Plant biology Books

Book SynopsisThere is more folklore, mythology and magic associated with our trees and forests than with any other living things.Known throughout the world as dark and wild places where witches make mischief and eerie creatures dwell, forests are also places of sanctuary for the ancient magic and the most enchanting species of trees.Kew: Witch's Forest is a beautifully illustrated, captivating journey through the magical woodland and its stories, from birch broomsticks and the sacred olive, to alder doorways and the Tree of Life.Table of ContentsThe Ancient Groves • The World Tree • The Stations of the Year • The Managed Forest • The Enchanted Forest • Cures for the Body • The Sacred Grove • The Cunning Woman's Stillroom • The Dark Mirror • Trees of Hope

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A monumental work by any standards, representing the combined knowledge and experience of renowned experts from across Europe. . . . A comprehensive catalogue of species, with beautiful full colour illustrations, sketches, diagrams and maps, is nothing short of breathtaking in its coverage."---David M. Gascoigne, Travels With Birds"A MUST-HAVE for anyone with a serious interest in aquatic plants of the region!"---Ian Paulsen, The Birdbooker Report

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times BestsellerA new, fully updated narrative edition of David Attenborough's seminal biography of our world, The Living Planet.Nowhere on our planet is devoid of life. Plants and animals thrive or survive within every extreme of climate and habitat that it offers. Single species, and often whole communities adapt to make the most of ice cap and tundra, forest and plain, desert, ocean and volcano. These adaptations can be truly extraordinary: fish that walk or lay eggs on leaves in mid-air; snakes that fly; flightless birds that graze like deer; and bears that grow hair on the soles of their feet.In The Living Planet, David Attenborough's searching eye, unfailing curiosity and infectious enthusiasm explain and illuminate the intricate lives of the these colonies, from the lonely heights of the Himalayas to the wild creatures that have established themselves in the most recent of environments, the city. By the end of this book it is difficult to say which is the more astonishing the ingenuity with which individual species contrive a living, or the complexity of their interdependence on each other and on the habitations provided by our planet.In this new edition, the author, with the help of zoologist Matthew Cobb, has added all the most up-to-date discoveries of ecology and biology, as well as a full-colour 64-page photography section. He also addresses the urgent issues facing our living planet: climate change, pollution and mass extinction of species.Trade ReviewPraise for the New Edition of Life on Earth: ‘It does not disappoint. The new Life on Earth is as glorious as the first’ Guardian ‘A beautiful and wide ranging work. The breadth of natural history covered is extraordinary and mesmerising. Life on Earth is still breathtakingly rich, and we would know far less about it were it not for Attenborough’s wonderful skills of communication over the years: our cultural and scientific lives would be poorer without him’ New Scientist ‘This natural history masterpiece offers a spectacular snapshot of a once-wild planet’ New Scientist Praise for David Attenborough: ‘A marvellous book … unputdownable … utterly engaging’ Telegraph ‘An elegant and gently funny writer’ The Times ‘His writing is as impressive and as enjoyable as his TV programmes and there can be no higher praise’ Daily Express ‘A great educator as well as a great naturalist’ Barack Obama ‘Sir David is a wizard of television, and, like Gandalf or Dumbledore, he has a near-magical gift for combining warmth and gravitas . . . the man who, for me, exemplifies the best in British broadcasting’ Louis Theroux ‘When I was a young boy I used to love turning on the television and watching David's programmes and really feeling like I was either back out in Africa or I was learning about something magical and almost out of this planet’ HRH Prince William

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Book SynopsisBig Cat Phonics for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised has been developed in collaboration with Wandle Learning Trust and Little Sutton Primary School. It comprises classroom resources to support the SSP programme and a range of phonic readers that together provide a consistent and highly effective approach to teaching phonics.

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Book SynopsisThis comprehensive book highlights the importance of Cyanidioschyzon merolae (C. merolae), an ultrasmall unicellular red alga, as a model eukaryote organism. The chapters introduce recent studies on C. merolae, from culture, synchronization and isolation methods of nucleic acids, proteins and organelles for molecular biological and cytological analyses, as well as its application in genetic engineering of environmental-stress-tolerant crops and oil production. In addition to discussing recent advances based on the complete genome information and molecular biological techniques such as genetic modifications and bioinformatics, the book includes visualization aids demonstrating that both classical and recent imaging techniques of fluorescent and electron microscopy can be applied to analyses of C. merolae. This publication offers a definitive resource for both beginners and professionals studying C. merolae, particularly in the field of molecular biology, evolutionary biology, morphology, biochemistry and cell biology, as well as those interested in its applications in medical sciences and agriculture.Table of Contents

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Book SynopsisRHS Genealogy for Gardeners is part of the bestselling series that includes RHS Latin for Gardeners and RHS Botany for Gardeners. This informative, easy-to-understand and beautifully designed reference book explores plant families and the plant family tree in unparalleled detail.From roses (Rosaceae) to rhubarb (Polygonaceae) and carrots (Apiaceae) to camellias (Theaceae), RHS Genealogy for Gardeners unlocks a wealth of practical information, helping you to identify, select and cultivate plants from over 70 families most familiar to gardeners. Along with details about the size, range, origin and appearance of each family, feature boxes highlight interesting facts and provide useful growing tips. Whether you are a gardener, horticultural student, budding botanist or plant enthusiast, RHS Genealogy for Gardeners will help you understand and appreciate the extraordinary diversity and unrivalled splendour of the plant kingdom.

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Book Synopsis"Read this book and you will learn how photosynthesis was discovered, how it works, and how we can produce more food to feed the world." - PAUL NURSE, Nobel Prize winner and author of What is Life?In Light to Life, biologist Raffael Jovine takes us on a journey of discovery into the intricate, beautiful and often surprising processes that convert energy from the sun into life and how all-important these are to our survival.Despite the unprecedented challenges the Earth faces from global warming, habitat loss, air pollution and population growth; Jovine shows us that there is hope to be found. Photosynthesis is the very source of life: it has the power not just to produce food, but to reshape continents, drive biogeochemical cycles, stabilise the climate and regulate weather.In this exciting, revelatory book, Jovine unveils a blueprint for the future: greening the desert, bringing the ocean on land, planting mangrove forests and oyster banks, growing algae for animal feed, human food and soil carbon... He demonstrates how by harnessing photosynthesis we can regenerate the planet and revise the way we human beings interact with it.This book will help you to see the world in a different way, in all its wonderful detail - through the photosynthetic pigments in your eyes.Trade Review'This book is about the magic of photosynthesis and how plants and algae turn sunlight into energy to make life on this planet possible. Read it and you will learn how photosynthesis was discovered, how it works, and how we can produce more food to feed the world.' -- PAUL NURSE, Nobel Prize winner and author of * What is Life? *'Photosynthesis is not only remarkable, it is the foundation of who we are and the lives we can lead. This outstanding book shows that it is also fascinating, inspirational, and the key to building a sustainable future.' -- LORD STERN, IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government and Chair of the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics

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Book SynopsisOne of the world's first tree-top scientists, Meg Lowman is both a pioneer in her field - she invented one of the first treetop walkways - and a tireless advocate for the planet. In a voice as infectious in its enthusiasm as in its practical optimism, The Arbornaut chronicles her irresistible story. From climbing solo hundreds of feet into Australia's rainforests to measuring tree growth in the northeastern United States, from searching the redwoods of the Pacific coast for new life to studying leaf-eaters in Scotland's Highlands, from a bioblitz in Malaysia to conservation planning in India to collaborating with priests in Ethiopia's last forests, Lowman launches us into the life and work of a scientist and ecologist. She also offers hope, specific plans and recommendations for action; despite devastation across the world, we can still make an immediate and lasting impact against climate change.Trade ReviewThe Arbornaut captures the magic of that little-known world with its pioneering stories and clear, informative text. Readers everywhere will be fascinated and inspired to learn more about nature, and especially about how we need to conserve the world's forests. -- Jane GoodallThe Arbornaut is about a shy girl who loved to play outdoors and became a scientist who educated the world about the abundant life in the treetops. I loved it. -- Temple GrandinThe Arbornaut is, true to its name, an account of intrepid exploration at the upper reaches of terrestrial life, where branches and foliage touch the sky and all creatures awake to the first morning rays of the sun. -- Wade Davis, author of INTO THE SILENCEThis is the most exciting and innovative way of introducing science that I have seen in many years. Everyone will want to read this book. Meg Lowman is starting a whole new movement exploring the treetops! -- E. O. Wilson, author of HALF-EARTH: OUR PLANET'S FIGHT FOR LIFEA passionate look at the 'unexplored wonderland' of trees... Lowman shines in her ability to combine accessible science with exciting personal anecdotes that effectively convey the "thrill of aerial exploration" and bolster her case that trees - and sustainable ecosystems - are worth studying, protecting, and preserving. Nature lovers will find much to consider. * Publishers Weekly *Table of Contents1: from wildflower to wallflower: a girl naturalist in rural america 2: becoming a forest detective: first encounters with temperate trees from new england to scotland 3: one hundred feet in the air: finding a way to study leaves in the australian rain forests 4: who ate my leaves?: tracking-and discovering!-australian insects 5: dieback in the outback: juggling marriage and investigations of gum tree death in australia's sheep country 6: hitting the glass canopy: how strangler figs and tall poppies taught me to survive as a woman in science 7: arbornauts for a week: citizen scientists explore the amazon jungles 8: tiger tracks, tree leopards, and vedippala fruits: exporting my toolkit to train arbornauts in india 9: a treetop bioblitz: counting 1,659 species in malaysia's tropical forests in ten days 10: building trust between priests and arbornauts: saving the forests of ethiopia, one church at a time 11: classrooms in the sky-for everyone!: wheelchairs and water bears in the treetops 12: can we save our last, best forests?: promoting conservation through mission green

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Book SynopsisPreface.- I. CONTEXT.- The Ecosystem Concept.- Earth's Climate System.- Geology, Soils, and Sediments.- II. MECHANISMS.- Water and Energy Balance.- Carbon Inputs to  Ecosystems.- Plant Carbon Budgets.- TerrDecomposition and Ecosystem Carbon Budgets.- Plant Nutrient Use.- Nutrient Cycling.- Trophic Dynamics.- Species Effects on Ecosystem Processes.- III. PATTERNS.- Temporal Dynamics.- Landscape Heterogeneity and Ecosystem Dynamics.- IV. INTEGRATION.- Changes in the Earth System.- Managing and Sustaining Ecosystem.- Abbreviations.- Glossary.- References.Trade ReviewReviews of the first edition:"This textbook includes 16 chapters, each ending with a summary, review questions and references to additional readings. … It is especially characterized by the great importance (250 pp.) which is attributed to abiotic aspects of ecosystem ecology and to production processes as well as nutrient cycling … . All these chapters are structured in an excellent and well organized way. … Altogether, the authors have well succeeded in writing a comprehensive textbook, mainly for graduate students." (Angelika Schwabe, Phytocoenologia, Vol. 34 (3), 2004)"This comprehensive textbook outlines the central processes that characterize terrestrial ecosystems, tracing the flow of water, carbon, and nutrients from their abiotic origins to their cycles through plants, animals, and decomposer organisms. … This book synthesizes current advances in ecology with established theory to offer a complete survey of ecosystem pattern and process in the terrestrial environment. … suitable for use in all courses on ecosystem ecology. Resource managers, land use managers, and researchers will also welcome its thorough presentation of ecosystem essentials." (Ethology, Ecology & Evolution, Vol. 15 (4), 2003)From the reviews of the second edition:“An outstanding textbook which, after definitions, sets the stage with primers on Earth’s climate system and geological processes. What follows is a magisterial and comprehensive account of the movements of water, energy, carbon and nutrients though natural systems. … authors delve into the finer detail and explain how biological processes can have important modulating effects through space and time. … The book is well written throughout and punctuated with excellent colour illustrations; no-one from undergraduates to established researchers can fail to learn something from it.” (Frontiers of Biogeography, Vol. 3 (3), 2011)Table of ContentsPreface.- I. CONTEXT.- The Ecosystem Concept.- Earth's Climate System.- Geology, Soils, and Sediments.- II. MECHANISMS.- Water and Energy Balance.- Carbon Inputs to Ecosystems.- Plant Carbon Budgets.- TerrDecomposition and Ecosystem Carbon Budgets.- Plant Nutrient Use.- Nutrient Cycling.- Trophic Dynamics.- Species Effects on Ecosystem Processes.- III. PATTERNS.- Temporal Dynamics.- Landscape Heterogeneity and Ecosystem Dynamics.- IV. INTEGRATION.- Changes in the Earth System.- Managing and Sustaining Ecosystem.- Abbreviations.- Glossary.- References.

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Book SynopsisWhat was tulipmania? Where would you find a boreal forest? And why are fungi not plants?Exploring everything from algae to the wood-wide web, this brilliantly eclectic and beautifully illustrated book delves into the roots, meaning and compelling stories of 250 botanical words.Guided by the experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant Words is a cornucopia of horticultural terms. From plants that have changed the course of history to those that talk to each other, and from trees as old as dinosaurs to gardening in outer space, this intriguing collection will cultivate your curiosity and give you the inside story on plants.Table of ContentsBotany • Growing • History • Documentation • Environment • Science • Index • Credits.

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Book SynopsisAn understanding of crop physiology and ecophysiology enables the horticulturist to manipulate a plant’s metabolism towards the production of compounds that are beneficial for human health when that plant is part of the diet or the source of phytopharmaceutical compounds. The first part of the book introduces the concept of Controlled Environment Horticulture as a horticultural production technique used to maximize yields via the optimization of access to growing factors. The second part describes the use of this production technique in order to induce stress responses in the plant via the modulation of these growing factors and, importantly, the way that this manipulation induces defence reactions in the plant resulting in the production of compounds beneficial for human health. The third part provides guidance for the implementation of this knowledge in horticultural production. Table of ContentsPart 1 – Introduction 1. Introduction 2. Protected Cropping in Horticulture 3. Plant Secondary Compounds 4. Hydroponic Systems in Horticulture Part 2 – Controllable Production Factors in Horticulture 5. Light 6. Nutrient deficiencies 7. Salt stress 8. Drought Stress 9. Thermal Stress 10. Wounding 11. Mycorrhiza 12. Microbial and Plant-Based Biostimulants 13. Mineral Biofortification 14. CO2 Enrichment 15. Hormones 16. Intercropping Part 3 – Exercise 17. Acrylamide Concentrations of Deep-fried Potatoes 18. Enrichment of Anthocyanin in Pak Choi 19. Improving Flavor of Tomatoes 20. Biofortification of Carrots 21. Enrichment of Flavonoids in Lettuce 22. Effect of Germination Substrates on Tomato Plants

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Book SynopsisHorticulture has remained far behind in understanding of botanical principles. Recent phylogenetic (DNA-based) reorganization of higher plants has revolutionized taxonomic treatments of all biological entities, even when morphology does not completely agree with their organization. This book is an example of applying principals of botanical phylogenetic taxonomy to assemble genera, species, and cultivars of 200 vascular plant families of ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms that are cultivated for enhancement of human living space; homes, gardens, and parks. The emphases are on cultivated species but examples of some plants are often shown in the wild and in landscapes. In providing descriptions, it is assumed that students and other interested individuals have no background in general botany (plant characteristics), or nomenclature. Fundamental features of all plant groups discussed are fully illustrated by original watercolor drawings or photographs. Discussion of the families is grounded on recent botanical phylogenetic treatments, which is based on common ancestry (monophyly). Of course, phylogenetic taxonomy is not a new concept, and was originally based on morphological characteristics; it is the DNA-based phylogeny that has revolutionized modern biological classifications. In practical terms, this book represents the horticultural treatment that corresponds to phylogenetic-based botanical taxonomy, to which is added cultigens and cultivated genera and species. Hence, the harmony between horticultural and botanical taxonomy. This book covers phylogenetic-based taxonomy of Ferns, Gymnosperms, and Angiosperms (Monocots). A companion volume covers Angiosperms (Eudicots).Table of ContentsForeword Preface Acknowledgments About The Author Alphabetical List Of Families Table Of Contents Introduction 1. 1. Nomenclature 2. 2. Lycopods And Monilophytes Introduction Lycopodiopsida/Lycophytes Lycopodiaceae Selaginellaceae Isoetaceae Monilophytes (Ferns) Fern Frond Terminology Families Of Extant Ferns Psilotaceae Ophioglossaceae Equisetaceae Osmundaceae Marsiliaceae Cyatheaceae Pteridaceae Dryopteridaceae Polypodiaceae Aspleniaceae Woodsiaceae Blecnaceae Davalliaceae Dicksoniaceae Lomariopsidaceae Lygodiaceae Marattiaceae 3. 3. Gymnosperms Introduction Growth Habits Leaves Duration Of Growth Microstrobilus Megastribilus Families Of Extant Gymnosperms Cycadidae Cycadaceae Cycas Zamiaceae Bowenia Ceratozamia Dioon Encephalartos Lepidozamia Macrozamia Microcycas Stangeria Zamia Ginkgoaceae Gnetaceae Welwitschiaceae Pinitidae (Conifers) Pinaceae Araucariaceae Podocarpaceae Cupressaceae Taxaceae Sciadopityaceae 4. 4. Angiosperms: Flowering Plants Introduction Angiosperm Characteristics Monocotyledons (Monocots) Acoraceae Araceae Alismataceae Dioscoriaceae Taccaceae Velloziaceae Pandanaceae Melianthaceae Alstromeriaceae Colchicaceae Philesiaceae Liliaceae Orchidaceae Iridaceae Asphodelaceae Amaryllidaceae Asparagaceae Arecaceae (= Palmae) Commelinaceae Strelitziaceae Heliconiaceae Musaceae Cannaceae Marantaceae Costaceae Zingiberaceae Haemodoraceae Bromeliaceae Cyperaceae Poaceae (Gramineae) Glossary References Index

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Book Synopsis''A joy to read ... mind-expanding'' Book of the Week, Guardian''A bold and brave paean to our planet''s ligneous, leafy kingdom'' Telegraph''An impressive exploration and dazzling insight into the lives of plants'' Reaction Book Digest What is it like to be a plant?It''s not a question we might think to contemplate, even though many of us live surrounded by plants. Science has long explored the wonderful ways in which plants communicate, behave and shape their environments: from chemical warfare to turning their predators to cannibalism. But they''re usually just the backdrop to our frenetic animal lives.While plants may not have brains or move around as we do, cutting-edge science is revealing that they have astonishing inner worlds of an alternate kind to ours. They can plan ahead, learn, recognise their relatives, assess risks and make decisions. They can even be put to sleep. Innovative new tools might allow us to actually see them do these things - from electrophysiological recordings to MRI and PET scans. If you can look in the right way, a world full of drama unfurls.In PLANTA SAPIENS, Professor Paco Calvo offers a bold new perspective on plant biology and cognitive science. Using the latest scientific findings, Calvo challenges us to make an imaginative leap into a world that is so close and yet so alien - one that will expand our understanding of our own minds.From their rich subjective experiences to how they are inspiring novel ways of approaching the ecological crisis, PLANTA SAPIENS is a dazzling exploration of the lives of plants and a call to approach how we think about the natural world in a new, maverick way.Trade ReviewCalvo has a wonderfully infectious enthusiasm for his subject that makes this book, for all its complex science, a joy to read. He challenges us to set aside our 'zoocentric' perspective and to change our view of plants radically: from mechanisms akin to robots to complex organisms with a range of behaviours, responding to and anticipating their environments. In doing so, he has written a genuinely mind-expanding book -- Book of the Day * Guardian *PLANTA SAPIENS is [a] bold and brave paean to our planet's ligneous, leafy kingdom. I mostly relished the intellectual interrogation, the maverick thinking, and add my voice to his call to think beyond our prejudices and our anthropocentric indoctrination * Daily Telegraph *Deeply thought-provoking. PLANTA SAPIENS is a mind-opening meditation about the inner lives of plants. Whether you come away convinced that plants are conscious, or not, this book will change - and enrich - the way you look at the green life all around you -- Anil Seth, author of BEING YOUA manifesto inviting us to think about plants and our attitudes to them in revolutionary ways -- Helen Bynum * TLS *PLANTA SAPIENS presents 'fertile possibilities' to the public and in doing so it has put science on notice ... We should be delighted with Professor Calvo's seeding of scientific curiosity for the hope that it offers -- Diana Beresford-Kroeger, author of TO SPEAK FOR THE TREESWe are unimaginable without plants, yet surprisingly blind to their powers and behaviours. PLANTA SAPIENS weaves science and history into an absorbing exploration of the many ways that plants rise to the challenge of living -- Merlin Sheldrake, author of ENTANGLED LIFEAn impressive exploration and dazzling insight into the lives of plants * Reaction Book Digest *Are plants conscious? Before you say no, read this fascinating new book * @michaelpollan via Twitter, author of THIS IS YOUR MIND ON PLANTS *An important book * Observer *PLANTA SAPIENS offers an exciting and detailed look into research on plant intelligence and sets the standard for future studies in this important and forward-looking area -- Marc Bekoff, University of Colorado[PLANTA SAPIENS] takes readers on a journey into a seemingly alien world ... Read this fascinating book and your view of nature will never be the same again * The Countryman Magazine *A fascinating description of how plants interact with the environment in myriad ways ... This book will make people think and help them to become more aware that plants have abilities that they may not know about. And, perhaps most significant, that it is important to truly see everything around us -- Temple Grandin * New York Times *

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Book Synopsis'A fascinating treasure trove for plant lovers and gardeners alike.' - Frances TophillOften beautiful and sometimes strange, flowering plants have evolved to become masters of seduction.We are surrounded by extraordinary partnerships between plants and the birds, bees and other insects that pollinate them. In The Sexual Life of Flowers, botanist Simon Klein leads a beguiling and fascinating tour of the courtship between fifty flowers and the pollinators vital to their survival.From the siren scent of honeysuckle to the radiating warmth of the sunflower or the ultraviolet signal of the red poppy; tales of botanical charm, deception and intrigue are played out amid an annual explosion of activity in gardens, meadows and woodlands. Lavishly illustrated in full colour, this is a beautiful collection for gardeners and anyone with an interest in flowers.

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Book SynopsisThere is now a considerable literature on chemical ecology, which had its beginnings in the study of insect pheromones. This beginning was possible only by combining the disciplines and techniques of biology and chemistry. For a biologist, it is difficult to understand the time frames of analytical and synthetic chemistry. A compound may take days to characterize and be available in minutes from a bottle on the shelf, or it may take years to characterize and synthesize. Chemists have a similar frustration: after an intense programme of work, the insect in question may not emerge for many months. study are, however, The rewards of integrated interdisciplinary considerable, because they allow us to understand many facets of insect behaviour and consequently to control that behaviour for our own ends. In this book, we have set out to explain the results of research from chemical andTable of ContentsPreface. Part One: Pheromones and Behavior; P.E. Howse. 1. Insect Semiochemicals and Communication. 2. The Role of Pheromones in Insect Behavior and Ecology. 3. Factors Controlling Responses of Insects to Pheromones. 4. Bioassay Methods. Part Two: Chemical Aspects of Pheromones; I.D.R. Stevens. 5. Chemical Structures and Diversity of Pheromones. 6. Isolation and Structure Determination. 7. Synthesis of Pheromones. 8. Structure and Species Specificity. Part Three: Practical Applications of Pheromones and Other Semiochemicals; O.T. Jones. 9. Pest Monitoring. 10. Mass Trapping. 11. Lure and Kill. 12. Mating Disruption. 13. Other Uses of Semiochemicals. Index.

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Book SynopsisA collection of studies on the ecologies of European cities, including Paris, Zurich, and Amsterdam among others. Discussion includes the natural and historical development of each city, local flora, the environmental impact of city growth, and environmental planning, design, and management.Table of ContentsForeword.- Preface.- Introduction.- City Accounts.- Epilogue.

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Book SynopsisThis Open Access volume highlights how tree ring stable isotopes have been used to address a range of environmental issues from paleoclimatology to forest management, and anthropogenic impacts on forest growth. It will further evaluate weaknesses and strengths of isotope applications in tree rings. In contrast to older tree ring studies, which predominantly applied a pure statistical approach this book will focus on physiological mechanisms that influence isotopic signals and reflect environmental impacts. Focusing on connections between physiological responses and drivers of isotope variation will also clarify why environmental impacts are not linearly reflected in isotope ratios and tree ring widths. This volume will be of interest to any researcher and educator who uses tree rings (and other organic matter proxies) to reconstruct paleoclimate as well as to understand contemporary functional processes and anthropogenic influences on native ecosystems. The use of stable isotopes in biogeochemical studies has expanded greatly in recent years, making this volume a valuable resource to a growing and vibrant community of researchers.Table of ContentsPART I INTRODUCTION: 1. Isotope Dendrochronology: Historical Perspective.- 2. Dendrochronology: Fundamentals and Innovations.- 3. Anatomical, developmental and physiological bases of tree-ring formation in relation to environmental factors.- PART II METHODS: 4. Sample collection and preparation for annual and intra-annual tree-ring isotope chronologies.- 5. Stable isotope signatures of wood, its constituents and methods of cellulose extraction.- 6. Tree-Ring Stable Isotope Measurements: The Role of Quality Assurance and Quality Control to Ensure High Quality Data.- 7. Newer Developments in Tree-Ring Stable Isotope Methods.- PART III: ISOTOPIC FRACTIONATIONS FROM SOURCE TO WOOD: 8. Isotopes – terminology, definitions and properties.- 9. Carbon isotope effects in relation to CO2 assimilation by tree canopies.- 10. Environmental, physiological and biochemical processes determining the oxygen isotope ratio of tree-ring cellulose.- 11. The stable hydrogen isotopic signature: From source water to tree rings.- 12. Nitrogen isotopes in tree rings – Challenges and prospects.-13. Postphotosynthetic fractionation in leaves, phloem and stem.- PART IV PHYSIOLOGICAL INTERPRETATIONS: 14. Environmental fingerprints in tree-ring stable isotopes: Limits and strengths in mirroring environmental impacts.- 15. Post-photosynthetic carbon, oxygen and hydrogen isotope signal transfer to tree rings – how timing of cell formations and turnover of stored carbohydrates affect intra-annual isotope variations.- 16. Probing tree physiology using the dual-isotope approach.- 17. Intrinsic water-use efficiency derived from stable carbon isotopes of tree-rings.- PART V: ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IMPACTING THE ISOTOPIC FRACTIONATION:18. Spatial and temporal variations in plant source water: O and H isotope ratiosfrom precipitation to xylem water.- 19. Climate signals in stable isotope tree ring records.- 20. Stable isotopes in tree rings of Boreal Forests.- 21. Stable isotopes in tree rings of Mediterranean Forests.- 22. Stable isotopes in tree rings of Tropical forests.- 23. Forest Management and Tree-Ring Isotopes.- 24. Impact of increasing CO2, and air pollutants (NOx, SO2, O3) on the stable isotope ratios in tree rings.- 25. Insect and pathogen influences on tree-ring stable isotopes.- 26. Process-based ecophysiological models of tree-ring stable isotopes.

