Discover plants like you've never seen them before in this beautifully-designed introduction to the plant kingdom. Discover the extraordinary diversity of the plant world and how plants work with this photographic celebration of the plants, trees and flowers that share our planet and breathe life into our lungs. The Science of Plants invites you on a breathtaking journey to explore the plant kingdom from the ground up, from root to leaf tip! Published in association with Kew, and illustrated with inspiring photography, this beautiful compilation takes you on a visual journey of some of the world's most peculiar plants and fascinating flora in exquisite detail. Throughout the pages of this plant book, you can expect to find: -Inner workings of wide range of plants explained easily with graphic detail -Galleries showcase diversity in the plant world and visually define botanical terms -Feature spreads on key plants combine dramatic photography with rounded descriptions of our most significant,unusual, and sought-after species -Optional 80-page reference section includes a catalogue of plant families and explanations of botanical names This beautiful book of plants showcases every part of each plant in detail, starting with a section on roots, stems and branches, leaves, flowers, followed by seeds. From tiny mosses and delicate ferns to vibrant blooms and stately palms, DK's elegant introduction to botany is packed with striking photos and crystal-clear artworks that explain the mechanics of photosynthesis, why leaves change colour, how cacti store water, and how seeds know when to grow. Filled with fascinating stories of how plants protect themselves from predators, and how flowers use colour and scent to interact with creatures around them, The Science of Plants is a fresh and engaging introduction to the mysterious inner workings of the plant world. A must-have volume for all plant lovers, including naturalists, budding botanists, ecologists as well as gardeners. Doubling up as the ideal gift for the plant-lover in your life, The Science of Plants is a nature book that is sure to delight. At DK, we believe in the power of discovery. So why not explore other terrific titles in our Science Of series? Reveal the secrets of the seas with The Science of The Ocean and explore the animal kingdom like never before with The Science of Animals.

This book focuses on morphological and anatomical strategies developed by halophytes during evolution that allow them to survive in high-salt environments. These adaptive strategies refer to well integrated structural features, such as succulence, salt secretion (salt glands and vesicular hairs), aerenchyma, Kranz anatomy, bulliform cells, successive cambia, tracheoidioblasts and endodermis with pronounced Casparian strips. The authors present cross sections of the roots, stems and leaves of 62 halophyte species belonging to 18 families from different habitats and climates (temperate, Mediterranean). They also discuss the ecological, physiological and evolutionary aspects of the various adaptive structures in an integrative way. Beginning with the structural level, this book offers novel insights into the ecology of halophytes and opens new perspectives for the identification of salt-tolerant crop plants or halophytes that can be used for ecological purposes, such as bio-remediation and revegetation.

This book provides a comprehensive review of all aspects of the molecular and cell biology of abscisic acid (ABA) metabolism, transport and signal transduction, covering our current understanding of ABA as well as research trends. The agricultural significance of ABA metabolism, transport and signal transduction is also discussed. The phytohormone ABA regulates many aspects of plant development and plays a central role in plant adaptation to environmental stresses. Over the past few decades, considerable advances have been made in the study of ABA metabolism, transport and signal transduction, greatly deepening our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of ABA function at the molecular, cell and whole-plant level and helping us improve crops' environmental tolerance. This book provides a valuable resource for researchers and advanced students interested in plant biology and agriculture.

Auxin is an important signaling compound in plants and vital for plant development and growth. The present book, Auxin and its Role in Plant Development, provides the reader with detailed and comprehensive insight into the functioning of the molecule on the whole and specifically in plant development. In the first part, the functioning, metabolism and signaling pathways of auxin in plants are explained, the second part depicts the specific role of auxin in plant development and the third part describes the interaction and functioning of the signaling compound upon stimuli of the environment. Each chapter is written by international experts in the respective field and designed for scientists and researchers in plant biology, plant development and cell biology to summarize the recent progress in understanding the role of auxin and suggest future perspectives for auxin research.

Maize is one of the most important and widely grown cereal crops in the world and is a staple food for almost a billion people, particularly in the developing world. It has been estimated that maize yields need to increase by 60% by 2050. There is an urgent need to increase yields in the face of such challenges as climate change, threats from pests and diseases and the need to make cultivation more resource-efficient and sustainable. Drawing on an international range of expertise, this collection focuses on ways of improving the cultivation of maize at each step in the value chain, from breeding to post-harvest storage. Volume 1 reviews research on breeding and its use in improving nutritional quality and agronomic performance. It then goes on to discuss the challenges in translating these advances into effective outcomes for smallholders in the developing world. Achieving sustainable cultivation of maize Volume 1: From improved varieties to local applications will be a standard reference for cereal scientists in universities, government and other research centres and companies involved in maize cultivation. It is accompanied by Volume 2 which reviews improvements in cultivation techniques as well as the management of pests and diseases.

