With contributions by numerous experts.

The last decade has seen rapid and major advances in our understanding of the physiological ecology of plants. This volume reviews some of these advances and new challenges. The chapters cover five broad themes: resource acquisition and utilization; interactions between organisms; responses to global environmental changes; ecosystems; and integration and scaling. This book brings together an unrivalled collection of leading practitioners in the discipline from North America, Europe and Australia and adopts a broad approach, ranging from the molecular to the ecosystem level. It has proven a valuable tool for researchers and advanced students in the discipline.

O.L. LANGE, P.S. NOBEL, C.B. OSMOND, and H. ZIEGLER Growth, development and reproductive success of individual plants depend on the interaction, within tolerance limits, of the factors in the physical, chemical and biological environment. The first two volumes of this series addressed fea tures of the physical environment (Vol. 12A) and the special responses of land plants as they relate to water use and carbon dioxide assimilation (Vol. 12B). In this volume we consider specific aspects of the chemical and biological envi ronment, and whereas the previous volumes were primarily concerned with the atmospheric interactions, our emphasis here shifts very much to the soil. This complex medium for plant growth was briefly reviewed in Chapter 17, Volume 12A. Since it is difficult to determine the precise physical and chemical interactions in the soil, it is even more difficult to determine the important biological interactions among organisms. Nevertheless there is growing aware ness of the significance of these interactions and their effects on physiological processes in the individual plant.

O. L. LANGE, P. S. NOBEL, C. B. OSMOND, and H. ZIEGLER In the original series of the Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, plant water relations and photosynthesis were treated separately, and the connection between phenomena was only considered in special chapters. O. STOCKER edited Vol ume III, Pjlanze und Wasser/Water Relations of Plants in 1956, and 4 years later, Volume V, Parts I and 2, Die COrAssimilation/The Assimilation of Carbon Dioxide appeared, edited by A. PIRSON. Until recently, there has also been a tendency to cover these aspects of plant physiology separately in most text books. Without doubt, this separation is justifiable. If one is specifically inter ested, for example in photosynthetic electron transport, in details of photophos phorylation, or in carbon metabolism in the Calvin cycle, it is not necessary to ask how these processes relate to the water relations of the plant. Accordingly, this separate coverage has been maintained in the New Series of the Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology. The two volumes devoted exclusively to photosynthesis are Volume 5, Photosynthesis I, edited by A. TREBST and M. AVRON, and Volume 6, Photosynthesis II, edited by M. GIBBS and E. LATZKO. When consider ing carbon assimilation and plant water relations from an ecological point of view, however, we have to recognize that this separation is arbitrary.

The growth, reproduction and geographical distribution of plants are profoundly influenced by their physiological ecology: the interaction with the surrounding physical, chemical and biological environments. This textbook is notable in emphasizing that the mechanisms underlying plant physiological ecology can be found at the levels of biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology and whole-plant physiology. At the same time, the integrative power of physiological ecology is well-suited to assess the costs, benefits and consequences of modifying plants for human needs, and to evaluate the role of plants in ecosystems.Plant Physiological Ecology begins with the primary processes of carbon metabolism and transport, plant-water relations, and energy balance. After considering individual leaves and whole plants, these physiological processes are then scaled up to the level of the canopy. Subsequent chapters discuss mineral nutrition and the ways in which plants cope with nutrient-deficient or toxic soils. The book then looks at patterns of growth and allocation, life-history traits, and interactions between plants and other organisms. Later chapters deal with traits that affect decomposition of plant material and with plant physiological ecology at the level of ecosystems and global environmental processes.Plant Physiological Ecology features numerous boxed entries that provide extended discussions of selected issues, a glossary, and numerous references to the primary and review literature. The significant new text is suitable for use in plant ecology courses, as well as classes ranging from plant physiology to plant molecular biology.

Growth, reproduction, and geographical distribution of plants are profoundly influenced by their physiological ecology: the interaction with the surrounding physical, chemical, and biological environments. This textbook highlights mechanisms that underlie plant physiological ecology at the levels of physiology, biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology. At the same time, the integrative power of physiological ecology is well suited to assess the costs, benefits, and consequences of modifying plants for human needs and to evaluate the role of plants in natural and managed ecosystems. Plant Physiological Ecology, Third Edition is significantly updated, with many full color illustrations, and begins with the primary processes of carbon metabolism and transport, plant water relations, and energy balance. After considering individual leaves and whole plants, these physiological processes are then scaled up to the level of the canopy. Subsequent chapters discuss mineral nutrition and the ways in which plants cope with nutrient‐deficient or toxic soils. The book then looks at patterns of growth and allocation, life‐history traits, and interactions between plants and other organisms. Later chapters deal with traits that affect decomposition of plant material and with the consequences of plant physiological ecology at ecosystem and global levels. Plant Physiological Ecology, Third Edition features several boxed entries that extend the discussions of selected issues, a glossary, and numerous references to the primary and review literature. This significant new text is suitable for use in plant ecology courses, as well as classes ranging from plant physiology to plant molecular biology.

Ecology is the science of the relationships between living organisms and their envi ronment . . It is concerned with the web of interactions involved in the circulation of matter and the flow of energy that makes possible life on earth, and with the adapta tions of organisms to the conditions under which they survive. Given the multitude of diverse organisms, the plant ecologist focuses upon the plants, investigating the influence of environmental factors on the character of the vegetation and the be havior of the individual plant species. Plant ecophysiology, a discipline within plant ecology, is concerned fundamentally with the physiology of plants as it is modified by fluctuating external influences. The aim of this book is to convey the conceptual framework upon which this discipline is based, to offer insights into the basic mechanisms and interactions within the system "plant and environment", and to present examples of current problems in this rap idly developing area. Among the topics discussed are the vital processes of plants, their metabolism and energy transformations as they are affected by environmental factors, and the ability of these organisms to adapt to such factors. It is assumed that the reader has a background in the fundamentals of plant physiology; the physiological bases of the phenomena of interest will be mentioned only to the extent necessary for an understanding of the ecological relationships.