Books in Plant science

Economic and Medicinal Plant Research

3rd Edition
December 2, 2012
H. Wagner + 2 more
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 9 8 4 3 1 5

This series identifies areas of research in natural plant products that are of immediate or projected importance from a practical point of view. It reviews these areas in a concise and critical manner. Graduate students, researchers will find the timely reviews presented here to be invaluable. Decision makers in industry and government agencies will also find the material beneficial.

Biology of Halophytes

1st Edition
December 2, 2012
Yoav Waisel
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 3 2 3 1 5 1 5 8 0

Biology of Halophytes is a monograph on the biological aspects of halophytes and their behavior under saline conditions. It explores the physioecological characteristics of halophytes, such as reproduction, growth, metabolism, water relations, mineral nutrition, salt transport, salt secretion, and salt resistance. It also provides ecological information on higher marine plants, particularly submerged angiosperms, mangroves, and high coast plants. Organized into 16 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of sources of salinity and the development and nature of salines and salt-affected soils. It proceeds with a discussion of the classification of halophytes, their mutual relationships, distribution, and sociology. It also summarizes autecological information on some terrestrial halophytes and introduces the reader to the formative effects of salinity, interrelationships between plants and spatial distribution within the community, ion transport and mineral nutrition, and regulation of salt content of shoots, before concluding with a short review on ecotypic differentiation in halophytes. This book will be a valuable resource for advanced students, as well as teachers of plant and environmental sciences.

Transport and Transfer Process in Plants

1st Edition
December 2, 2012
I Wardlaw
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 3 2 3 1 4 7 9 5 8

Transport and Transfer Processes in Plants presents the proceedings of a symposium held in Canberra, Australia, in December 1975 under the auspices of the U.S.-Australia Agreement for Scientific and Technical Cooperation. It explores how organic materials and nutrients are distributed in plants and how plants are influenced by the interactions between various forms of both long- and short-distance transport. The book also considers how environmental factors regulate plant growth, how nutrients may be used in a more efficient manner, and how plants acquire disease. Divided into three parts encompassing 39 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the mechanisms underlying transport and distribution in plants; the effect of phloem capacity on plant growth and development; and short-distance transfer. It then introduces the reader to plasmodesmata and symplastic transport; how flow affects solute transport in plants; cytoplasmic streaming in characean algae; occurrence and function of transfer cells; movement of solutes from host to parasite in nematode infected roots; and nutrient uptake by roots and transport to the xylem. The book also discusses symplasmic transport and ion release to the xylem; regulation of nutrient uptake by cells and roots; transfer of ions and products of photosynthesis to guard cells; and vascular patterns in higher plants. It considers histochemical approaches to water-soluble compounds and their use in addressing problems of translocation; long-distance movement of tobacco mosaic virus in Nicotiana glutinosa; the influence of stomatal behavior on long-distance transport; and water transport through plants. This book will be a valuable resource for scientists, students, and researchers.

Biological Environmental Impact Studies

1st Edition
December 2, 2012
Diana V. Ward
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 3 2 3 1 6 0 8 1 0

Biological Environmental Impact Studies: Theory and Methods explains how an environmental impact study aimed at predicting biological changes can be approached and accomplished. It explores environmental impact studies from an ecosystem function point of view and highlights ecological tools and guidelines for use in biological studies in the context of environmental impact assessment. It also considers four general concepts of biological impact studies: synergy, experimental control and causality, measures of ecosystem change, and the interrelationships between structure, function, and time. Organized into seven chapters, this volume begins with an overview of environmental impact and environmental impact analysis, field surveys and their objectives, and mathematical modeling of biological systems. It then discusses time frames for ecological impacts; the role of field experiments and laboratory studies in environmental impact assessment; and common types of biological impact studies, including a study that investigated the impact of insecticides on the ecology of salt marshes in New Jersey and the effects of dredging, filling, and lagoon construction on tidal wetlands in Delaware. This book is a valuable resource for biologists, biology students, managers, and government agents interested in environmental impact assessment.

Social Behavior of Female Vertebrates

1st Edition
December 2, 2012
Samuel Wasser
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 3 2 3 1 5 1 4 2 9

Social Behavior of Female Vertebrates focuses on the evolution of reproductive behavior in female vertebrates ranging from fish to birds and humans, including issues of mate choice and other factors underlying female attitudes toward males. It also looks at the evolution of mating systems; the co-evolution of the sexes; sex-role reversal; reproductive competition between females; maternal behavior; and how females enhance the investment received by their offspring from others. It also considers other social behaviors that influence the nature of affiliative associations between females. Organized into three parts encompassing 13 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of behavioral biology and sources of variation in female reproductive success. It then discusses the establishment and maintenance of sex biases, sex differences mediated by sexual selection, constraints on female choice in the mottled sculpin, mate choice by females in sexual selection of bird song, and female manipulation of male avoidance of cuckoldry behavior in the ring dove. The reader is also introduced to the evolution of polyandry in shorebirds; reproductive strategies in human females; social and health-seeking behaviors of Taiwanese women; female roles in cooperatively breeding acorn woodpeckers; altruism in coati bands; cooperation and reproductive competition among female African elephants; mate choice in matrilineal macaque groups; and reproductive competition and cooperation among female yellow baboons. This book is a valuable resource for scientists and behavioral biologists, as well as lay people whose interests span a variety of fields.