Plant Endosomes: Methods and Protocols explores a collection of protocols and techniques to analyze in vivo trafficking of endocytic/endosomal cargo, including lipids, fluids, proteins and ligands, ultrastructural features of endosomes by high-pressure freezing/freeze-substitution and electron tomography, as well as protein-protein interactions in the endosomal and endomembrane system. The volume continues with coverage of the sorting defects in the transport of vacuolar storage proteins, function conservation of plant endosomal proteins, endosomal trafficking during plant responses to pathogens, protein composition of endosomes and endocytic vesicles, ubiquitination of endosomal cargo proteins and the identification of novel endosomal components by chemical genomics and proteomics. 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 tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Detailed and practical, Plant Endosomes: Methods and Protocols gathers contributions from many leading and emerging plant membrane trafficking researchers in order to promote and facilitate novel studies and ideas in this vital field.

This book delivers current state-of-the-science knowledge of tree ecophysiology, with particular emphasis on adaptation to a novel future physical and chemical environment. Unlike the focus of most books on the topic, this considers air chemistry changes (O3, NOx, and N deposition) in addition to elevated CO2 effects and its secondary effects of elevated temperature. The authors have addressed two systems essential for plant life: water handling capacity from the perspective of water transport; the coupling of xylem and phloem water potential and flow; water and nutrition uptake via likely changes in mycorrhizal relationships; control of water loss via stomata and its retention via cellular regulation; and within plant carbon dynamics from the perspective of environmental limitations to growth, allocation to defences, and changes in partitioning to respiration. The authors offer expert knowledge and insight to develop likely outcomes within the context of many unknowns. We offer this comprehensive analysis of tree responses and their capacity to respond to environmental changes to provide a better insight in understanding likelihood for survival, as well as planning for the future with long-lived, stationary organisms adapted to the past: trees.

Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that employs higher plants for the clean-up of contaminated environments. Basic and applied research have unequivocally demonstrated that selected plant species possess the genetic potential to accumulate, degrade, metabolize and immobilize a wide range of contaminants. The main focus of this volume is on the recent advances of technologies using green plants for remediation of various metals and metalloids. Topics include biomonitoring of heavy metal pollution, amendments of higher uptake of toxic metals, transport of heavy metals in plants, and toxicity mechanisms. Further chapters discuss agro-technological methods for minimizing pollution while improving soil quality, transgenic approaches to heavy metal remediation and present protocols for metal remediation via in vitro root cultures.

This book describes the unique characean experimental system, which provides a simplified model for many aspects of the physiology, transport and electrophysiology of higher plants. The first chapter offers a thorough grounding in the morphology, taxonomy and ecology of Characeae plants. Research on characean detached cells in steady state is summarised in Chapter 2, and Chapter 3 covers characean detached cells subjected to calibrated and mostly abiotic types of stress: touch, wounding, voltage clamp to depolarised and hyperpolarised potential difference levels, osmotic and saline stress. Chapter 4 highlights cytoplasmic streaming, cell-to-cell transport, gravitropism, cell walls and the role of Characeae in phytoremediation. The book is intended for researchers and students using the characean system and will also serve as an invaluable reference resource for electrophysiologists working on higher plants.

This book is devoted to the fascinating superfamily of plant ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and their variety of transported substrates. It highlights their exciting biological functions, covering aspects ranging from cellular detoxification, through development, to symbiosis and defense. Moreover, it also includes a number of chapters that center on ABC transporters from non-Arabidopsis species. ABC proteins are ubiquitous, membrane-intrinsic transporters that catalyze the primary (ATP-dependent) movement of their substrates through biological membranes. Initially identified as an essential aspect of a vacuolar detoxification process, genetic work in the last decade has revealed an unexpectedly diverse variety of ABC transporter substrates, which include not only xenobiotic conjugates, but also heavy metals, lipids, terpenoids, lignols, alkaloids and organic acids. The discovery that members of the ABCB and ABCG family are involved in the movement of phytohormones has further sparked their exploration and provided a new understanding of the whole family. Accordingly, the trafficking, regulation and structure-function of ABCB-type auxin transporters are especially emphasized in this book.

Bryophytes, which are important constituents of ecosystems globally and often dominate carbon and water dynamics at high latitudes and elevations, were also among the pioneers of terrestrial photosynthesis. Consequently, in addition to their present day ecological value, modern representatives of these groups contain the legacy of adaptations that led to the greening of Earth. This volume brings together experts on bryophyte photosynthesis whose research spans the genome and cell through whole plant and ecosystem function and combines that with historical perspectives on the role of algal, bryophyte and vascular plant ancestors on terrestrialization of the Earth. The eighteen well-illustrated chapters reveal unique physiological approaches to achieving carbon balance and dealing with environmental limitations and stresses that present an alternative, yet successful strategy for land plants.

