of Kinnard, and Luigi Balugani and his relationship with James Bruce.

This Fourth Edition of Principles of Seed Science and Technology, like the fIrst three editions, is written for the advanced undergraduate student or lay person who desires an introduction to the science and technology of seeds. The fIrst nine chapters present the seed as a biological system and cover its origin, development, composition, function (and sometimes nonfunction), performance and ultimate deterioration. The last nine chapters present the fundamentals of how seeds are produced, conditioned, evaluated and distributed in our modern agricultural society. Two new chapters have been added in this fourth edition, one on seed ecology and the second on seed drying. Finally, revisions have been made throughout to reflect changes that have occurred in the seed industry since publication of the Third Edition. Because of the fundamental importance of seeds to both agriculture and to all of society, we have taken great care to present the science and technology of seeds with the respect and feeling this study deserves. We hope that this feeling will be communicated to our readers. Furthermore, we have attempted to present information in a straight-forward, easy-ta-read manner that will be easily understood by students and lay persons alike. Special care has been taken to address both current state-of-the-art as well as future trends in seed technology.