Roy Ellen's The Nuaulu World of Plants is the culmination of anthropological fieldwork on the eastern Indonesian island of Seram, and of comparative enquiries into the bases of human classificatory activity through the study of ethnobiological knowledge over a fifty year period. This rich account of the ways plants feature in the worldview and lifeways of the Nuaulu, recognizes that plant knowledge is embedded in plural local and historical contexts: in swiddens, garden crops, managed fallow, village spaces and pathways; in the trees, and the ecological, conceptual and experiential relationships to forest; in plants' roles as healing agents, raw materials, fuels and in ritual; and in historical flux, with the introduction of exotic plants and the impact of colonial and post-colonial ways of seeing the plant world. Ellen's contemporary examination of Nuaulu classificatory practices, in the light of comparable observations made by the seventeenth-century Dutch naturalist Rumphius, allows us to better see how scientific taxonomy emerges from folk knowledge. The comprehensive study of local plant classification based on robust datasets and long-term fieldwork presented here is a rare achievement, and comprises an outstanding resource for regional ethnology. But this book offers a further dimension, evaluating the theoretical consensus on the relationship between so-called 'natural' classifications and utilitarian schemes, and thereby highlights, and addresses, some of the problems of Berlin and Atran's highly influential framework for studying folk knowledge systems. It emphasizes the difficulties of simple claims for universality versus relativity, cultural models versus individual contextual schemata, and of two-dimensional taxonomies. Ellen persuasively argues that classification is a dynamic and living process of cultural cognition that links knowledge to practice, and is not easily reducible to graphical representations or abstract generalizations. Moreover, he draws attention to recent radical approaches to ontology and epistemology, specifically those focusing upon 'convergence metaphysics', arguing these present new challenges for the field. 'This book will undoubtedly become a landmark study in the field of ethnobotany. It represents anthropology at its best ... Roy Ellen has an outstanding reputation and is recognised globally as a leading ethnoscientist, and this rich volume further confirms his status.' Paul Sillitoe FBA, Professor of Anthropology, Durham University This will be a must read for students interested in conducting ethnobiological fieldwork and, more broadly, comparative analysis of cognition... Nuggets of gold come in every chapter. Thomas Thorton, Associate Professor & Senior Associate Research Fellow, University of Oxford

The Science of Grapevines: Anatomy and Physiology is an introduction to the physical structure of the grapevine, its various organs, their functions and their interactions with the environment. Beginning with a brief overview of the botanical classification (including an introduction to the concepts of species, cultivars, clones, and rootstocks), plant morphology and anatomy, and growth cycles of grapevines, The Science of Grapevines covers the basic concepts in growth and development, water relations, photosynthesis and respiration, mineral uptake and utilization, and carbon partitioning. These concepts are put to use to understand plant-environment interactions including canopy dynamics, yield formation, and fruit composition, and concludes with an introduction to stress physiology, including water stress (drought and flooding), nutrient deficiency and excess, extreme temperatures (heat and cold), and the impact and response to of other organisms. Based on the author's years of teaching grapevine anatomy as well as his research experience with grapevines and practical experience growing grapes, this book provides an important guide to understanding the entire plant.

This is the first handbook that covers all aspects of bio-inoculants used in degraded lands to improve soil fertility and crop productivity as well as for the remediation of polluted lands. It discusses all novel sustainable approaches for the reclamation of problematic soils. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, this book explores the recent uses of plant microbe interactions in ecological and agricultural revitalization beyond normal agriculture practices and offers practical and applied solutions for the restoration of degraded lands for food, fodder, fuel and fiber security. Provides a single comprehensive platform for soil scientist, agriculture specialists, ecologists, and others.

This book continues as volume 7 of a multi-compendium on Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants. It covers plant species with edible flowers from families Acanthaceae to Facaceae in a tabular form and seventy five selected species from Amaryllidaceae, Apocynaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Asparagaceae, Asteraceae, Balsaminaceae, Begoniaceae, Bignoniaceae, Brassicaceae, Cactaceae, Calophyllaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Combretaceae, Convolvulaceae, Costaceae, Doryanthaceae and Fabaceae in detail. This work will be of significant interest to scientists, medical practitioners, pharmacologists, ethnobotanists, horticulturists, food nutritionists, botanists, agriculturists, conservationists, lecturers, students and the general public. Topics covered include: taxonomy; common/English and vernacular names; origin and distribution; agroecology; edible plant parts and uses; botany; nutritive/pharmacological properties, medicinal uses, nonedible uses; and selected references.

Plants are living things. They go through a life cycle. Learn about what plants need to live and grow. This science reader introduces students to the life cycle. With easy-to-read text, this book teaches students important scientific concepts and vocabulary terms including seed, root, stem, leaf, and flower. Aligned to state and national standards, the book contains nonfiction text features like an index, a glossary, captions, bold font, and detailed images to keep students connected to the text. A hands-on science experiment helps students apply what they have learned and develops critical thinking skills.

This is a comprehensive handbook focused on geospatial applications used to study, assess, and monitor the Himalayan mountains. As a region of high relevance and very vulnerable regarding geohazards, it is crucial to detect landscape changes and understand the drivers behind the changes. With advanced remote sensing and GIS tools, in-depth analyses, and interdisciplinary approaches, the Handbook of Himalayan Ecosystems and Sustainability, Two Volume Set studies forest and agriculture ecosystems, urban sprawl and air pollution, geo and other hazards, and provides a breadth of data to support decision making and to aids in the preservation of the landscapes in a sustainable way. Features: Uses geospatial technology for studying fragile Himalayan ecosystems and their sustainability Includes 21 case studies from Indian Himalayan, Nepal, and Afghanistan regions Provides satellite data and geospatial modelling tools for assessing and monitoring all Himalayan landscapes Addresses cryospheric studies and related ongoing geohazards and potential climate change impacts Discusses ecology of the Himalayan rivers, biodiversity, and floristic shifting of endemic species, and landscape restoration

"Emerging Technologies and Management of Crop Stress Tolerance: Volume II - A Sustainable Approach" helps readers take technological measures to alleviate plant stress and improve crop production in various environmental conditions.

This resource provides a comprehensive review of how technology can be implemented to improve plant stress tolerance to increase productivity and meet the agricultural needs of the growing human population. The book considers issues of deforestation, disease prevention, climate change and drought, water and land management, and more. It will help any scientist better understand environmental stresses to improve resource management within a world of limited resources.
Includes the most recent advances methods and applications of biotechnology to crop sciencePromotes the prevention of potential diseases to inhibit bacteria postharvest quality of fruits and vegetable crops by advancing application and researchPresents a thorough account of research results and critical reviews

Plant genomics and biotechnology have recently made enormous strides, and hold the potential to benefit agriculture, the environment and various other dimensions of the human endeavor. It is no exaggeration to claim that the twenty-first century belongs to biotechnology. Knowledge generation in this field is growing at a frenetic pace, and keeping abreast of the latest advances and calls on us to double our efforts. Volume II of this two-part series addresses cutting-edge aspects of plant genomics and biotechnology. It includes 37 chapters contributed by over 70 researchers, each of which is an expert in his/her own field of research. Biotechnology has helped to solve many conundrums of plant life that had long remained a mystery to mankind. This volume opens with an exhaustive chapter on the role played by thale cress, Arabidopsis thaliana, which is believed to be the Drosophila of the plant kingdom and an invaluable model plant for understanding basic concepts in plant biology. This is followed by chapters on bioremediation, biofuels and biofertilizers through microalgal manipulation, making it a commercializable prospect; discerning finer details of biotic stress with plant-fungal interactions; and the dynamics of abiotic and biotic stresses, which also figure elsewhere in the book. Breeding crop plants for desirable traits has long been an endeavor of biotechnologists. The significance of molecular markers, marker assisted selection and techniques are covered in a dedicated chapter, as are comprehensive reviews on plant molecular biology, DNA fingerprinting techniques, genomic structure and functional genomics. A chapter dedicated to organellar genomes provides extensive information on this important aspect. Elsewhere in the book, the newly emerging area of epigenetics is presented as seen through the lens of biotechnology, showcasing the pivotal role of DNA methylation in effecting permanent and transient changes to the genome. Exclusive chapters deal with bioinformatics and systems biology. Handy tools for practical applications such as somatic embryogenesis and micropropagation are included to provide frontline information to entrepreneurs, as is a chapter on somaclonal variation.Overcoming barriers to sexual incompatibility has also long been a focus of biotechnology, and is addressed in chapters on wide hybridization and hybrid embryo rescue. Another area of accomplishing triploids through endosperm culture is included as a non-conventional breeding strategy. Secondary metabolite production through tissue cultures, which is of importance to industrial scientists, is also covered. Worldwide exchange of plant genetic material is currently an essential topic, as is conserving natural resources in situ. Chapters on in vitro conservation of extant, threatened and other valuable germplasms, gene banking and related issues are included, along with an extensive account of the biotechnology of spices - the low-volume, high-value crops. Metabolic engineering is another emerging field that provides commercial opportunities. As is well known, there is widespread concern over genetically modified crops among the public. GM crops are covered, as are genetic engineering strategies for combating biotic and abiotic stresses where no other solutions are in sight. RNAi- and micro RNA- based strategies for crop improvement have proved to offer novel alternatives to the existing non-conventional techniques, and detailed information on these aspects is also included. The book's last five chapters are devoted to presenting the various aspects of environmental, marine, desert and rural biotechnology. The state-of-the-art coverage on a wide range of plant genomics and biotechnology topics will be of great interest to post-graduate students and researchers, including the employees of seed and biotechnology companies, and to instructors in the fields of plant genetics, breeding and biotechnology.

