Advances in Agronomy, Volume 145, the latest in a series that is recognized as a leading reference and first-rate source for the latest research in agronomy presents new chapters that focus on A Chinese Model for the Planet, Allelopathic Potential of Sorghum Sorghum Bicolor (L.) Moench in Weed Control: A Comprehensive Review, Weed Dynamics and Management in Wheat, Improving Soil Health and Human Protein Nutrition by Pulses-Based Cropping Systems, and Potential Hotspot Areas of Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Grazed Pastoral Dairy Farm Systems. Each volume in this regularly updated series contains an eclectic group of reviews by leading scientists.

Used by humans since ancient times, evergreen oak forests still cover extensive mountain areas of the Mediterranean Basin. These broadleaved evergreen forests occupy a transitional zone between the cool-temperate deciduous forest biome and the drier Mediterranean pine forests and shrublands. Slow growing and casting a deep shade, the sclerophyllous holm oak ("Quercus ilex") absolutely dominates the closed canopy of many Mediterranean evergreen oak forests. This is a synthesis of 20 years of research on the structure, function, and dynamics of holm oak forests in two intensively studied experimental areas in Spain. By combining observational measurements at the leaf, tree, plot, and catchment scales with field experiments and modelling, the authors explore how these forests cope with strong water limitation and repeated disturbances.

While scientific and socio-political communities around the world are aware of the natural and economic importance of biodiversity, we are faced with an ever-increasing number of plant species under threat of extinction. Conservation is thus a vital part of the plant scientist's work, in the field, in botanic gardens and in universities. This colour atlas has been conceived to integrate the dual botanical themes of plant propagation and conservation. Various texts deal with propagation, in vivo and in vitro, and with aspects of conservation, but none marries the two themes, let alone a book which uses the concise, focused colour atlas approach. Each of the chapters has been written by an acknowledged international authority on the subject, under the editorship of Dr Bryan Bowes whose Colour Guide to Plant Structure (2nd edition 2008) is already highly successful. Topics range from the history and likely future of conservation and the effects of human activity on plant diversity, to the practical techniques of collection, preservation, germination, propagation and management of plant populations in the laboratory and in the field. The text is referenced and is illustrated throughout by colour photos and photomicrographs of the highest quality. It appeals worldwide to students of conservation, plant science and biology, and to professionals and academics, plant propagators, ecologists, and conservationists working in botanic gardens, universities and colleges, in field research and in nurseries specialising in indigenous plants.

It is a distressing truism that the human race during the last millennium has caused the exponential loss of plant genetic diversity throughout the world. This has had direct and negative economic, political and social consequences for the human race, which at the same time has failed to exploit fully the positive benefits that might result from conserving and exploiting the world's plant genetic resources. However, a strong movement to halt this loss of plant diversity and enhance its utilisation for the benefit of all humanity has been underway since the 1960's (Frankel and Bennett, 1970; Frankel and Hawkes, 1975). This initiative was taken up by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, 1992) that not only expounds the need to conserve biological diversity but links conservation to exploitation and development for the benefit of all. Article 8 of the Convention clearly states the need to develop more effective and efficient guidelines to conserve biological diversity, while Article 9, along with the FAO International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, promotes the adoption of a complementary approach to conservation that incorporates both ex situ and in situ techniques.

This volume offers comprehensive and up-to-date information on research in many different disciplines which give an overall insight into the environmental history of Africa.

^iEco-Hydrology is the first book to offer an overview of the complex relationships between plants and water across a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic environments. Leading ecologists and hydrologists present reviews of the eco-hydrology of drylands, wetlands, temperate and tropical rain forests, streams, and rivers and lakes. The authors present background information on the water relations of plants, from individual cells to stands of plants, the role of mathematical models in eco-hydrology, and explanations of how plants affect patterns and rates of water movement and storage in a range of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

The goal of this book is to make some underutilized but potentially very useful methods in experimental design and analysis available to ecologists, and to encourage better use of standard statistical techniques. Ecology has become more and more an experimental science in both basic and applied work, but experiments in the field and in the laboratory often present formidable statistical difficulties. Organized around providing solutions to ecological problems, this book offers ways to improve the statistical aspects of conducting manipulative ecological experiments, from setting them up to interpreting and reporting the results. An abundance of tools, including advanced approaches, are made available to ecologists in step-by-step examples, with computer code provided for common statistical packages. This is an essential how-to guide for the working ecologist and for graduate students preparing for research and teaching careers in the field of ecology.

