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Weeds are a fascinating study for specialists, not only because of their economic importance, but also since in this case biology must be combined with history and agriculture (and its economic aspects). Thus, weed scientists may be concerned with pure basic research, concentrating on general aspects, or with applied science, i.e. having a practical orientation. One of the aims of this book is to create a synthesis between these two branches of study and to review the literature of both fields. The agrestals, the weeds of arable land ~ the most important group from an economic point of view ~ was chasen as the main topic. Other weed groups could only be mentioned briefly (e.g. grassland weeds), or superficially (e.g. aquatic weeds), or had to be omitted completely (e.g. ruderals, because they are so heterogeneous), to keep this volume to an acceptable size and price. Nevertheless, nearly all subsections of botanical science have been treated.
List of contents
1. Concepts, categories and characteristics of weeds.- 2. A methodology for the study of weed vegetation.- 3. Problems of weed taxonomy.- 4. Biological control of weeds.- 5. Preservation of agrestal weeds.- 6. Golden words and wisdom about weeds.- 7. Ecological genetics and the evolution of weeds.- 8. Relationships between weeds and crops.- 9. The Middle East as a cradle for crops and weeds.- 10. Reproductive strategy of annual agrestals.- 11. Multiplication, growth and persistence of perennial weeds.- 12. Competition between crops and weeds: A system approach.- 13. Interference between weeds and crops: A review of literature.- 14. An introduction to the population dynamics of weeds.- 15. Weed-ecological approaches to allelopathy.- 16. Parasitic weeds of arable land.- 17. Weeds as indicators.- 18. Wild oats as successful weeds.- 19. Europe: An overview.- 20. Western Mediterranean countries of Europe.- 21. Italy.- 22. Iran.- 23. India.- 24. Mongolia.- 25. Kamchatka Peninsula.- 26. Japan.- 27. New Zealand.- 28. Canada.- 29. Brazil.- 30. South Africa.- 31. East Africa.- 32. Weeds of pastures and meadows in the European Alps.- 33. Pasture weeds of New Zealand.- 34. Weeds of pastures and meadows in Japan.- 35. Pasture weeds of the tropics and subtropics with special reference to Australia.- 36. Weed problems of South Africa pastures.- 37. Weeds of tea plantations.- 38. Aquatic weeds.
