The rise in the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere since the start of industrialization, and the global warming associated with this greenhouse gas, has stimulated research into the response of plants to elevated levels of CO2. Much of this work has been carried out in controlled environments which provide limited information about long-term effects on vegetation. In contrast, CO2-emitting mineral springs provide a unique opportunity to consider vegetation which has endured over many generations at naturally elevated levels of CO2. This volume presents findings from a range of sites, confirming the potential of these natural laboratories in the investigation of this important aspect of climate change.

The prospect of future climate change has stimulated research into the physiological responses of plants to stress. Water is a key factor controlling the distribution and abundance of plants in nature and the efficient uptake and subsequent transport of water within the plant is critical in hot, dry regions. This book, based on a meeting which focused on the failure of the hydraulic pathway within the xylem, brings together contributions from a range of experts who have worked on the cavitation of water in the transport system. The phenomenon of cavitation, discovered only in the 1960s, is now becoming recognised as being widespread and, whilst its ecological significance is a matter for further research, many scientists consider than embolism in the xylem predisposes plants to further water stress. Cavitation and refilling may, therefore, hold the key to vegetational response to climatic warming and drying. This book will provide a valuable compendium of information for those working in the plant and environmental sciences as well as for those whose interests lie in the more applied disciplines of agriculture and forestry.