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Book SynopsisHorticulture has remained far behind in understanding of botanical principles. Recent phylogenetic (DNA-based) reorganization of higher plants has revolutionized taxonomic treatments of all biological entities, even when morphology does not completely agree with their organization. This book is an example of applying principals of botanical phylogenetic taxonomy to assemble genera, species, and cultivars of 200 vascular plant families of ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms that are cultivated for enhancement of human living space; homes, gardens, and parks. The emphases are on cultivated species but examples of some plants are often shown in the wild and in landscapes. In providing descriptions, it is assumed that students and other interested individuals have no background in general botany (plant characteristics), or nomenclature. Fundamental features of all plant groups discussed are fully illustrated by original watercolor drawings or photographs. Discussion of the families is grounded on recent botanical phylogenetic treatments, which is based on common ancestry (monophyly). Of course, phylogenetic taxonomy is not a new concept, and was originally based on morphological characteristics; it is the DNA-based phylogeny that has revolutionized modern biological classifications. In practical terms, this book represents the horticultural treatment that corresponds to phylogenetic-based botanical taxonomy, to which is added cultigens and cultivated genera and species. Hence, the harmony between horticultural and botanical taxonomy. This book covers phylogenetic-based taxonomy of Angiosperms (Eudicots). A companion volume covers Ferns, Gymnosperms, and Angiosperms (Monocots). Table of ContentsForeword Preface ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR ALPHABETICAL LIST OF FAMILIES TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PART-DICOTYLEDONS Chapter 1: BASAL LINEAGES NYMPHAEACEAE SCHISANDRACEAE Chapter 2: MAGNOLIIDS PIPERACEAE ARISTOLOCHICEAE MAGNOLIACEAE ANNONACEAE CALYCANTHACEAE LAURACEAE Chapter 3: EUDICOTS PAPAVERACEAE BREBERIDACEAE RANUNCULACEAE NELUMBONACEAE PLANTANACEAE PROTEACEAE TROCHODENDRACEAE BUXACEAE GUNNERACEAE DILLENIACEAE PAEONIACEAE ALTINGIACEAE HAMAMELIDACEAE SAXIFRAGACEAE CRASSULACEAE VITACEAE ZYGOPHYLLACEAE FABACEAE POLYGALLACEAE ROSACEAE ELAEAGNACEAE RHAMNACEAE ULMACEAE MORACEAE URTICACEAE FAGACEAE MYRICACEAE JUGLANDIACEAE CASUARANACEAE BETULACEAE BEGONIACEAE OXALIDACEAE CUNONIACEAE ERYTHROXYLACEAE OCHNACEAE CLUSIACEAE HYPERICACEAE MALPIGHIACEAE CHRYSOBALANACEAE VIOLACEAE PASSIFLORACEAE (including Turneraceae) SALICACEAE EUPHORBIACEAE LINACEAE PHYLLANTHACEAE (including Bischofiaceae) GERANIACEAE COMBRETACEAE LYTHRACEAE ONAGRACEAE MYRTACEAE MELASTOMATACEAE BURSERACEAE ANACARDIACEAE SAPINDACEAE (including Aceraceae, Hippocastanaceae) RUTACEAE MELIACEAE MALVACEAE THYMELAEACEAE BIXACEAE CISTACEAE TROPAEOLACEAE CARICACEAE CAPPARACEAE CLEOMACEAE BRASSICACEAE LORANTHACEAE PLUMBAGINACEAE POLYGONIACEAE DROSERACEAE NEPENTHACEAE SIMONDSIACEAE CARYOPHYLACEAE AMARANTHACEAE AIZOACEAE PHYTOLACACEAE NYCTAGINACEAE MONTIACEAE DIDERIACEAE PORTULACACEAE CACTACEAE NYSSACEAE HYDRANGEACEAE LOASACEAE CORNACEAE BALSAMINACEAE FOUQUIERACEAE POLEMONIACEAE LECYTHIDACEAE PENTAPHYLACEAE SAPOTACEAE EBENACEAE PRIMULACEAE THEACEAE SARRACENIACEAE ERICACEAE RUBIACEAE GENTIANACEAE GELSIMIACEAE APOCYNACEAE BORAGINACEAE CONVOLVULACEAE SOLANACEAE MONTINIACEAE OLEACEAE GESNERIACEAE PLANTAGINACEAE SCROPHULARIACEAE LINDERNIACEAE PEDALIACEAE ACANTHACEAE BIGNONIACEAE LENTIBULARIACEAE VERBENACEAE LAMIACEAE PAULOWNIACEAE HELWINGIACEAE AQUIFOLIACEAE CAMPANULACEAE MENYANTHACEAE GOODENIACEAE ASTERACEAE ADOXACEAE CAPRIFOLIACEAE (including Dispsicaceae, Valerinaceae) PITTOSPORACEAE ARALIACEAE APIACEAE Back Matter GLOSSARY REFERENCES INDEX

