Demand for agricultural crops and nutritional requirement continues to escalate in response to increasing population. Also, climate change exerts adverse effects on agriculture crop productivity. Plant researchers have, therefore, focused to identify the scientific approaches that minimize the negative impacts of climate change on agricultural crops. Thus, it is the need of the hour to expedite the process for improving stress tolerance mechanisms in agricultural crops against various environmental factors, in order to fulfil the world's food demand. Among the various applied approaches, the application of phytohormones has gained significant attention in inducing stress tolerance mechanisms. Jasmonates are phytohormones with ubiquitous distribution among plants and generally considered to modulate many physiological events in higher plants such as defence responses, flowering and senescence. Also, jasmonates mediate plant responses to many biotic and abiotic stresses by triggering a transcriptional reprogramming that allows cells to cope with pathogens and stresses. Likewise, salicylates are important signal molecules for modulating plant responses to environmental stresses. Salicylic acid influences a range of diverse processes in plants, including seed germination, stomatal closure, ion uptake and transport, membrane permeability and photosynthetic and growth rate. Understanding the significant roles of these phytohormones in plant biology and from agriculture point of view, the current subject has recently attracted the attention of scientists from across the globe. Therefore, we bring forth a comprehensive book "Jasmonates and Salicylates Signalling in Plants" highlighting the various prospects involved in the current scenario. The book comprises chapters from diverse areas dealing with biotechnology, molecular biology, proteomics, genomics, metabolomics, etc. We are hopeful that this comprehensive book furnishes the requisite of all those who are working or have interest in this topic.

This book on potassium in abiotic stress tolerance deals with the ongoing trend in increasing abiotic stresses and interlinked issues food security. As mineral nutrient potassium holds an important place in agriculture and is involved in various physiological and biochemical processes. It takes part in protein synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, enzyme activation, cation-anion balance, osmoregulation, water movement, energy transfer, and regulates stomata and photosynthesis. Potassium plays an important role as abiotic stress buster. This book will deal with potassium relevance to plant functions and adaptations, range of its biological functions, role of potassium in abiotic stress tolerance, analyses of mechanisms responsible for perception and signal transduction of potassium under abiotic stress, critical evaluation of and cross-talks on nutrients and phytohormones signaling pathways under optimal and stressful conditions, and interaction of potassium with other nutrients for abiotic stress tolerance. This book will be of interest to teachers, researchers, scientists working on abiotic stresses. Also the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture, forestry, ecology, and environmental sciences. National and international agricultural scientists, policy makers will also find this to be a useful read.

At the biological crossroads of the Americas, Costa Rica hosts one of the widest varieties of plants in the wold, with habitats ranging from tidal mangrove swamps, and lowland rainforests, to dry tropical evergreen and deciduous forests.
Field Guide to Plants of Costa Rica is a must-have reference guide for beginner and expert naturalists alike. It provides a thorough survey of more than 850 plant species, each entry accompanied by color photos and a concise yet detailed narrative description. Plants are conveniently grouped by the different types of vegetation: palms, tall trees, shrubs, woody vines, herbaceous vines, herbs, grasses and ferns. Along with 1400 color photographs, the guide also includes an illustrated glossary of plant parts, five maps of Costa Rica, and laminated covers for durability in the field. With so much readily accessible information, this book is essential for exploring Costa Rica's common and conspicuous flora from the plants growing along the roadside to the best natural parks.

The cell as the basis of plant life; the matter and mechanics of cells wall; chloroplast; the root; soil and absorption mineral; habitat-related aspect of mineral metabolism; water relations and absorption; absorption of water; ascent of sap, transpiration and water balance, respiration, photosynthesis.

In the past 20 years, there has been a revolution in plant sciences, as new methods of molecular biology and biophysics have been applied to investigate environmental stress, particularly desiccation tolerance. Today, there is a good level of understanding of how plant cells cope with extreme water stress. This book is divided into four sections, dealing with 1) the technical background to desiccation tolerance studies, 2) the frequency and levels of dehydration stress tolerance in biological systems, 3) mechanisms of damage and tolerance, and 4) a brief prospect and retrospect. It covers orthodox and recalcitrant seeds, pollen and spores, vegetative parts, and other plant tissues.

