Research on the mechanisms of plant defense responses to stress and pathogen attack has attracted much attention in recent years. This increasing interest stems from the fact that the tools of molecular biology now enable us to study the molecular basis of old biological concepts such as host-pathogen recognition (and particularly the gene for-gene relationship), hypersensitive cell death and systemic acquired resistance. Our knowledge about avirulence and resistance genes, elicitors, signal transduction and genes involved in plant defense is rapidly expanding. Moreover we are just beginning to test in planta the potential of these results for biotechnological applications, aimed at improving plant resistance to diseases. The 2nd Conference of the European Foundation for Plant Pathology, hosted by the "Societe Fran~aise de Phytopathologie", was devoted to "Mechanisms of plant defense responses" and was held in Strasbourg, France. It brought together over 350 scientists from universities, research institutes and private sectors of 24 countries. Major advances in the areas under study have been reviewed in plenary lectures and are developed in the main articles of this book. Over 160 high-quality posters were presented and are summarized in short articles. Data from outstanding posters, which were discussed after a short oral presentation, are found in extended articles. As a whole the book presents a collection of papers arranged in six sections and reflecting the present day state-of-the-art of research in the field of plant defense reactions.

th We compiled this volume mostly from presentations at the 6 International Plant Cold Hardiness Seminar (PCHS) after consulting with Professor Tony H. H. Chen, Oregon State University, USA, Professor Pekka Heino, University of Helsinki, Finland, th and Dr. Gareth J. Warren, University of London, Surrey, UK. The 6 International PCHS was held at the Unitas Congress Center, Helsinki, Finland from July 1-5, 2001. There were 110 registered scientists at the serttinar representing 20 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Gennany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and United States of America. The infonnation compiled represents the state of the art of research in phmt cold hardiness in tenns of gene regulation, gene expression, signal transduction, the physiology of cold hardiness and, ultimately, the genetic engineering for cold tolerant plants. The International PCHS was initiated in 1977 at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. It has been traditionally held at 5-year intervals at various locations. th Because of the rapid advances of research in plant cold hardiness, attendees at the 6 meeting unanimously adopted a resolution to hold the seminar in 3-year intervals instead of 5 in the future. Consequently, the next seminar will be held in 2004 in Sapporo, Japan, and Professor Seizo Fujikawa from Hokkaido University will serve as the host.

Nematode interactions are important biological phenomena and of great significance in agriculture. It is a fascinating subject which is multidisciplinary by nature, and concerns any scientist involved with plant health. There have been marked advances in our knowledge of various aspects of the subject in the last two decades. This study area has been the subject of several reviews, but there was no exclusive text on the subject. This has stressed the need to document the information, developing a unifying theme which treated nematode interactions in a holistic manner. This book is about the inter action of plant-parasitic nematodes with other plant pathogens or root symbionts, the nature of their associations, their impact on the host and con sequential interactive effects on the involved organisms. Since nematodes are at the centre of the theme, the responsibility of understanding of other plant pathogens dealt with in this book is largely delegated to the reader. I have limited the book content to interactions with biotic pathogens and root symbionts only, for various reasons. The book embodies 16 chapters, and attempts to present balanced infor mation on various aspects of nematode interactions with other plant pathogens and root symbionts. Some chapters describe general aspects of the subject. Interactions of nematodes with specific groups of organisms are addressed in the remaining chapters."

Significant developments in recent years have led to a deeper understanding of the role and function of carotenoids in photosynthesis. For the first time the biological, biochemical, and chemical aspects of the role of these pigments in photosynthesis are brought together in one comprehensive reference volume. Chapters focus on the photochemistry of carotenoids in light harvesting and photoprotection, the nature and distribution of carotenoids in photosynthetic organisms, their biosynthesis, the herbicidal inhibition of carotenogenesis and the xanthophyll cycle'. Throughout details are given of the various methodologies used. A detailed appendix provides physical data for the major compounds. Carotenoids in Photosynthesis is an invaluable reference source for all plant scientists.

Photobiology - the science of light and life - begins with basic principles and the physics of light and continues with general photobiological research methods, such as generation of light, measurement of light, and action spectroscopy. In an interdisciplinary way, it then treats how organisms tune their pigments and structures to the wavelength components of light, and how light is registered by organisms. Then follow various examples of photobiological phenomena: the design of the compound eye in relation to the properties of light, phototoxicity, photobiology of the human skin and of vitamin D, photomorphogenesis, photoperiodism, the setting of the biological clock by light, and bioluminescence. A final chapter is devoted to teaching experiments and demonstrations in photobiology.
This book encompasses topics from a diverse array of traditional disciplines: physics, biochemistry, medicine, zoology, botany, microbiology, etc., and makes different aspects of photobiology accessible to experts in all these areas as well as to the novice. It is intended primarily for graduate students and for researchers who wish to look outside their speciality, but can also act as a source of information for undergraduate students.

In the Netherlands the Institute for Soil Fertility Research plays a major role in soil biological, soil physical and plant nutritional research on the availability of nitrogen to crops. Main subjects of research are nitrogen turnover in the crop-soil ecosystem through biological transformations, nitrogen transport through the soil and nitrogen losses by leaching, denitrification and volatilization, and nitrogen use efficiency of various crops and cropping systems. The current knowledge in the different fields of research is integrated in simulation models. Simulation models not only make it possible to summarize and structure knowledge, but also, after verification, to extra- late the knowledge to situations different from the situations that have actually been studied. Such research is also carried out in other European and non-European countries. To compare the various simulation models currently in use, a workshop was organized by the Institute for Soil Fertility Research on 5-6 June 1990 on the occasion of its centennial. The title of the workshop was 'Nitrogen turnover in the soil-crop:: cosystem: modelling of biological transformations, transport of nitrogen and nitrogen use efficiency'. The 40 Jarticipants, who came from Canada and various European countries, were requested to run their model with data Jrovided by the Institute prior to the workshop. Data from 18 cases were made available to the participants: three ocations, three treatments, and two seasons.

Higher eukaryotes are characterized by the allocation of distinct functions to numerous types of differentiated cells. Whereas in animals the well-defined, protected cells of the germ line separate early, germ cells in plants differentiate from somatic cells only after many cycles of mitotic division. Therefore somatic mutations in plants can be transmitted via the germ cells to the progeny. There is thus a clear need for somatic tissues to maintain their genetic integrity in the face of environmental challenges, and two types of interactions have been shown to play important roles in the conservation as well as flexibility of plant genomes: homologous recombination of repeated sequences and silencing of multiplied genes. Sensitive methods have been developed that allow greater insights into the dynamics of the genome. This book summarizes current knowledge and working hypotheses about the frequencies and mechanisms of mitochondrial, plastid, nuclear and viral recombination and the inactivation of repeated genes in plants. Despite rapid developments in the field, it is often not possible to provide final answers. Thus, it is an additional task of this book to define the open questions and future challenges. The book is addressed to scientists working on plant biology and recombination, to newcomers in the field and to advanced biology students.

Origins of Plastids looks at symbiosis and symbiogenesis as a mechanism of evolution. This theory of endosymbiotic evolution postulates that photosynthetic prokaryotes living as endosymbionts within eukaryotic cells gradually evolved into the organelle structures called chloroplasts. The theory is controversial but has been strongly advocated by Lynn Margulis. Based on a colloquium held at the Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory of the University of California at Davis, Origins of Plastids reviews recent data on this most basic problem in plant evolution. In it, leading researchers in the field apply the theory of endosymbiotic evolution to plastid origins, producing an important new reference work for both professionals and graduates interested in the origins of life, the origins of the eukaryotic cell and its organelles, and the evolution of the higher plants in general. Origins of Plastids represents the state-of-the-art in its field. It should find a place on the bookshelves of people interested in microbiology, plant science, phycology, cell biology, and evolution.

