This reference provides information about recent trends in bryology in parts of India, tropical rainforests and arctic regions. Bryophytes are the earliest land plants and quite fascinating in their overall diversity. All through its history, bryological study has contributed considerably to the field of plant sciences, for instance, the discovery of sex chromosomes in plants. The study of bryophytes is fundamental to our understanding of land plant evolution, and the latest progress in molecular phylogenetics and genomics have given researchers a clear depiction of land colonization of plants and subsequent terrestrial progression. Ecologically, the importance of bryophytes for the participation in biogeochemical cycles, in particular carbon cycle is now appreciated. Further, there has been an escalating interest in the conservation biology of bryophytes. The contributors have put forward holistic information regarding current research scenario of bryology in a range of environments to readers learning about research in applied bryology. The compilation of reviews presents reported findings related to various aspects of the subject, such as, conservation, diversity, tissue culture, bio-monitoring, computational bryology, molecular bryology, and species. Botanists and bryologists will receive updated information that will be valuable for their research work. The reader-friendly text is also suitable for beginners in applied plant science. Recent Advances in Botanical Science provides updated research and reviews on topics related to plant biology, genetics, taxonomy and ecology. The series is a useful resource for readers interested in applied plant science.

Biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic activities around the world. This book is the first volume in the new series Biodiversity Hotspots of the World, which highlights the 36 hotspot regions of the world, regions that were designated as reaping maximum benefit from preservation efforts. This series is our humble attempt to document these hotspots as a conservation and preservation measure. This first volume in the series focuses on the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, construed as forming a community of species because of their shared biogeographical history. The volume explores the diversity and conservation efforts of the extraordinarily rich species found here, including plants, many of which are found nowhere else in the world; forests, which face tremendous population pressure and have been dramatically impacted by demands for timber and agricultural land; as well as the hotspot’s diverse mammals, birds, insects, and amphibian species, and more. The volumes in this series will be essential resources for researchers and practitioners in the fields of conservation biology, ecology, and evolution.

These four volumes with close to one thousand contributions are the proceedings from the VIIIth International Congress on Photosynthesis, which was held in Stockholm, Sweden, on August 6- 11, 1989. The site for the Congress was the campus of the University of Stockholm. This in itself was an experiment, since the campus never before had been used for a conference of that size. On the whole, it was a very sucessful experiment. The outcome of a congress depends on many contributing factors, one major such factor being the scientific vigour of the participants, and I think it is safe to say that the pariticipants were vigourous indeed. Many exciting new fmdings were presented and thoroughly dicussed, indoors in the discussion sessions as well as outdoors on the lawns. For the local organizing committee it was very rewarding to participate in these activities, and to watch some of our younger colleagues for the first time being subjected to the impact of a large international congress. The stimulating effect of this event on the local research atmosphere has been substantial. As was the case with the proceedings from both the 1983 and 1986 Congresses these proceedings have been compiled from camera ready manuscripts, and the editing has mainly consisted of finding the proper place for each contribution and distributing the manuscripts into four volumes with some int~rnal logic in each. In this I have had the invaluable help from Dr.

Bryophytes, which are important constituents of ecosystems globally and often dominate carbon and water dynamics at high latitudes and elevations, were also among the pioneers of terrestrial photosynthesis. Consequently, in addition to their present day ecological value, modern representatives of these groups contain the legacy of adaptations that led to the greening of Earth. This volume brings together experts on bryophyte photosynthesis whose research spans the genome and cell through whole plant and ecosystem function and combines that with historical perspectives on the role of algal, bryophyte and vascular plant ancestors on terrestrialization of the Earth. The eighteen well-illustrated chapters reveal unique physiological approaches to achieving carbon balance and dealing with environmental limitations and stresses that present an alternative, yet successful strategy for land plants.

Early anthropological evidence for plant use as medicine is 60,000 years old as reported from the Neanderthal grave in Iraq. The importance of plants as medicine is further supported by archeological evidence from Asia and the Middle East. Today, around 1.4 billion people in South Asia alone have no access to modern health care, and rely instead on traditional medicine to alleviate various symptoms. On a global basis, approximately 50 to 80 thousand plant species are used either natively or as pharmaceutical derivatives for life-threatening conditions that include diabetes, hypertension and cancers. As the demand for plant-based medicine rises, there is an unmet need to investigate the quality, safety and efficacy of these herbals by the “scientific methods”. Current research on drug discovery from medicinal plants involves a multifaceted approach combining botanical, phytochemical, analytical, and molecular techniques. For instance, high throughput robotic screens have been developed by industry; it is now possible to carry out 50,000 tests per day in the search for compounds, which act on a key enzyme or a subset of receptors. This and other bioassays thus offer hope that one may eventually identify compounds for treating a variety of diseases or conditions. However, drug development from natural products is not without its problems. Frequent challenges encountered include the procurement of raw materials, the selection and implementation of appropriate high-throughput bioassays, and the scaling-up of preparative procedures. Research scientists should therefore arm themselves with the right tools and knowledge in order to harness the vast potentials of plant-based therapeutics. The main objective of Plant and Human Health is to serve as a comprehensive guide for this endeavor. Volume 1 highlights how humans from specific areas or cultures use indigenous plants. Despite technological developments, herbal drugs still occupy a preferential place in a majority of the population in the third world and have slowly taken roots as alternative medicine in the West. The integration of modern science with traditional uses of herbal drugs is important for our understanding of this ethnobotanical relationship. Volume 2 deals with the phytochemical and molecular characterization of herbal medicine. Specifically, it focuess on the secondary metabolic compounds, which afford protection against diseases. Lastly, Volume 3 discusses the physiological mechanisms by which the active ingredients of medicinal plants serve to improve human health. Together this three-volume collection intends to bridge the gap for herbalists, traditional and modern medical practitioners, and students and researchers in botany and horticulture.

This informative volume presents a valuable overview of the therapeutic aspects as well as applications of antioxidants. It discusses the basic mechanisms of therapy-based oxidative damage and categorization of nutritional antioxidants and covers the sources of antioxidants as well as their extraction and quantification. The volume considers the controversies of the usefulness or disadvantages of antioxidant supplementation in relation to adaptation and performance and also looks at the effectiveness of bioactives and antioxidant-based therapies for specific health issues, such as anemia, infectious diseases, urinary tract infections, Parkinson’s diseases, and diabetes. The book discusses the sensing of oxidative stress and the effectiveness of antioxidant treatment, followed by an introduction to several biomarkers to estimate the bioefficacy of dietary/supplemental antioxidants in various forms. Also considered are free radicals that can cause “oxidative stress,” a process that can trigger cell damage, and how antioxidant molecules have been shown to counteract oxidative stress in laboratory experiments.

Computer-generated worldwide register of plant systematists, their specialties and current projects. Includes taxonomic, geographic, geologic and methodological/general subject indices.

The study of Antarctic communities can provide a valuable step forward in investigating the control of community development, the utilization of habitats and the interaction among species in both species rich and species poor communities. This book contains chapters characterizing the present approaches to both aquatic and terrestrial communities in the Antarctic. From biodiversity to trophic flows, from ecophysiological strategies to the impacts of environmental change and the effects of human disturbance, this volume provides an up to the minute overview of community studies in an area covering ten percent of the Earth's surface.