The first of two volumes documenting the latest findings on forest biodiversity, this book presents original, new contributions by some three hundred scientists from over forty countries. Researchers from the massive Smithsonian/MAB Biological Diversity Program cover the feasibility of using long-term inventory plots as a framework for monitoring multi-layer vegetation, socioeconomic applications of research results, and promotion of multidisciplinary research and training. The book is in five main sections covering first the methodology for forest monitoring and modeling and then the results of research from Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia/Pacific.

Plants are sessile organisms that live under a constant barrage of biotic and abiotic insults. Both biotic and abiotic stress factors have been shown to affect various aspects of plant system including the acceleration in the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The ascorbate (AsA)-glutathione (GSH) pathway is a key part of the network of reactions involving enzymes and metabolites with redox properties for the detoxification of ROS, and thus to avert the ROS-accrued oxidative damage in plants. The present book mainly deals with the information gained through the cross-talks and inter-relationship studies on the physiological, biochemical and molecular aspects of the cumulative response of various components of AsA-GSH pathway to stress factors and their significance in plant stress tolerance.

The book provides information essential for anyone interested in the ecology of the American Southwest, including land managers, environmental planners, conservationists, ecologists and students. It is unique in its coverage of the hows and whys of dynamics (changes) in the major types of vegetation occurring on southwestern mountains and plateaus. It explains the drivers and processes of change, describes historical changes and provides conceptual models that diagrammatically illustrate past, present, and potential future changes. All major types of vegetation are covered: spruce-fir, mixed conifer, and ponderosa pine forests, pinyon-juniper vegetation, subalpine-montane grassland, and Gambel oak and interior chaparral shrublands. The focus is on vegetation that is relatively undisturbed, i.e., in natural and near-natural condition, and how it responds to natural disturbances such as fire and drought, as well as to anthropogenic disturbances such as fire exclusion and invasive species

The first edition of Cladistic Biogeography was published in 1986. It was a concise exposition of the history, methods, applications of, and prospects for cladistic biogeography, or the study of the historical and evolutionary relationships between species based on their distribution patterns. Well reviewed, and widely used in teaching, Cladistic Biogeography is still in demand, despite having been out of print for some time. This new edition has been updated throughout, with several chapters being rewritten and expanded to incorporate the latest research findings and theoretical and methodological advances in this dynamic field.

Saponins and Plant Defense; A.E. Osbourn, et al. Role of Toxins in Plant Microbial Interactions; S.P. McCormick, et al. Active Oxygen in Fungal Pathogenesis of Plants; The Role of Cercosporin in Cercospora Diseases; M.E. Daub, et al. Tree-Fungus Interactions in Ectomycorrhizal Symbiosis; R.T. Koide. Allelochemicals in Root Exudates of Maize: Effects on Root Lesion Nematode Pratylenchus Zeae; A. Friebe, et al. Chemical Signals in the Plant-Nematde Interaction: A Complex System? G. Gheysen. Salicylic Acid-Mediated Signal Transduction in Plant Disease Resistance; D.F. Klessig, et al. Biosynthesis of Rhizobial Exopolysaccharides and Their Role in the Root Nodule Symbiosis of Leguminous Plants; W.A.T. van Workum, J.W. Kijne. Flavonoids as Regulators of Plant Development: New Insights from Studies of Plant-Rhizobia Interactions; H.P. Spaink. Fatty Acid-Derived Signaling Molecules in the Interaction of Plants with Their Environment; E.W. Weiler, et al. Interactions BetweenAgrobacterium Tumefacients and Plant Cells; P. Bundock, P. Hooykaas. Wound and Defense Responses in Cassava as Related to Post-Harvest Physiological Deterioration; J.R. Beeching, et al. Index.