The ecology of world vegetation is described in numer all of the drafting and photographic work. They have ous books and journals, but these are usually very spe spent many hours on this project and their care and skill cialized in their scope and treatment. This book provides is reflected in the consistently high quality of the illus a synthesis of this literature. A brief introductory chap trations throughout the book. Many friends and col ter outlines general ecological concepts and subsequent leagues have provided photographs. It has not been chapters examine the form and function of the major possible to include all of them, but the 'global' perspect biomes of the world. A similar organization has been ive of the book has been greatly enhanced in this way. used for each biome type. These chapters begin with a I wish to thank them all for the time and trouble they description of environmental conditions and a brief have taken to supply this material. I must also thank account of floristic diversity in a regional context. The Mary Dykes and the staff of the interlibrary loans de remaining pages describe characteristic adaptations and partment of the Library, University of Saskatchewan, ecosystem processes. for their unfailing ability to get even the most obscure Although there is a rapidly growing literature on eco references."

All biomass is derived from photosynthesis. This provides us with food fuel, as well as fibre. This process involves conversion of solar energy, via photochemical reactions, into chemical energy. In plants and cyanobacteria, carbon dioxide and water are converted into carbohydrates and oxygen. It is the best studied research area of plant biology. We expect that this area will assume much greater importance in the future in view of the depleting resources ofthe Earth's fuel supply. Furthermore, we believe that the next large increase in plant productivity will come from applications of the newer findings about photosynthetic process, especially through manipulation by genetic engineering. The current book covers an integrated range of subjects within the general field of photosynthesis. It is authored by international scientists from several countries (Australia, Canada, France, India, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, UK and USA). It begins with a discussion of the genetic potential and the expression of the chloroplast genome that is responsible for several key proteins involved in the electron transport processes leading to O evolution, proton release and the production of 2 NADPH and A TP, needed for CO fixation. The section on photosystems discusses 2 how photosystem I functions to produce NADPH and how photosystem II oxidizes water and releases protons through an "oxygen clock" and how intermediates between the two photosystems are produced involving a "two electron gate".

Over forty years ago, concern was first focussed on cadmium contamination of soils, fertilisers and the food chain. Adverse effects on human health were first highlighted nearly 30 years ago in Japan with the outbreak of Itai-itai disease. Since then, substantial research data have accumulated for cadmium on chemistry in soils, additions to soils, uptake by plants, adverse effects on the soil biota and transfer through the food chain. However, this information has never been compiled into a single volume. This was the stimulus for the Kevin G. Tiller Memorial Symposium "Cadmium in Soils, Plants and the Food Chain", held at the University of California, Berkeley, in June 1997 as part of the Fourth International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements. This symposium brought together leading scientists in the field of cadmium behaviour in soils and plants, to review the scientific data in the literature and highlight gaps in our current knowledge of the subject. This series of review papers are presented here and deal with the chemistry of cadmium in soils, the potential for transfer through the food chain and management to minimise this problem. We hope this information provides a sound scientific basis to assist development of policies and regulations for controlling cadmium in the soil environment.

Ethylene is a simple gaseous plant hormone produced by higher plants, bacteria and fungi. Thanks to new tools that have become available in biochemistry and molecular genetics, parts of the ethylene biosynthesis, perception and signal transduction reactions have been elucidated. This knowledge has been applied to enhance the quality of a number of agronomically important crops. In Biology and Biotechnology of the Plant Hormone Ethylene, leading figures in the field provide surveys of the current state of ethylene biosynthesis and action, perception and signal transduction pathways, senescence, biotechnological control, and the involvement of ethylene in pathogenesis and stress. Audience: Indispensable to all academic, industrial and agricultural researchers as well as undergraduates and graduates in plant biology, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology and food science.

Plants offer exciting opportunities to understand major biological questions, i.e. the regulation of development and morphogenesis. How are changes of the environment, developmental cues, and other signals perceived and transduced in physiological responses? What are the elements of plant signalling pathways and what is their organization? The panoply of molecular tools and techniques as well as the blossoming field of plant genetics are providing an exciting ground for major breakthroughs in unravelling the fundamental mechanisms of plant signalling. The present book establishes a state-of-the-art framework spanning the wide spectrum of perception, signal transduction events and transport processes, including cell proliferation and cell cycle regulation, embryogenesis, and flowering. Moreover, the volume emphasizes the role of the major plant signalling substances known to date (the phytohormones and more recently studied substances) and summarizes what we know on their molecular mechanisms of action. The book emphasizes how the use of molecular technology has made plant signalling processes accessible to experimental test.

Science is essentially a descriptive and experimental device. It observes nature, constructs hypotheses, plans experiments and proposes theories. The theory is never contemplated as the 'final truth', but remains ever subject to modifications, changes and rejections. The science of allelopathy in a similar way has emerged, and exists on a similar footing; our endeavour should be to keep it fresh and innovative with addition of newer in formation and concepts with the rejection of older ideas and antiquated techniques. During the past few decades encouraging results have been obtained in various aspects of allelopathic researches. However, in addition to continuing efforts in all these directions, constant attempts are to be made to describe the mechanics of allelopathic activity in molecular terms and to discover ways and means to exploit it for the welfare of mankind. We feel that multidisciplinary efforts are the only tool to achieve this goal. It is the hope of the editors that this book will serve as a document which identifies an integrated approach, through which research both to understand and exploit allelopathy can be conducted. The present volume arose out of an attempt to bring together eminent scientists in allelopathy to describe their work, of a highly diverse nature, under one title."

Ascorbate acid (AsA) is an important antioxidant in plants, playing important roles in various physiological processes. Humans have lost the ability to synthesize AsA because of the lack of L-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidoreductase, and thus have to absorb ascorbate from diet including fresh fruits and vegetables, as they are the major sources of ascorbate. Several pathways for AsA biosynthesis and metabolism have been identified in plants since 1998. More attention has been paid to improving ascorbate content in plants especially in fruits and vegetables. Significant progresses have been made on key enzymes and genes involved in the AsA biosynthesis and metabolism. Recently, more interests have arised in the regulation of AsA biosynthesis, as it is constantly regulated by the plant development and the environmental factors, e.g. light. Ascorbic acid is also frequently reported to affect plant growth and development e.g. flowering time and fruit ripening. The scope of the book is to cover the biological role, biosynthesis and metabolism, regulation, and metabolic modification of ascorbate in plants.

Many plants produce enzymes collectively known as ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs). RIPs catalyze the removal of an adenine residue from a conserved loop in the large ribosomal RNA. The adenine residue removed by this depurination is crucial for the binding of elongation factors. Ribosomes modified in this way are no longer able to carry out protein synthesis. Most RIPs exist as single polypeptides (Type 1 RIPs) which are largely non-toxic to mammalian cells because they are unable to enter them and thus cannot reach their ribosomal substrate. In some instances, however, the RIP forms part of a heterodimer where its partner polypeptide is a lectin (Type 2 RIPs). These heterodimeric RIPs are able to bind to and enter mammalian cells. Their ability to reach and modify ribosomes in target cells means these proteins are some of the most potently cytotoxic poisons found in nature, and are widely assumed to play a protective role as part of the host plant's defenses. RIPs are able to further damage target cells by inducing apoptosis. In addition, certain plants produce lectins lacking an RIP component but which are also cytotoxic. This book focuses on the structure/function and some potential applications of these toxic plant proteins.

Stalking the Wild Sweetgrass: Domestication and Horticulture of the Grass Used in African-American Coiled Basketry is concerned with the historical domestication of sweetgrass, the main construction/structural grass used in the three century old African-American tradition of coiled basketry in South Carolina. During the plantation era in southern agriculture, sweetgrass baskets were made for post-harvest processing and storage of rice by enslaved Africans from Lower Cape Fear, North Carolina to northern Florida. Enslaved Africans from the Rice Kingdom in Africa were prized for the basketry and rice agronomic skills and were specially sought by slavery traders. Today, this ancient craft still thrives in the community of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. Authored by one of the most renowned experts in the field and filled with illuminating color photographs, this volume provides knowledge of the horticulture of an extremely important wild plant and an example of the perils of plant- and people-based research and experimentation. As one of the few authoritative texts on the subject, Stalking the Wild Sweetgrass: Domestication and Horticulture of the Grass Used in African-American Coiled Basketry is a resourceful volume on wild sweetgrass, suitable for researchers and students alike.

