Read more
Our image of plants is changing dramatically away from passive entities merely subject to environmental forces and organisms that are designed solely for the accumulation of photosynthate. Plants are revealing themselves to be dynamic and highly sensitive organisms that actively and competitively forage for limited resources, both above and below ground, organisms that accurately gauge their circumstances, use sophisticated cost-benefit analysis, and take clear actions to mitigate and control diverse environmental threats. Moreover, plants are also capable of complex recognition of self and non-self and are territorial in behavior. They are as sophisticated in behavior as animals but their potential has been masked because it operates on time scales many orders of magnitude less than those of animals. Plants are sessile organisms. As such, the only alternative to a rapidly changing environment is rapid adaptation. This book will focus on all these new and exciting aspects of plant biology.
List of contents
Mechanical Integration of Plant Cells.- Root Behavior in Response to Aluminum Toxicity.- Communication and Signaling in the Plant-Fungus Symbiosis: The Mycorrhiza.- Role of g -Aminobutyrate and g -Hydroxybutyrate in Plant Communication.- Hemiparasitic Plants: Exploiting Their Host's Inherent Nature to Talk.- