Water stress in plants is caused by the water deficit, as induced possibly by drought or high soil salinity. The prime consequence of water stress in plants is the disruption in the agricultural production, resulting in food shortage. The plants, however, try to adapt to the stress conditions using biochemical and physiological interventions. The edited compilation is an attempt to provide new insights into the mechanism and adaptation aspects of water stress in plants through a thoughtful mixture of viewpoints. We hope that the content of the book will be useful for the researchers working with the plant diversity-related environmental aspects and also provide suggestions for the strategists.

Responses of Plants to Environmental Stresses, Second Edition, Volume II: Water, Radiation, Salt, and Other Stresses focuses on the effects of stresses on plants. This book discusses how stresses produce their damaging effects and how living organisms defend themselves against stresses. Organized into six parts encompassing 12 chapters, this edition starts with an overview of the various responses of plants to the severities of all the other environmental stresses, with emphasis on the physical and biological stresses and strains. This text then describes water stress in plants, which arise either from an excessive or from an insufficient water activity in the plant's environment. Other chapters consider the resistance to drought stress of plants. This book discusses as well the effects of flooding, which replaces gaseous air by liquid water. The final chapter deals with the comparative stress responses of plants. This book is a valuable resource for plant biologists.

This illustrated report sets out a global review of the state of the world's freshwater resources, based on the collective work of 24 United Nations agencies, following on from the conclusions of the first UN World Water Development Report 'Water for People, Water for Life' published in 2003 (ISBN 9231038818). This second edition discusses progress towards the water-related targets of the UN Millennium Development Goals and examines a range of key issues including population growth and increasing urbanisation, changing ecosystems, food production, health, industry and energy, as well as risk management, valuing and paying for water and increasing knowledge and capacity. It contains 16 case studies which consider key challenges in water resource management and makes a number of recommendations to guide future action and encourage sustainable use, productivity and management of our increasingly scarce freshwater resources.

This book addresses the connections between the hydrologic cycle and plant ecosystems. It will appeal to advanced students and researchers from a large range of disciplines, including environmental science, hydrology, ecology, earth science, civil and environmental engineering, agriculture, and atmospheric science.

Filled with figures, images, and illustrations, Encyclopedia of Water Science, Second Edition provides effective concepts and procedures in environmental water science and engineering. It unveils a wide spectrum of design concepts, methods, and solutions for enhanced performance of water quality, treatment, conservation, and irrigation methods, as well as improved water efficiency in industrial, municipal, and agricultural programs. The second edition also includes greatly enhanced coverage of streams and lakes as well as many regional case studies. An International Team Addresses Important Issues The only source to provide full coverage of current debates in the field, the encyclopedia offers professional expertise on vital issues including: Current laws and regulations Irrigation management Environmental water economics Agroforestry Erosion control Nutrient best management practices Water sanitation Stream and lake morphology and processes Sharpen Your Skills — Meet Challenges Well-Armed A direct and reliable source for best practices in water handling, preservation, and recovery, the encyclopedia examines challenges in the provision of safe water supplies, guiding environmental professionals as they face a worldwide demand for sanitary and affordable water reserves. Also Available Online This Taylor & Francis encyclopedia is also available through online subscription, offering a variety of extra benefits for researchers, students, and librarians, including: Citation tracking and alerts Active reference linking Saved searches and marked lists HTML and PDF format options Contact Taylor and Francis for more information or to inquire about subscription options and print/online combination packages. US: (Tel) 1.888.318.2367; (E-mail) e-reference@taylorandfrancis.com International: (Tel) +44 (0) 20 7017 6062; (E-mail) online.sales@tandf.co.uk

Water Deficits and Plant Growth, Volume V: Water and Plant Disease presents a comprehensive treatment of the role of water deficits and excesses in the plant disease complex. This book highlights water relations of diseased plants and the effects of water stress induced by disease and environmental factors, along with water deficits related to disease and water stress as a predisposing factor in plant disease. This volume is organized into nine chapters and begins with an overview of the water relations of diseased plants, focusing on root, foliar, and shoot diseases, as well as vascular wilts. The following chapters examine the effects of water deficits on pathogen and host, the degree and duration of water deficits as predisposing factors in plant disease, and important abiotic diseases induced by water deficits and excess. The discussion then turns to water in relation to active and passive liberation of spores, as well as to the infection process. This book also explains soil moisture in relation to spread and survival of pathogens, the link between water and seed decay, field and storage fungi that affect seeds, and water in relation to wood deterioration. This volume concludes with a chapter on moisture as a factor in epidemiology and the forecasting of disease. This book is a valuable resource for scientists and investigators in fields such as botany, plant pathology, forestry, agriculture, and biology.

One of the most important impacts of global warming is what climate scientists refer to as "an intensification of the hydrological cycle". Loosely translated, this means shorter periods of more intense rainfall, and longer warmer dry periods. This report provides a wealth of information about climate change and variability. It also offers a first ever compendium of specific adaptation strategies for water managers and decision-makers to draw upon and a first overview of international support initiatives on water and climate

Integrated water resources management advocates a coordinated approach for managing water resources in a way that balances social and economic needs with concern for the environment. While potentially useful, integrated water management is also controversial. Supporters believe that the multi-dimensional nature of water can only be understood and m

Continuous discoveries in plant and crop physiology have resulted in an abundance of new information since the publication of the second edition of the Handbook of Plant and Crop Physiology, necessitating a new edition to cover the latest advances in the field. Like its predecessors, the Third Edition offers a unique, complete collection of topics in plant and crop physiology, serving as an up-to-date resource in the field. This edition contains more than 90 percent new material, and the remaining 10 percent has been updated and substantially revised. Divided into nine parts to make the information more accessible, this handbook covers the physiology of plant and crop growth and development, cellular and molecular aspects, and production processes. It addresses the physiological responses of plants and crops to environmental stresses, heavy metals, and agrichemicals; presents findings on small RNAs in response to temperature stress; and discusses the use of bioinformatics in plant/crop physiology. The book deals with the impacts of rising CO2 levels and climate change on plant/crop growth, development, and production. It also offers guidance on plants and crops that can be successfully cultivated under more stressful conditions, presented in six chapters that examine alleviation of future food security issues. With contributions from 105 scientists from 17 countries, this book provides a comprehensive resource for research and for university courses, covering plant physiological processes ranging from the cellular level to whole plants. The content provided can be used to plan, implement, and evaluate strategies for dealing with plant and crop physiology problems. This edition includes numerous tables, figures, and illustrations to facilitate comprehension of the material as well as thousands of index words to further increase accessibility to the desired information.

Water is critical to all human activities, but access to this crucial resource is increasingly limited by competition and the effects of climate change. In agriculture, water management is key to ensuring good and sustained crop yields, maintaining soil health, and safeguarding the long-term viability of the land. Water management is especially challenging on smallholder farms in resource-poor areas, which tend to be primarily rainfed and thus highly dependent on unreliable rainfall patterns. Sustainable practices can help farmers promote the development of soils, plants and field surfaces to allow maximum retention of water between rains, and encourage the efficient use of each drop of water applied as irrigation. Especially useful for farmers' groups, agricultural extension workers, NGOs, students and researchers working with farmers in dryland areas, this comprehensive yet concise book is a practical and accessible resource for anyone interested in sustainable water management.