The study of plant development in recent years has often been concerned with the effects of the environment and the possible involvement of growth substances. The prevalent belief that plant growth substances are crucial to plant development has tended to obscure rather than to clarify the underlying cellular mechanisms of development. The aim in this book is to try to focus on what is currently known, and what needs to be known, in order to explain plant development in terms that allow further experimentation at the cellular and molecular levels. We need to know where and at what level in the cell or organ the critical processes controlling development occur. Then, we will be better able to under stand how development is controlled by the genes, whether directly by the continual production of new gene transcripts or more indirectly by the genes merely defining self-regulating systems that then function autonomously. This book is not a survey of the whole of plant development but is meant to concentrate on the possible component cellular and molecular processes involved. Consequently, a basic knowledge of plant structure is assumed. The facts of plant morphogenesis can be obtained from the books listed in the General Reading section at the end of Chapter 1. Although references are not cited specifically in the text, the key references for each section are denoted by superscript numbers and listed in the Notes section at the end of each chapter."

The dynamic role of plant hormones in regulation of plant growth and development revealed by its control of rates of metabolic processes and various related enzymetic reactions at molecular and submolecular levels is now weil established. During the course of last 35 years endless development in agricultural biotechnology has provided immense literature to understand hormone-regulated aspects of plant growth and development ; but plant physiologists all over the world are still devoting themselves and will continue for an indifinite period to disclose the mystries of this regulation. Volume I of this series has already been published and has been accepted weil. This encouraged me to edit aseries of volumes (I do not know the number) on this subject. In the following pages various aspects of hormone-controlled physiological processes Iike, Hormonal Control of pro tein synthesis in plants, Auxin-induced elongation, Hormonal regulation of abnormal growth in plants, Hormonal regulation of development in mosses, Some phenolics as plant growth and morphogenesis regulators, Plant growth regulating properties of sterol inhibiting fungicides, Hormonal regulation of sex expression in plants, Water relation and plant growth regulators, Hormonal regulation of root development under water stress, Gravity perception and responses meehanism in graviresponding cereal grass shoots, Hormonal regulation of leaf Growth senescence in relation to stomatal movement, and Chloroindole auxins of pea and related species, have been included.

In the field of plant analysis there is a confusing variety of methods and procedures, both for digestions and determinations. In many cases the digestion and the subsequent determination are interrelated. For example, a separate digestion is needed for trace elements in order to obtain determinable concentrations. The authors have chosen a design in which the digestion/extraction procedure is described in one chapter together with all determination procedures that may be carried out on that particular digest/extract. All the necessary information (such as standardizations) appears in appendices. As a consequence, several determination procedures are described two or three times, however, each based on a particular digestion or extraction method. Two types of determination procedure are described: manual and automated. Manual procedures are mainly used in research laboratories, whereas automated procedures are more frequently applied in routine laboratories. Both types of determinations can be used freely, provided that appropriate equipment is available. The determination procedures are only for inorganic components, usually elements. Besides, most procedures are designed to give a total content value of the element under consideration, regardless of the chemical structure in which it occurs in the plant. The Plant Analysis Manual is intended for the practicing (agricultural) chemist.

Plants live in a constantly changing environment from which they cannot physically escape. Plants therefore need signalling and response mechanisms to adapt to new local conditions. The ef?cacy of such mechanisms underlies the plant performance during stress and therefore also impacts greatly on agricultural productivity. M- ulation of ion channel activity not only provides a means for rapid signal generation 2+ but also allows adjustment of cellular physiology. For example, Ca permeable ion 2+ channels can transduce environmental stimuli into Ca -encoded messages which can modify the gene expression. Furthermore, ion channel activity is essential to control cellular ion homeostasis that impacts on plant responses to drought, salinity, pathogens, nutrient de?ciency, heavy metals, xenobiotics and other stresses. This volume focuses on the crucial roles of different types of ion channel in plant stress responses. Functions of ion channels are discussed in the context of mechanisms to relay external and endogenous signals during stress and as mechanisms to regulate cellular ion homeostasis and enzymatic activities in the context of biotic and abiotic stress. The chapters presented cover cation and anion channels located in various cellular compartments and tissues.