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Book SynopsisThis book describes the mechanisms of nutrient taken up by plants at the biochemical and molecular level. This is a new concept developed over the past 30 years, primarily due to use of modern technology developed in biotechnological research, instrumentation, modern computation facilities, bioinformatics, the large volumes of information generated by use of various ‘omics’ and of course the dedicated hard work of a large number of researchers.Recent research indicates that nutrient uptake, its transport and redistribution in plants are under genetic control. There are groups of genes for each nutrient that encode transporter proteins whose functions are to acquire the specific nutrient from the soil and transport it across the plasma membrane of the root hair cells for use in plant metabolism. Deficiency or sufficiency of a plant nutrient induces different groups of genes to produce m-RNA transcripts for translation of transporter proteins. A large number of metabolic enzymes are up or down regulated in response to deficiency of plant nutrients. Morphological and metabolic adaptations in order to better acquire nutrients and use them frugally when nutrients are scarce in the growth medium can be observed in plants. Heavy metals, which are toxic to plants, induce different sets of defence mechanisms.In 20 chapters, the book describes plants’ uptake mechanisms for all the major, secondary and micronutrients, beneficial elements and heavy metals. References to research work quoted in the text are updated up to 2014 and included at the end of each chapter. Biotechnological approaches to improving nutrient use efficiency are discussed wherever such information is available. The structure and functions of transporter proteins involved in the uptake of nutrients are discussed. Additional information on some of the specific topics is provided in text boxes or as separate sections within the chapters. Lastly, the terminology used has been explained as far as possible in the text, mostly within parentheses. Trade Review“I found this book to be useful in getting information about members of major transporter families not only for model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana but also for other plant species. I also found it useful that the volume provides information about the concentration of different minerals in the soil and in plant tissues including grains … as well as provides tables with information about the sensitivity of various crops to mineral deficiencies.” (Olena Vatamaniuk, The Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol. 92 (3), September, 2017)Table of Contents1. Introduction and Uptake of Water and Nutrient Ions.- 2. Nitrogen (N) uptake.- 3. Phosphate (Pi) Uptake.- 4. Potassium (K) uptake.- 5. Calcium (Ca) uptake.- 6. Magnesium (Mg) Uptake.- 7. Sulphur (S) Uptake.- 8. Definition of Heavy metals, Essential and Beneficial Plant Nutrients.- 9. Uptake of Heavy Metals.- 10. Iron (Fe) uptake.- 11. Zinc (Zn) uptake.- 12. Manganese (Mn) uptake.- 13. Copper (Cu) uptake.- 14. Boron (B) Uptake.- 15. Molybdenum (Mo) uptake.- 16. Nickel (Ni) uptake.- 17. Chloride (Cl-) uptake.- 18. Sodium (Na) uptake.- 19. Silicon (Si) Uptake.- 20. Cobalt (Co), selenium (Se), Vanadium (V), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb) and Titanium (Ti)

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThis book written by Professor Chi Yen of Sichuan Agricultural University in Chinese was published by China Agriculture Press (ISBN 978-7-109-22791-0). It describes a new theory on the constitution of organs of the higher plants based on experimental evidence, the multiple secondary axis theory. This theory states that all organs of the higher plants are the constitution of multiple secondary axes. The primary axis extends bipolarly to initiate the above- and the below-ground parts of a plant, from which secondary axes develop. Leaves are split, expanded upper ends of terminal secondary axes. Stems are merged lower ends of the secondary axes, Vascular bundles are secondary structures developed within the axes which interconnect with each other to form the central core of the stem and branches and the veins in the leaves. Roots form through the downward extension of the lower ends of the axes toward or within the underground and branch roots are unsplit secondary axes. All new axes emerge from the inner side of existing, split axes. All floral organs including fruits, seeds and vegetative reproduction organs such as bulbils and plantlets, are deformed axes. This theory is significant in guiding the scientific design of the ideotype of crops to optimize the development of the economically important organ(s) of a crop.Table of Contents Chapter 1. The two contrary theories about organogenesis in morphology of the higher plants.-chapter 2. Saunders’ Leaf-skin Theory of Stem.- Chapter 3. Leaves are split axes.- Chapter 4. Re-evaluation of the evidences for the Telome Theory.- Chapter 5. What do hooded-awn barley, bitter bamboo, tortoise shell bamboo, paspalum and crabgrass show us?.- Chapter 6. The ontogenesis of higher plants.- Chapter 7. The organogenesis of higher plants.- Chapter 8. Conclusion.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe latest and most commonly used methods of assay of important enzymes associated with carbon, nitrogen, protein and lipid metabolism. Estimation of various plant pigments and micro and macro elements. Quantification of plant hormones like IAA, ABA, GA and Ethylene. Techniques of DNA and RNA estimation, Slab Gel Electrophoresis and Western Blot analysis of plant proteins. Methods to study plant biomass and plant-water relationship. Methods to measure photosynthesis and respiration. Method for preparation of common buffe Working principles and operation techniques of a few analytical equipments like Infra-Red Gas Analyzer IRGA, Gas Liquid Chromatograph GLC, Psychrometer, Pressure bomb/pressure chamber, flame photometer, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, Leaf Area Meter and Oxygen electrode. This book is useful for students in botany, plant physiology, biochemistry, horticulture, agronomy and other cognate disciplines and other research workers."Table of Contents1. Plant pigments. 2. Biomass. 3. Growth analysis. 4. Water relations. 5. Carbohydrate metabolism. 6. Nitrogen and amino acid metabolism. 7. Protein and protein fractionation. 8. Isolation and estimation of nucleic acids. 9. Lipid and lipid metabolism. 10. Photosynthesis. 11. Respiration. 12. The antioxidative enzymes. 13. Ripening-associated enzymes. 14. Plant growth regulators. 15. Ascorbic acid. 16. Phenols. 17. Macro and micro elements. 18. Isolation of cell organelles. 19. Common buffers.

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