The eighteenth-century naturalist Erasmus Darwin (grandfather of Charles) argued that plants are animate, living beings and attributed them sensation, movement, and a certain degree of mental activity, emphasizing the continuity between humankind and plant existence. Two centuries later, the understanding of plants as active and communicative organisms has reemerged in such diverse fields as plant neurobiology, philosophical posthumanism, and ecocriticism. The Language of Plants brings together groundbreaking essays from across the disciplines to foster a dialogue between the biological sciences and the humanities and to reconsider our relation to the vegetal world in new ethical and political terms. Viewing plants as sophisticated information-processing organisms with complex communication strategies (they can sense and respond to environmental cues and play an active role in their own survival and reproduction through chemical languages) radically transforms our notion of plants as unresponsive beings, ready to be instrumentally appropriated. By providing multifaceted understandings of plants, informed by the latest developments in evolutionary ecology, the philosophy of biology, and ecocritical theory, The Language of Plants promotes the freedom of imagination necessary for a new ecological awareness and more sustainable interactions with diverse life forms. Contributors: Joni Adamson, Arizona State U; Nancy E. Baker, Sarah Lawrence College; Karen L. F. Houle, U of Guelph; Luce Irigaray, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris; Erin James, U of Idaho; Richard Karban, U of California at Davis; Andre Kessler, Cornell U; Isabel Kranz, U of Vienna; Michael Marder, U of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU); Timothy Morton, Rice U; Christian Nansen, U of California at Davis; Robert A. Raguso, Cornell U; Catriona Sandilands, York U.

Completely updated from the successful first edition, this book provides a timely update on the recent progress in our knowledge of all aspects of plant perception, signalling and adaptation to a variety of environmental stresses. It covers in detail areas such as drought, salinity, waterlogging, oxidative stress, pathogens, and extremes of temperature and pH. This second edition: Presents detailed and up-to-date research on plant responses to a wide range of stresses Includes new full-colour figures to help illustrate the principles outlined in the text Is written in a clear and accessible format, with descriptive abstracts for each chapter Written by an international team of experts, this book provides researchers with a better understanding of the major physiological and molecular mechanisms facilitating plant tolerance to adverse environmental factors. This new edition of Plant Stress Physiology is an essential resource for researchers and students of ecology, plant biology, agriculture, agronomy and plant breeding.

The bibi iograp hy includes papers in a l I fields of photosynthesis research - from stu- dies of model biochemical and biophysical systems of t he photosynt hes is mechanism to primary prod ucti on studied by t he so-ca Ile d growth analysis . In addition to papers devoted enti rel y to photosynth es is , papers on other topics are inc luded if t hey con- t ai n data on photosynthetic activity, photorespiration, chloroplast structure, chlo- rophylland carotenoid synthesi s and destruction , eta. , or if they conta in valuable methodological information (measurement of selected environmentaI factars , leaf area, eta. ) . In many branches it has been difficult to defi ne th e limits of int erest for photosynthesis researchers. This problem has arisen e. g. in topics deal ing with t he transfer of gases, where - in addition to t he papers on ca rbon dioxide transfe r - so- me pape rs on water vapour transfer are included , these being of general appl icat ion or bringing new approaches . On th e other hand, m any papers deal ing wit h the anatomy and phys io logy of stomata have been omitted , if the aspect of ca rbon dioxide or water vapour exchange has not been discussed.

The bibl iography includes papers in all fields of photosynthesis research - from studies of model biochemical and biophysical systems of the photosynthetic mecha~ nism to primary production studied by the so-cal led growth analysis. In addition to papers devoted entirely to photosynthesis, papers on other topics are included if they contain data on photosynthetic activity, photorespiration, chloroplast structure, chlorophyll and carotenoid synthesis and destruction, etc. , or if they contain valuable methodological information (measurement of selected environmental factors, leaf area, etc. ). In many branches it has been difficult to define the I i- mits of interest for photosynthesis researchers. This problem has arisen e. g. in to- pics deal ing with the tranfer of gases, where - in addition to the papers on carbon dioxide transfer - some papers on water vapour transfer are included, these being of general appl ication or bringing new approaches. On the other hand, many papers deal ing with the anatomy and physiology of stomata have been omitted, if the aspect of carbon dioxide or water vapour exchange has not been discussed. This volume contains references to papers publ ished in the year 1982, and simi larly to preceding volumes also addenda including references publ ished in the preceding period (i. e. 1966 to 1981). The numbers of the additional references are labelled with an asterisk (*) in the I ist of references.

Genetics has transformed plant pathology on two occasions: first when Mendelian genetics enabled the discovery that disease resistance was a heritable trait in plants, and secondly when Flor proposed the "gene-for-gene" hypothesis to explain his observations of plant-parasite interactions, based on his work on flax rust in North Dakota starting in the 1930s. Our knowledge of the genetics of disease resistance and host-pathogen coevolution is now entering a new phase as a result of the cloning of the first resistance genes. This book provides a broad review of recent developments in this important and expanding subject. Both agricultural and natural host-pathogen situations are addressed. While most of the book focuses on plant pathology, in the usual sense of the term embracing fungal, bacterial and viral pathogens, there is also consideration of parasitic plants and a chapter demonstrating lessons to be learnt from the mammalian immune system. Three overall themes are addressed: genetic analyses and utilization of resistance; population genetics; and cell biology and molecular genetics. Chapters are based on papers presented at the British Society for Plant Pathology Presidential meeting held in December 1995, but all have been revised and updated to mid-1996. Written by leading authorities from North America, Europe and Australia, the book represents an essential update for workers in plant genetics, breeding, biotechnology and pathology.

The bi b I i ography i nc I udes papers in a I I f i eids of photosynthes i s resea rch - f rom stu- dies of model biochemical and biophysical systems of the photosynthesis mechanism to primary production studied by the so-ca I led growth analysis. In addition to papers devoted entirely to photosynthesis, papers on other topics are included if they con- tain data on photosynthetic activity, photorespiration, chloroplast structure, chlo- rophy I I and ca roteno i d synthes i sand destruct i on, etc. , or i f they conta i n va I uab I e methodological information (measurement of selected environmental factors, leaf area, etc. ). In many branches it has been difficult to define the limits of interest for photosynthesis researchers. This problem has arisen e. g. in topics deal ing with the transfer of gases, where - in addition to the papers on carbon dioxide transfer - so- me papers on water vapour transfer are included, these being of general appl ication or bringing new approaches. On the other hand, many papers deal ing with the anatomy and physiology of stomata have been omitted, if the aspect of carbon dioxide or water vapour exchange has not been discussed. This volume contains references to papers publ ished in the year 1980, and, similarly to Vol.

The bibi iography includes papers in al I fields of photosynthesis research - from stu- dies of model biochemical and biophysical systems of the photosynthesis mechanism to primary production studied by the so-called growth analysis. In addition to papers devoted entirely to photosynthesis, papers on other topics are included if they con- tain data on photosynthetic activity, photorespiration, chloroplast structure, chlo- rophyll and carotenoid synthesis and destruction, etc. , or if they contain valuable methodo I og i ca I i nformat i on (measu rement of se I ected env i ronmenta I factors, I eaf a rea, etc. ). In many branches it has been very difficult to define the limits of interest for photosynthesis researchers. This problem has arisen e. g. in topics deal ing with the transport of gases, where - in addition to the papers on CO transfer - some pa- 2 pers on water vapour transfer are included, these being of general appl ication. On the other hand, many papers deal ing with the anatomy and physiology of stomata have been omitted, if the aspect of carbon dioxide or water vapour exchange has not been discussed. This volume contains references to papers publ ished in the year 1977, and, simi larly to Vol. 7, also addenda including references publ ished in the preceding period (i. e. 1966 - 1976). The numbers of these additional references are labelied with an asterisk in the I ist of references.

The bib I iography includes papers in alI fields of photosynthesis researc- from studies of model biochemical and biophysical systems of the photosynthesis mechanism to primary production studied so-cal led growth analysis. In addition to papers devoted entirely to photosynthesis, papers on other topics are included if they contain data on photosynthetic activity, photorespiration, chloroplast structure, chlorophyl I and carotenoid synthesis and destruction, etc., or if they contain valuable methodological information (measurement of selected environmental factors, leaf area, etc. ). In many branches it has been very difficult to define the I imits of interest for photosynthesis researchers. This problem has arisen e. g. in topics dealing with the transport of gases, where - in addition to the papers on C0 transfer- some papers on water vapour transfer are included, these 2 being of general application. On the other hand, many papers dealing with the anatomy and physiology of stomata have been omitted, if the aspect of carbon dioxide or water vapour exchange has not been discussed. To maximize the value of the bibliography the references are arranged alpha betically by author's names, and each volume is provided with three indexes. The authors' index to this volume contains alI names of authors, co-authors and editors. The subject index covers only primary items chosen according to their inter est for photosynthesis researchers. In this volume its preparation was based on the paper titles, key words and abstracts."

Mimicry is a classic example of adaptation through natural selection. The traditional focus of mimicry research has been on defence in animals, but there is now also a highly-developed and rapidly-growing body of research on floral mimicry in plants. This has coincided with a revolution in genomic tools, making it possible to explore which genetic and developmental processes underlie the sometimes astonishing changes that give rise to floral mimicry. Being literally rooted to one spot, plants have to cajole animals into acting as couriers for their pollen. Floral mimicry encompasses a set of evolutionary strategies whereby plants imitate the food sources, oviposition sites, or mating partners of animals in order to exploit them as pollinators. This first definitive book on floral mimicry discusses the functions of visual, olfactory, and tactile signals, integrating them into a broader theory of organismal mimicry that will help guide future research in the field. It addresses the fundamental question of whether the evolutionary and ecological principles that were developed for protective mimicry in animals can also be applied to floral mimicry in plants. The book also deals with the functions of floral rewardlessness, a condition which often serves as a precursor to the evolution of mimicry in plant lineages. The authors pay particular attention to the increasing body of research on chemical cues: their molecular basis, their role in cognitive misclassification of flowers by pollinators, and their implications for plant speciation. Comprehensive in scope and conceptual in focus, Floral Mimicry is primarily aimed at senior undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers in plant science and evolutionary biology.

The world's mediterranean-type climate regions (including areas within the Mediterranean, South Africa, Australia, California, and Chile) have long been of interest to biologists by virtue of their extraordinary biodiversity and the appearance of evolutionary convergence between these disparate regions. These regions contain many rare and endemic species. Their mild climate makes them appealing places to live and visit and this has resulted in numerous threats to the species and communities that occupy them. Threats include a wide range of factors such as habitat loss due to development and agriculture, disturbance, invasive species, and climate change. As a result, they continue to attract far more attention than their limited geographic area might suggest. This book provides a concise but comprehensive introduction to mediterranean-type ecosystems. It is an accessible text which provides an authoritative overview of the topic. As with other books in the Biology of Habitats Series, the emphasis in this book is on the organisms that dominate these regions although their management, conservation, and restoration are also considered.

Plant genetics has come a long way from the time Gregor Mendel observed the traits of his pea plants. This book provides a glimpse on the advancements in plant genetics, putting emphasis on the various sequencing technologies that were instrumental in unlocking the plant genome. The plant genome has also lent itself to manipulation and modification, contributing greatly to the body of genetic knowledge as well as producing economically-, nutritionally-, and medically-significant plants. This book compiles and describes these plant genetic engineering and genomic editing approaches.

An understanding of crop physiology and ecophysiology enables the horticulturist to manipulate a plant's metabolism towards the production of compounds that are beneficial for human health when that plant is part of the diet or the source of phytopharmaceutical compounds. The first part of the book introduces the concept of Controlled Environment Horticulture as a horticultural production technique used to maximize yields via the optimization of access to growing factors. The second part describes the use of this production technique in order to induce stress responses in the plant via the modulation of these growing factors and, importantly, the way that this manipulation induces defence reactions in the plant resulting in the production of compounds beneficial for human health. The third part provides guidance for the implementation of this knowledge in horticultural production.

How do plants, even if still buried underground, know that it's their time to bloom? What signals them to begin the challenging task of making flowers, and how do they make the variety of flower shapes, colours, and scents? What kind of instructions does the plant carry? Flowers enrich the beauty of meadows and gardens, but of course, they are not there simply to please us. Biologically, blossoms form a critical aspect of the reproductive cycle of many plants. In this book, the distinguished scientist Maxine Singer explains what we have pieced together about the genetics behind flowering. She describes in a clear and accessible account the key genes which, regulated by other genes, modulated by epigenetic effects, and responding to environmental cues, cause plants to flower at a particular time, and define the variety of flowers. The remarkably intricate processes involved in making flowers have evolved in nature alongside the pollinating birds and insects that the flowers must attract if there is to be another generation. The processes involved in flowering have only been unravelled in the past twenty years, and the implications for ensuring production of food, including fruits and seeds, are profound. This is cutting-edge science, and we have much still to learn, but the story being revealed that lies behind the flowers in our gardens, parks, and fields is proving astonishing.