This is the fourth edition of an established and successful reference for plant scientists. The author has taken into consideration extensive reviews performed by colleagues and students who have touted this book as the ultimate reference for research and learning. The original structure and philosophy of the book continue in this new edition, providing a genuine synthesis of modern physicochemical and physiological thinking, while entirely updating the detailed content. Key concepts in plant physiology are developed with the use of chemistry, physics, and mathematics fundamentals.
The figures and illustrations have been improved and the list of references has been expanded to reflect the author's continuing commitment to providing the most valuable learning tool in the field. This revision will ensure the reputation of Park Nobel's work as a leader in the field.
* More than 40% new coverage
* Incorporates student-recommended changes from the previous edition
* Five brand new equations and four new tables, with updates to 24 equations and six tables
* 30 new figures added with more than three-quarters of figures and legends improved
* Organized so that a student has easy access to locate any biophysical phenomenon in which he or she is interested
* Per-chapter key equation tables
* Problems with solutions presented in the back of the book
* Appendices with conversion factors, constants/coefficients, abbreviations and symbols

The Environmental Biology of Agaves and Cacti constitutes the first comprehensive review of how these two interesting and economically important desert succulent taxa respond, in what turn out to be remarkably similar ways, to specific environmental factors such as water, temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, and nutrients, which affect the exchange of carbon dioxide and water vapor with the environment. Park Nobel first summarizes early environmental research as well as the many ethnobotanical uses of agaves and cacti. He then develops the main themes by considering the three most studied species in detail. Much of the relevant research has been carried out in his own laboratory since the mid-1970s. The book's clear style, many photographs and line drawings, and comprehensive data summaries make it accessible to professionals and interested laypeople alike. Every scientific term is defined the first time it is used. Agaves and cacti are shown to be highly productive compared to other plant groups, and this productivity helps account for their many uses for beverages, food, and animal fodder. Plant ecologists and physiologists, agronomists, environmental biologists, modelers, ethnobotanists, students, amateur succulent enthusiasts, and those responsible for land use and agricultural policy in arid and semiarid regions will all find this book an invaluable resource.

Physicochemical and Environmental Plant Physiology, Fifth Edition, is the updated version of an established and successful text and reference for plant scientists. This work represents the seventh book in a 50-year series by Park Nobel beginning in 1970. The original structure and philosophy of the book continue in this new edition, providing a genuine synthesis of modern physicochemical and physiological thinking, while updating the content. Key concepts in plant physiology are developed with the use of chemistry, physics, and mathematics fundamentals. The book contains plant physiology basics while also including many equations and often their derivation to quantify the processes and explain why certain effects and pathways occur, helping readers to broaden their knowledge base. New topics included in this edition are advances in plant hydraulics, other plant-water relations, and the effects of climate change on plants. This series continues to be the gold standard in environmental plant physiology.

Agaves and cacti thrive under the higher temperatures, variable rainfall, and increased CO2 characteristic of global climate change. Moreover, their remarkable biomass productivity promises multitudinous new uses in addition to current uses ranging from tequila to delicious fruits to fodder consumed by animals worldwide. The book also discusses the water conserving ability of agaves and cacti based on nocturnal opening of stomata and hence nocturnal uptake of carbon dioxide, a photosynthetic pathway referred to as Crassulacean Acid Metabolism.

About the Topics Although widely differing taxonomically, agaves and cacti are remarkably similar physiologically. Both conserve water and produce well in arid and semi-arid regions. Both can cope with climate change, including increasing atmospheric CO2 levels, increasing temperatures, and changing rainfall patterns. Indeed, they are ideal plants for the future-the best is yet to come

About the Book DESERT WISDOM/AGAVES and CACTI: CO2, Water, Climate Change delivers crucial scientific information on Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (Chapter 2), plant tolerances (Chapter 3), and crop improvements using an Environmental Productivity Index (Chapters 5 and 6). A reader can also focus on the uses of agaves and cacti (Chapter 1), climate change implications (Chapter 4), and bright ideas for coping with future climates (Chapter 7). Cross-referencing, a Glossary, and References for further reading enhance its utility for everyone.

About the Author The world's leading authority on the environmental biology of agaves and cacti, Park S. Nobel has published more than 300 scientific articles and four other books on these plants: The Cactus Primer (with A.C. Gibson), Harvard University Press, 1986; Environmental Biology of Agaves and Cacti, Cambridge University Press, 1988; Remarkable Agaves and Cacti, Oxford University Press, 1994; and Cacti: Biology and Uses (as editor), University of California Press, 2002.

The Cactaceae family, with about sixteen hundred species, is cultivated worldwide for fruits, forage, fodder, and even as a vegetable. Cacti are recognized for their attractive flowers, special stem shapes, and ability to tolerate drought. Because of their efficient use of water and other adaptations, biological and agronomic interest in cacti has soared. These fascinating plants also have much to teach us about biodiversity and conservation. Yet a current, synthetic, wide-ranging reference on cacti has not been available until now. This comprehensive book, compiled by a well-known cactus biologist, includes authoritative, up-to-date chapters by thirty-five contributors from around the world on topics ranging from evolution to biotechnology. It is the first book of its kind to compile information on cactus biology, ecology, and uses in one convenient place.
The first half of the book provides a thorough overview of cactus biology and morphology and discusses the environmental and conservation issues that affect the plants. It includes a discussion of the evolution of the family, paying particular attention to new genetic and molecular approaches. The second half of the book focuses on the practical concerns of cultivating cacti, such as pest control and diseases, horticultural and forage applications, and techniques for agronomy. Other chapters cover the different markets for cacti and products that are made from them.
This unique volume will be a reliable and informative reference for ecologists and environmentalists, agriculturists, plant biologists, and anyone seriously interested in these remarkable plants.