In this book, plant biology is considered from the perspective of plants and their surrounding environment, including both biotic and abiotic interactions. The intended audience is undergraduate students in the middle or final phases of their programs of study. Topics are developed to provide a rudimentary understanding of how plant-environment interactions span multiple spatiotemporal scales, and how this rudimentary knowledge can be applied to understand the causes of ecosystem vulnerabilities in the face of global climate change and expansion of natural resource use by human societies. In all chapters connections are made from smaller to larger scales of ecological organization, providing a foundation for understanding plant ecology. Where relevant, environmental threats to ecological systems are identified and future research needs are discussed. As future generations take on the responsibility for managing ecosystem goods and services, one of the most effective resources that can be passed on is accumulated knowledge of how organisms, populations, species, communities and ecosystems function and interact across scales of organization. This book is intended to provide some of that knowledge, and hopefully provide those generations with the ability to avoid some of the catastrophic environmental mistakes that prior generations have made.

This book presents some results on selected taxa in the Himalayan region (mainly Nepal), pinpoints the threats to their survival and suggests ways how to avoid their extinction. Most chapters are based on graduate research projects - relatively long-term field studies. The data presented here can be a good source of updated information on the subject and will prove to be a very useful reference in future studies of Himalayan biodiversity. They also tend to pinpoint the existing gaps in our knowledge of this region. All the chapters are based on recent trends of biodiversity and conservation vision, so the book can be a potential alternative to the existing relatively older books with outdated vision and information. Its main goal, however, is to disseminate the information about biodiversity conservation problems in the Himalayan region among the people in the developed world.

An understanding of ecology is an important requirement of a wide range of academic areas, including biology, zoology and environmental science. This book is a study and revision guide for students following programmes of study in which ecology is an important component. It contains 600 multiple-choice questions (and answers) set at three levels - foundation, intermediate and advanced - and grouped into 10 major topic areas: * The history and foundations of ecology * Abiotic factors and environmental monitoring * Taxonomy and biodiversity * Energy flow and production ecology * Nutrient and material cycles * Ecophysiology * Population ecology * Community ecology and species interactions * Ecological genetics and evolution * Ecological methods and statistics The book has been produced in a convenient format so that it can be used at any time in any place. It allows the reader to learn and revise the meaning of ecological terms, the basic processes operating in ecosystems, the dynamics of populations, ecological genetics and the process of evolution, the methods used in ecological surveys, and much more. The structure of the book allows the study of one topic area at a time, progressing through simple questions to those that are more demanding. Many of the questions require students to use their knowledge to interpret information provided in the form of graphs, data or photographs, providing a useful tool for independent study.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE TS ELIOT PRIZE FOR POETRY 2020 WINNER OF THE SCOTTISH BOOK AWARDS' POETRY BOOK OF THE YEAR A POETRY BOOK SOCIETY RECOMMENDATION SHORTLISTED FOR THE JOHN POLLARD FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL POETRY PRIZE "Whip-smart, sonically gorgeous" - Rae Armantrout, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning Versed When Louis Pasteur observed the process of fermentation, he noted that, while most organisms perished from lack of oxygen, some were able to thrive as 'life without air'. In this capricious, dreamlike collection, characters and scenes traverse states of airlessness, from suffocating relationships and institutions, to toxic environments and ecstatic asphyxiations. Both compassionate and ecologically nuanced, this innovative collection bridges poetry and prose to interrogate the conditions necessary for survival.

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.

As soil and crop management procedures have become more complex, County Agricultural Agents, farm advisors, consultants, and fertilizer and chemical dealers have had to specialize in some aspect of soil fertility and crop nutrition management procedures, limiting their ability to provide a range of advice and services. Most farmers and growers can no longer turn to just one source for the information and instruction needed to achieve their production goals.

With over 70 percent new material, the second edition of the Plant Nutrition and Soil Fertility Manual discusses the principles determining how plants grow and the elements essential for successful crop production, with a focus on the principles of soil fertility and plant nutrition. The book covers physical and chemical properties of soil, chemical and organic fertilizers, soil acidity and alkalinity, liming and liming materials, and micronutrients essential to plant growth. It also describes elements toxic to plants, soil testing, and plant analysis.