It is now about 100 years since the chloroplast has been recognized as the site of photosynthesis in plant cells. The last 20 years have seen a striking increase in interest in the structure and function of the chloroplast. Hastened on by powerful new tools such as the electron microscope and the newer methods of isolation and analysis of chloroplasts, there is presently considerable experimental work on the properties of this organelle. In such a rapidly moving field and one which is reviewed systematically is various Annual Reviews, it is not possible to present a detailed critique of the prolific literature in a book of reasonable size. Rather the decision was made to sacrifice complete coverage of the field and to indicate general areas of investigation. In organization, problems here dealt with, are those concerned with the electron microscopy of chloroplast structure, development and conformation, genetic control of chloroplast development, characterization of some of the major components of the chloroplast and the biochemical properties of the chloroplast including the for mation of adenosine triphosphate and reduced pyridine nucleotide and the assim ilation of carbon dioxide into carbohydrate with subsequent conversion to second ary products. A historical outline on the general subject "Photosynthesis and the Chloroplast" has been included to place into proper perspective the rapid developments in the several areas covered in the book. I am particularly indebted to Dr. Roy E."

This is the third annual compendium of a Technical Session of the Physiology Working Group of the Society of American Foresters held at the National Convention. Specialists in a dedicated area of tree physiology were invited to prepare chapter contributions synthesizing the status of knowledge in their area of expertise. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) was selected as the topic for in-depth examination at the 1986 Technical Session because a knowledge of how these "secondary messengers" regulate tree morphogenesis is vital to applications of biocontrol and biotechnology. Plant growth regulators have been the subject of numerous reviews in recent years. However, few have dealt specifically with woody perennials, and they are generally confined to single processes and/or organs. This volume attempts to provide a more comprehensive treatise of PGRs as they influence various ontogenetic events in forest trees. Reproductive physiology, both sexual and asexual, is emphasized because of its relevance to current efforts directed at increasing efficiency in the breeding and production of genetically improved trees for reforestation. The chapters on vegetative growth will be of interest to silviculturists and urban foresters as they consider cultural treatments in the management of forests and individual trees for specific products and purposes. This book should serve as a valuable text and source of reference for students, researchers and other professionals interested in gaining a better understanding of PGRs. The reader, however, who expects definitive answers to how PGRs function or can be used to control specific processes is likely to be disappointed.

It is appro pi ate to the contents of this book to recall a few highlights in the history of plant cytology from its inception over three centuries ago. Robert Hooke in 1663 presented his observations of what he called " cells" in cork and other plant parts and beautifully illustrated and described these in his classic " Micrographia" published two years later. More detailed exploration of the cell and its contents awaited almost two centuries for Robert Brown's discovery of the nucleus in 1831. Discoveries of other cell organelles followed, particularly in the latter part of the 19th and early part of this century. As is frequently noted each of these achievements was preceeded by advances in the resolution of the microscope. Now history repeats and recent developments in electron microscopy have given the biologist the opportunity to study cell morphology in far greater detail than at any time previously. Indeed, the resolution of the electron microscope is several hundredfold better than that available in the finest light microscopes. These advances in instrumentation plus improvements in the techniques of specimen preparation have made possible the ex amination of plant cells of almost any type. It is the resulting wealth of new information now accessible to the botanical cytologist that has prompted this publication. In this book we have brought together electron micrographs represent ing a number of cell types from higher plants.

From its inception, the U.S. Department of the Interior has been charged with a conflicting mission. One set of statutes demands that the department must develop America's lands, that it get our trees, water, oil, and minerals out into the marketplace. Yet an opposing set of laws orders us to conserve these same resources, to preserve them for the long term and to consider the noncommodity values of our public landscape. That dichotomy, between rapid exploitation and long-term protection, demands what I see as the most significant policy departure of my tenure in office: the use of science-interdisciplinary science-as the primary basis for land management decisions. For more than a century, that has not been the case. Instead, we have managed this dichotomy by compartmentalizing the American landscape. Congress and my predecessors handled resource conflicts by drawing enclosures: "We'll create a national park here," they said, "and we'll put a wildlife refuge over there." Simple enough, as far as protection goes. And outside those protected areas, the message was equally simplistic: "Y'all come and get it. Have at it." The nature and the pace of the resource extraction was not at issue; if you could find it, it was yours.