This book focuses on the mechanistic (microscopic) understanding of radionuclide uptake by plants in contaminated soils and potential use of phytoremediation. The key features concern radionuclide toxicity in plants, how the radioactive materials are absorbed by plants, and how the plants cope with the toxic responses. The respective chapters examine soil classification, natural plant selection, speciation of actinides, kinetic modeling, and case studies on cesium uptake after radiation accidents. Radionuclide contaminants pose serious problems for biological systems, due to their chemical toxicity and radiological effects. The processes by which radionuclides can be incorporated into vegetation can either originate from activity interception by external plant surfaces (either directly from the atmosphere or from resuspended material), or through uptake of radionuclides via the root system. Subsequent transfer of toxic elements to the human food chain is a concrete danger. Therefore, the molecular mechanisms and genetic basis of transport into and within plants needs to be understood for two reasons: The effectiveness of radionuclide uptake into crop plants – so-called transfer coefficient – is a prerequisite for the calculation of dose due to the food path. On the other hand, efficient radionuclide transfer into plants can be made use of for decontamination of land – so-called phytoremediation, the direct use of living, green plants for in situ removal of pollutants from the environment or to reduce their concentrations to harmless levels.

The book is a fundamental reference source on reaction wood for wood scientists and technologists, plant biologists, silviculturists, forest ecologists, and anyone involved in the growing of trees and the processing of wood. It brings together our current understanding of all aspects of reaction wood, and is the first book to discuss both compression wood and tension wood. Trees produce reaction wood to maintain the vertical orientation of their stems and the optimum angle of each branch. They achieve this by laying down fibre cell walls in which differences in physical and chemical structure from those of normal fibres are expressed as differential stresses across the stem or branch. This process, while of obvious value for the survival of the tree, causes serious problems for the utilisation of timber. Timber derived from trees containing significant amounts of reaction wood is subject to dimensional instability on drying, causing twisting, bending and splitting. It is also difficult to work as timber, and for the pulp and paper industry the cost of removing the increased amount of lignin in compression wood is substantial. This has both practical and economic consequences for industry. Understanding the factors controlling reaction wood formation and its effect on wood structure is therefore fundamental to our understanding of the adaptation of trees to their environment and to the sustainable use of wood. The topics covered include: -Morphology, anatomy and ultrastructure of reaction wood -Cell-wall polymers in reaction wood and their biosynthesis -Changes in tree proteomes during reaction wood formation -The biomechanical action and biological functions of reaction wood - Physical and mechanical properties of reaction wood from the scale of cell walls to planks -The detection and characterisation of compression wood -Effects of reaction wood on the performance of wood and wood-based products - Commercial implications of reaction wood and the influence of forest management on its formation

Completing the primary genomic sequence of Arabidopsis thaliana was a major milestone, being the first plant genome and well established as the premiere model species in plant biology. Since working drafts of rice (Oryza sativa L.) genome became available (Yu et al. 2002), it has become the s- ond-best model organism in plants representing monocotyledons. Understanding how the genome sequence comprehensively encodes de- lopmental programs and environmental responses is the next major ch- lenge for all plant genome projects. This requires functional characterization of genes, including identification of regulatory sequences. Several functional genomics approaches were initiated to decode the linear sequence of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, including full-length cDNA collections, microarrays, natural variation, knockout collections, and comparative sequence analysis (Borevitz and Ecker 2004). Genomics provides the ess- tial tools to speed up the research work of the traditional molecular gene- cist, and is now a scientific discipline in its own right (Borevitz and Ecker 2004).

Originally published in 1954, this collection of the posthumous papers of the eminent plant physiologist Frederick Frost Blackman includes six papers that were unpublished at the time of his death, all of which address the topic of plant respiration. The data was collected over the course of one year from experiments performed on the effect of oxygen on the respiration of apples, and the text begins with an introduction by the noted botanist George Edward Briggs. This book will be of value to anyone interested in Blackman's work or in the history of botany and plant physiology.

This volume is a compilation of extended abstracts of all papers presented at the 14th International Plant Nutrition Colloquium. Over 500 oral and poster presentations illustrate current knowledge and research emphasis in this subject, providing a comprehensive view of the state of plant nutrition research.