The topics and discussion in this self-contained book are practical and user-friendly, yet comprehensive enough to cover material presented in upper-level soil and plant science courses. It allows practitioners with general background knowledge to feel confident applying the principles presented to soil/crop production systems.

Table of Contents

Section I

Introduction

Management Requirements

Productivity Factors

Climatic Factors

Moving Up the Yield Scale

Product Quality

Soil Fertility Principles

Fertile Soil Defined

Making and Keeping a Soil "Fertile"

Biological Factors

An "Ideal Soil"

Soil Fertility Management Concepts

Multiple Factor Yield Influence

Soil Condition Related to Deficiency in a Major Element and Micronutrient

Elemental Content of the Soil and Soil Solution

Plant Nutrition Principles

Photosynthesis

The Function of Plants

Determination of Essentiality

Essential Element Content in Plants

Classification of the Thirteen Essential Mineral Elements

Role of the Essential Plant Nutrient Elements

Plant Nutrient Element Sources

Element Absorption and Translocation

Elemental Accumulation

Element Absorption and Plant Genetics

Diagnostic Plant Symptoms of Essential Plant Nutrient Element Insufficiencies

The Plant Root

Introduction

Root Function

Root Hairs

Lateral Roots

The Rhizosphere

Root Ion Absorption

Root Crops

How to be a Diagnostician

The Diagnostic Approach

Being a Diagnostician

Diagnostic Factors

Evaluating Diagnostic Procedures

Scouting

Weather Conditions

Factors Affecting Essential Nutrient Element Concentrations in Plants

Plant (Crop) Wilting

Summary

Certified Crop Advisor Programs

Section II: Physical and Physiochemical Characteristics of Soil

Soil Taxonomy, Horizontal Characteristics, and Clay Minerals

Soil Orders (U.S. System of Soil Taxonomy)

Designations for Soil Horizons and Layers

Physical Properties of Soils

Textural Classification

Soil Separates or Primary Soil Separates

Soil Separate Properties

Soil Texture Characterization Definitions

Soil Structure

Tillage Practices

Water-Holding Capacity

Physiochemical Properties of Soil

Soil Separate Properties

Major Phyllosilicate Minerals in Soils

Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) of a Soil Based on Texture

Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) Determination of a Soil

Anion Exchange Capacity

Soil pH: Its Determination and Interpretation

Definitions

Causes of Soil Acidity

Water pH Determination of Mineral Soil, Organic Soil, and Organic Soilless Rooting Media

pH Determination using a Calibrated pH Meter

Other Soil pH Determination Procedure

Salt pH Determination for a Mineral Soil

pH Interpretation: Mineral Soil

pH Interpretation: Organic Soils

pH Interpretation: Organic Soilless Medium

Soil pH Constancy

Plant Root Function

Soil Acidity and NPK Fertilizer Efficiency

Soil pH Effect on Elemental Availability and/or Soil Solution Composition

Soil Buffer pH

pH Determination of Water

Soil Organic Matter

Definitions of Soil Organic Matter and Its Components

Humus

Soil Organic Matter Characteristics

Methods of Soil Organic Matter Determination

Management Requirements for High Organic Matter Content Soils

Adverse Affects of Organic Matter Additions

Section III: Plant Elemental Requirements and Associated Elements

Major Essential Plant Elements

Terminology

Methods of Expression

Established Date for Essentiality/Researchers

Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen

Major Essential Element Properties

Micronutrients Considered Essential to Plants

Terminology

Established Date for Essentiality/Researchers

Content and Function

Soil and Plant Species Associations

Micronutrient Characteristics

Micronutrient Properties

Possible Additional Essential Micronutrients

Elements Considered Beneficial to Plants

The A to Z Nutrient Solution

Elements Essential for Animals

Basis for Essentiality for Beneficial Elements

Potential Essential Elements

"New" Beneficial Elements

Element Substitution

Form of Response

Summary

Elements Considered Toxic to Plants

Introduction

The Nature of Elemental Toxicity

Aluminum and Copper Toxicity

Other Elements

Plant Species Factor

The Heavy Metals

Trace Elements Found in Plants

Definition

Elements Categorized as Trace Elements

High Soil Content Elements

Availability Factors

Accumulator Plants and Elements

Symbiotic Element

Section IV: Methods of Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition Assessment

