Plant Structure Function And Adaptation

This book is about the developmental anatomy of large, complex plants, particularly of the woody plants that grow and survive for decades or centuries. It is focused on the meaning of that anatomy, that integrated structure, as a determinant of effective function. A pervading theme is that the plant structures that have survived "selection" processes during the eons of organismal evolution, within the larger context of geo logic and climatic evolution, are well attuned to biochemical and biophysical principles that determine and define efficient function. The sets of structure-and-function couples existing in the various plant taxa differ so widely that generalities are often difficult to discern. This diversity is due partly to the broad range of ecological conditions to which higher plant organisms have become adapted under stresses imposed by competition and continual climatic change. It is also due to the tendency of different taxa, with their different complements of inherited information, to respond to similar situations in different ways. Cognizant of this reality, we have tried throughout the book to avoid generalizing too broadly on the basis of data from the relatively small fraction of plant species that have as yet been studied. This book is intended for those who have already studied the anatomy and develop ment of plants. It is addressed to advanced students, teachers, and researchers in the interrelated fields of botany, forestry, horticulture, and agronomy, and to others having professional interests in the culture of woody plants and the stewardship of ecosystems.

A plant anatomy textbook unlike any other on the market today. Carol A. Peterson described the first edition as 'the best book on the subject of plant anatomy since the texts of Esau'. Traditional plant anatomy texts include primarily descriptive aspects of structure, this book not only provides a comprehensive coverage of plant structure, but also introduces aspects of the mechanisms of development, especially the genetic and hormonal controls, and the roles of plasmodesmata and the cytoskeleton. The evolution of plant structure and the relationship between structure and function are also discussed throughout. Includes extensive bibliographies at the end of each chapter. It provides students with an introduction to many of the exciting, contemporary areas at the forefront of research in the development of plant structure and prepares them for future roles in teaching and research in plant anatomy.

For centuries biologists have been extremely interested in the structure of desert plants as examples of natural selection to harsh environmental conditions. Indeed, desert plants are frequently used as examples in many biology classes and textbooks to illustrate natural selection, but this has led to an unfortunate litany of errors and misconceptions about desert plant adaptations. This new synthesis focuses on plants of lowland tropical and subtropical arid deserts. Readers will be surprised to discover that many features commonly ascribed to desert plants are rareley observed in the most common species. Instead, the typical structural adaptations of nonsucculent warm desert plants are now viewed as ways to maximize photosynthetic rate.

Each volume contains chapters from the 1-volume version of the 10th ed. plus the appendices.