Exactly 35 years after the first Colloquium was held, the Eleventh International Plant Nutrition Colloquium took place from 30 July to 4 August 1989 in Wageningen, The Netherlands. Although impressive progress has been made during the past decades in our understanding of the mechanisms of uptake, distribution and assimilation of nutrients in relation to crop yield and quality, there are still significant gaps in our insight into many fundamental aspects of plant mineral nutrition and related metabolic processes. In spite of improved knowledge of nutrient requirements of crops and improved fertilizer application strategies, the world population remains to be burdened with an enormous shortage of plant products for food, timber, fuel, shelter, and other purposes. The main challenge facing the plant nutrition research community is to at least alleviate the increasing world-wide need for applying scientific knowledge to practical problems in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. It is therefore felt by many scientists that the Plant Nutrition Colloquia, which are intended to bring together scientists and to integrate knowledge and approaches acquired in plant physiology, biochemis try, soil science, agronomy and related disciplines, have indeed made a significant contribution to the advancement of our knowledge and understanding in this vital and interdisciplinary field of agrobiology. About 260 scientists from 40 nations attended the Colloquium in Wageningen.

Plant Nutrition - From Genetic Engineering to Field Practice, the 12th International Colloquium on Plant Nutrition, is the latest in a series which began in 1954. Early meetings were mainly concerned with the practical problems of soil fertility, with soil assessment, fertilizer requirements and methods of analysis. As the colloquia have progressed, the emphasis has slowly changed. The practical problems are still important, but there is increasing emphasis on plant physiology, plant biochemistry, membrane biochemistry, and even on the chemistry of genes which control the proteins which transfer nutrient ions to the inside of cells. The meetings therefore provide a valuable opportunity for each half of the science of plant nutrition to interact with, and learn from the other half. This volume begins with five papers which review current knowledge in important fields: the rhizosphere, molecular biology, electron microscopy, location and function of elements in vivo, and modelling nutrient responses in the field. These themes are continued in groups of shorter papers which follow. In addition, there are sections on nutrient dynamics and partitioning, diagnostic techniques, plant survival strategies, mycorrhizas, and on nutrients such as P, N, S, K, Ca, Mg, and micronutrients. A large section is devoted specifically to boron - reflecting the considerable current interest in this element. In total there are 177 refereed papers providing both a broad overview and a detailed picture of the latest developments in pure and applied plant nutrition.

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.

"The path of carbon in photosynthesis"for Progress in Botany: 50 years of Calvin-Benson cycle - 30 years of Kelly-Latzko reviews While writing this Foreword and trying to focus my thoughts on the bioch- istry of photosynthesis, a handsome slim hardcover booklet of 104 pages bound in dark blue linen is in front of me on my desk: "The Path of Carbon in Photosynthesis" J. A. Bassham and M. Calvin,1957 I acquired it in the month of my oral Ph. D. -exams,April 1960,to get prepared with the Nobel-laureate's text. In 2004 in his last swan-song review for Progress in Botany Grahame J. Kelly celebrated "The Calvin cycle's golden jubilee"in an overview of 50 years of carbon flowing for the progress in botany. He had met Erwin Latzko in 1970 in another then foremost and now historic place of the biochemistry of photosynthesis, the laboratory of Martin Gibbs at Brandeis University, Massachusetts. Four years later Latzko and Kelly (1974) published their first joint review on photosynthetic carbon metabolism,starting off a long flow of articles on the flow of carbon in the series Progress in Botany. Most faithfully they produced regular accounts of the progress in Progress in Botany every second year, and when Erwin Latzko decided to retire after the 1996 review Grahame Kelly carried on alone.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the multiple strategies that plants have developed to cope with drought, one of the most severe environmental stresses. Experts in the field present 17 chapters, each of which focuses on a basic concept as well as the latest findings. The following major aspects are covered in the book: * Morphological and anatomical adaptations * Physiological responses * Biochemical and molecular responses * Ecophysiological responses * Responses to drought under field conditions The contributions will serve as an invaluable source of information for researchers and advanced students in the fields of plant sciences, agriculture, ecophysiology, biochemistry and molecular biology.

Grapevine is one of the most widely cultivated plant species worldwide. With the publication of the grapevine genome sequence in 2007, a new horizon in grapevine research has unfolded. Thus, we felt that a new edition of 'Molecular Biology & Biotechnology of the Grapevine' could expand on all the latest scientific developments. In this edition and with the aid of 73 scientists from 15 countries, ten chapters describe new aspects of Grapevine Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology and eleven chapters have been revised and updated. This book is intended to be a reference book for researchers, scientists and biotechnological companies, who want to be updated in viticultural research, but also it can be used as a textbook for graduate and undergraduate students, who are interested in the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of Plants with an emphasis on the Grapevine.

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.

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.