Soil Testing

Purposes

Field Sampling

Soil Laboratory Selection

Laboratory Soil Testing Procedures

Interpretation of a Soil Test Result

Soil Test Result Tracking (Monitoring)

Liming and Fertilizer Use Strategies

Plant Analysis and Tissue Testing

Plant Analysis Objectives

Sequence of Procedures

Sampling Techniques

Plant Tissue Handling, Preparation, and Analysis

Methods of Interpretation

Word Classification of Elemental Concentrations

As a Diagnostic Technique

Experience Required

Data Logging/Tracking of Plant Analyses

Utilization of Plant Analyses for Nutrient Element Management

Tissue Testing

Indirect Evaluation Procedures

Section V: Amendments for Soil Fertility Maintenance

Lime and Liming Materials

Liming Terms

Liming Materials

Liming Materials and Their Calcium Carbonate Equivalent (CCE)

Mesh Size

Quality Factor Designation

Lime Requirement (LR)

Soil Test Ratio of Ca to Mg Determines Form of Limestone to Apply

Liming Rate Determined by Acidifying Effect of Fertilizer

"Lime Shock"

Lime Incorporation

Depth of Incorporation

Subsoil pH

Inorganic Chemical Fertilizers and Their Properties

Definitions

Fertilizer Terminology

Characteristics of the Major Elements as Fertilizer

Conversion Factors for the Major Essential Fertilizer Elements

Characteristics of the Micronutrients as Fertilizer

The Physical and Chemical Properties of Fertilizers

Naturally Occurring Inorganic Fertilizers

Organic Fertilizers and Their Properties

Value

Composted Animal Manures

Animal Manure Major Element Composition

Other Organic Materials

Soil and Plant Factors

Fertilizer Placement

Objectives

Methods of Fertilizer Placement

Soil Water, Irrigation, and Water Quality

Soil Water Terminology

Soil Factors Affecting Soil Water-Holding Capacity and Movement

Drainage

Irrigation Methods

Irrigation Water Quality

Water Treatment Procedures

What is Water?

Section VI: Methods of Soilless Plant Production

Hydroponics

Hydroponics Defined

Historical Events

Hydroponic Techniques

Hydroponic Growing Systems

Rooting Media

Water Quality

The Nutrient Solution

Reagents and Nutrient Solution Formulations

Concentration Range and Ratios

pH Interpretation-Hydroponic Nutrient Solution

Reconstitution of the Nutrient Solution

Accumulation of Nutrient Elements and Precipitates

Soilless Rooting and/or Growing Media

Soilless Media Ingredients

Soilless Media Formulations

Physical Properties

Physiochemical Properties

Control of pH

Use Formulations

Bag Culture Systems

"Fertility" Determination Procedure for an Organic Soilless Mix

Section VII: Miscellaneous

Organic Farming/Gardening

Chemicalization of Crop Production

"Organically Grown" Defined

Suitable Inorganic Fertilizer Materials

Suitable Organic Fertilizers

Organic Soil Fertility Management

Soil Physical Properties

Food Safety and Quality Issues

Weather and Climatic Conditions

Definitions

Climatic Factors

Weather as a Diagnostic Factor

Best Management Practices (BMPs)

Origin

Best Management Practice Application Broadened

Best Practice

Important Protocol Considerations

Precision Farming

Section Appendices

Glossary

Formulation and Use of Soil Extraction Reagents

Preparation Procedures and Elemental Content Determination for Plant Tissue

Weights and Measures

Reference Books and Texts

References

Index

Advice involves immediate 'rapid-response' actions to initiate containment along with preventative strategies, measures for control and monitoring requirements post-control. The manual responds to the GB Non-Native Species Strategy and deals with over 40 species which have been selected from plants listed in Schedule 9 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) for the UK; invasive alien species of EU concern (as per EU IAS Regulation 1143/2014); and other noteworthy species of the urban environment, for example butterfly-bush (buddleia). Each species account includes: a brief description on ecology and identification with corresponding photographs; a distribution map for the British and Irish Isles; immediate actions that can be taken once identified; pathways of spread; lifespan; seed-production age; seed longevity; growth rate; a 'schematic' of the life-cycle aimed at assisting the determination of schedules for survey and treatment; prevention and rapid-response measures; tables of control, management and herbicide treatment linked to decision-making flow diagrams; waste-disposal requirements; revegetation post-management; and continued monitoring. Key references to published data and links to appropriate websites are also included.

