This book reviews current topics on plant metabolism of air pollutants and elevated CO2, responses of whole plants and plant ecosystems, genetics and molecular biology for functioning improvement, experimental ecosystems and climate change research, global carbon-cycle monitoring in plant ecosystems, and other important issues. The authors, conducting research in Europe, the United States, Australia, and East Asia, present a wealth of information on their work in the field.

East Asia, with its large, fast-growing population and rapid industrialization, is an important area for global environmental problems, both in terms of the generation of greenhouse gases and the effects of any change in crop yields. The probable climate changes caused by increased concentrations of greenhouse gases and the modeling of plant production, vegetation distribution, phenological events, and lake ecosystems are discussed in this book. Besides providing an overview and synthesis of recent research, this volume shows the importance of analyzing local field data on microclimates, soil environments, the extent of snow cover, and the productivity of mountain vegetation. The possible effects of increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide and rising temperatures on rice yield are shown from controlled environment experiments. This book will be particularly valuable to researchers and students in the fields of ecology, crop science, forestry, and environmental sciences as well as being of interest to anyone concerned with global environmental problems.

This book reviews current topics on plant metabolism of air pollutants and elevated CO2, responses of whole plants and plant ecosystems, genetics and molecular biology for functioning improvement, experimental ecosystems and climate change research, global carbon-cycle monitoring in plant ecosystems, and other important issues. The authors, conducting research in Europe, the United States, Australia, and East Asia, present a wealth of information on their work in the field.