Twelve lessons in fungal activism, Indigenous knowledge and collaboration for artists, gardeners, educators and anyone intrigued by the fascinating life and inspiring metaphors of the mycelium and the mushroom.

The enormous popular interest in the world of fungi and the mycelium testifies to its tremendous resonance as a metaphor for new ways of thinking, new systems and behaviors. Taking its inspiration from this world, Let’s Become Fungal! looks at a range of Indigenous practices from Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia that are rooted in multispecies collaboration, symbiosis, alliances, non-monetary resource exchange, decentralization, bottom-up methods and mutual dependency―all suggestive of the behavior of the mycelium.

Each of the book’s 12 chapters offers teachings on collaboration, decoloniality, nonlinearity, toxicity, mobilization, biomimicry, death and being nonbinary, while also examining the world of fungi. Let’s Become Fungal! shows how fungi can inspire artists, collectives, organizations, educators, policymakers, designers, scientists, anthropologists, curators, urbanists, activists, gardeners, community leaders, farmers and others to become more fungal in their ways of working and being.

Recounting the compelling story of a scientific discovery that took more than a century to complete, this trail-blazing monograph focuses on methodological issues and is the first to delve into this subject. This book charts how the biochemical and biophysical mechanisms of photosynthesis were teased out by succeeding generations of scientists, and the author highlights the reconstruction of the heuristics of modelling the mechanism-analyzed at both individual and collective levels. Photosynthesis makes for an instructive example. The first tentative ideas were developed by organic chemists around 1840, while by 1960 an elaborate proposal at a molecular level, for both light and dark reactions, was established. The latter is still assumed to be basically correct today. The author makes a persuasive case for a historically informed philosophy of science, especially regarding methodology, and advocates a history of science whose narrative deploys philosophical approaches and categories. She shows how scientists' attempts to formulate, justify, modify, confirm or criticize their models are best interpreted as series of coordinated research actions, dependent on a network of super- and subordinated epistemic goals, and guided by recurrent heuristic strategies. With dedicated chapters on key figures such as Otto Warburg, who borrowed epistemic fundamentals from other disciplines to facilitate his own work on photosynthesis, and on more general topics relating to the development of the field after Warburg, this new work is both a philosophical reflection on the nature of scientific enquiry and a detailed history of the processes behind one of science's most important discoveries.

"Emerging Technologies and Management of Crop Stress Tolerance: Volume 1 - Biological Techniques "presents the latest technologies used by scientists for improvement the crop production and explores the various roles of these technologies for the enhancement of crop productivity and inhibition of pathogenic bacteria that can cause disease.

This resource provides a comprehensive review of how proteomics, genomics, transcriptomics, ionomics, and micromics are a pathway to improve plant stress tolerance to increase productivity and meet the agricultural needs of the growing human population. This valuable resource will help any scientist have a better understanding of environmental stresses to improve resource management within a world of limited resources.
Includes the most recent advances methods and applications of biotechnology to crop scienceDiscusses different techniques of genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and nanotechnologyPromotes the prevention of potential diseases to inhibit bacteria postharvest quality of fruits and vegetable crops by advancing application and researchPresents a thorough account of research results and critical reviews

"Plant Chemical Genomics: Methods and Protocols ," expert researchers in the field detail many of the techniques used for identification of bioactive compounds from a large selection of fields in plant biology including plant pathogenesis, immune responses, small RNA processing, endomembrane trafficking, lipids, plant hormone signaling and cell wall. The presentation of these and other examples as well as synthetic chemistry, computation and target identification provides a comprehensive overview of the practical aspects of chemical biology that are possible in plant systems. Small molecules and natural products that produce a phenotype in plants have been known for decades. The agrichemical industry has utilized small molecules based on known natural molecules such as auxins, cytokinins, abscissic acid and other growth regulators. In recent years, the screening and characterization of novel small molecules has enhanced our understanding of protein function, metabolic, signaling and endomembrane pathways, and their interactions in basic plant research.

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.