This book provides the concepts, techniques, and recent developments with regard to use of mulches in agriculture, utility of mulches for non-chemical pest control, and sustainability of crop production systems. Non-conventional means of improving the sustainability of crop production and pest control are required in the wake of environmental concerns over the use of conventional pesticides as well as the intensive use of land resources. Mulches have been used in agriculture for various purposes; however, there has been an increase in their use more recently, and scientists around the world have conducted more research to explore the benefits of mulching in various agricultural systems. Mulches have been found advantageous in non-chemical pest control, soil and water conservation, improving fertility, and improving microbial activities in the soil. While this is a topic of current importance, the information use of mulches in agricultural fields is rarely compiled in one comprehensive location to provide a full account of various aspects of mulches and their utility. This book will be helpful for researchers, growers, and students.

This book summarizes a long-term research project addressing land and water use in the irrigated areas of the Aral Sea basin. In an interdisciplinary approach, natural and human sciences are combined to elucidate the challenges of economic transition that affect the use of land, water and biological resources, ecological sustainability, economic efficiency and the livelihoods of the local population. The research focuses on Khorezm, a region in Uzbekistan, located on the Amudarya river, in the heart of Central Asia. A series of chapters describes the biophysical environment and the aspects of society and institutions that shape land and water use. The book discusses options and tools to improve land and water management, and to reform the economic system management, based on agronomic, hydrological, economic ans social studies and modeling. The insights are not only important for Uzbekistan, but for all countries in transitions and irrigated dryland areas elsewhere.

There is an old fundamentalist argument that the world will eventually be destroyed in the Apocalypse, so there is no point in caring for it. When one reads about the delicate balance of the first moments of the cosmos, one can only marvel at the process which brought about the existence of the earth and the creatures that inhabit it. One of Theo McCall's joys in life is cycling. He lives in the city of Adelaide, South Australia, a perfect city for cycling. When he first began this project, once or twice a week he would cycle in the early morning. The last part of the return trip would involve riding eastwards into the rising sun. Whenever he felt the warmth of the sun on his face and was aware of its sheer power and energy, he was convinced that the universe is an overwhelmingly beautiful place, which God would never abandon or destroy. It is with this complete faith in God's love for creation that he set out to write an account of how this creation, with all its beauty and fragility, as well as its flaws and scars, might be transformed into God's new creation. Given the ecological crisis that we face, how can we meaningfully talk about the consummation of all things, without removing the impetus for ecological action? In other words, is it possible to develop an ecological eschatology?

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 dormancy involves synchronization of environmental cues with developmental processes to ensure plant survival; however, negative impacts of plant dormancy include pre-harvest sprouting, non-uniform germination of crop and weed seeds, and fruit loss due to inappropriate bud break. Thus, our continued quest to disseminate information is important in moving our understanding of plant dormancy forward and to develop new ideas for improving food, feed, and fiber production and efficient weed control, particularly under global climate change. Proceeding from the 5th International Plant Dormancy Symposium will provide an overview related on our current understanding of how environmental factors impact cellular, molecular, and physiological processes involved in bud and seed dormancy, and perspectives and/or reviews on achievements, which should stimulate new ideas and lines of investigation that increase our understanding of plant dormancy and highlight directions for future research. ​

This second edition of a well-received book focuses on rhythmic behaviour in plants, which regulates all developmental and adaptive responses and can thus be regarded as quintessential to life itself. The chapters provide a timely update on recent advances in this field and comprehensively summarize the current state of knowledge concerning the molecular and physiological mechanisms behind circadian and ultradian oscillations in plants, their physiological implications for growth and development and adaptive responses to a dynamic environment. Written by a diverse group of leading researchers, the book will spark the interest of readers from many branches of science: from physicists and chemists wishing to learn about the multi-faceted rhythms in plants, to biologists and ecologists involved in the state-of-the-art modelling of complex rhythmic phenomena.