Pesticide Management and Insecticide Resistance

1st Edition
December 2, 2012
David Watson
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 3 2 3 1 4 3 8 0 6

Pesticide Management and Insecticide Resistance explores the problem of insect resistance to pesticides and reviews various approaches to pesticide management and safety. It looks at the environmental hazards of pesticide residues and their regulation, along with application techniques aimed at maximum efficiency against the pest and minimum waste to pollution, safety considerations in the development of pest control programs, and pesticide monitoring. Divided into eight parts encompassing 49 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the global pesticide industry and the costs of commercializing pesticides relative to their profit potential. It then introduces the reader to the release of fluorohydrocarbon propellants in pesticidal aerosols and their hazards to the ozone layer, management of pests in urban environments, international plant protection, the current status of DDT, the importance of training pest-control personnel, and procedures of forest spraying. Other chapters focus on pesticide management safety from a medical perspective; pesticide safety as it relates to the manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution of pesticides; importance of pesticide application equipment and related field practices in developing countries; and the importance of pesticides in successful pest management programs. This book is a valuable resource for scientists, students, researchers, and policymakers who want to ensure the safety of consumers, applicators, and harvesters when using pesticides.

Concepts in Radiation Cell Biology

1st Edition
December 2, 2012
Gary Whitson
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 3 2 3 1 5 7 1 6 2

Concepts in Radiation Cell Biology summarizes current concepts related to the effects of radiation on cell biology, with emphasis on the underlying macromolecular basis for cellular changes in irradiated cells. It explores the effects of non-ionizing radiation, such as ultraviolet and visible light; the use of laser light in cellular studies; and the biological effects of ionizing radiation on cells. Results of ultraviolet studies implicating DNA as the main target macromolecule responsible for radiation injury, such as division delays, lethality, and delayed DNA replication, are presented. Divided into eight chapters, this volume begins with an overview of ultraviolet irradiation of DNA as well as the physical and biological properties of irradiated DNA. It then discusses methods used in the photoinactivation of viruses; the effects of ultraviolet radiation on bacteria; radiation-induced biochemical changes in protozoa; and techniques for the analysis of radiation-induced mitotic delay in synchronously dividing sea urchin eggs. The book also covers the effects of radiation on mammalian cells; the effects of ionizing radiation on higher plants; and the photodynamic effects of laser light on cells. This book is a valuable resource for cell biologists, as well as students and investigators who are seeking the necessary information for further experimentation in radiation cell biology.

Soy Protein and Human Nutrition

1st Edition
December 2, 2012
Harold Wilcke
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 3 2 3 1 5 0 9 5 8

Introduction to Forest Genetics

1st Edition
December 2, 2012
Jonathan Wright
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 3 2 3 1 4 8 8 8 7

Introduction to Forest Genetics examines some of the basic genetic concepts typically used in forestry and tree improvement studies, including Mendelian and population genetics. It also describes techniques that are generally useful in tree improvement work, including individual tree selection and breeding, provenance testing, species and racial hybridization, and introduction of exotics. Organized into 19 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of forest genetics and problems associated with forest genetics. It then discusses concepts from basic genetics, including chromosome structure and function; DNA and RNA; nongenetic inheritance; and genotype versus phenotype. Other chapters focus on inbreeding: complete elimination of homozygous recessive trees; mutation and migration; and controlled pollination and vegetative propagation. The book also covers the establishment and measurement of test plantations; general principles and methods of selective breeding; choice of breeding method and type of seed orchard; heritability and genetic gain; geographic variation in Scotch pine and American trees; species and racial hybridization; chromosome studies; and polyploidy and haploidy breeding. This book is a valuable resource for foresters, professional tree breeders, and those with or without previous training in genetics or forestry.

Humoral Factors in Host Defense

1st Edition
December 2, 2012
Yuichi Yamamura
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 3 2 3 1 5 3 1 1 9

Humoral Factors in Host Defense contains the proceedings of the First Takeda Science Foundation Symposium on Bioscience, held on October 28-30, 1982, in Kyoto, Japan. The symposium focused on the humoral factors regulating immune responses, with emphasis on T cell-derived immunoregulatory molecules; molecular mechanisms of interferons; factors involved in differentiation and activation of immunocytes; and the use of the molecular genetics approach to host defense factors. Organized into four parts encompassing 22 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of interleukin-2 and T cell-replacing factors, along with their immunological functions and biochemical features. It then discusses antigen-specific T cell factors; immunoregulatory molecules from human monoclonal T cells; physiological and pathological roles of lymphokines; regulation of the immune system by monoclonal T cell peptides; production of a glycosylated human protein by recombinant DNA technology; and molecular genetics of immunoglobulin genes and the major histocompatibility antigen. Geneticists and biologists will find this book extremely useful.

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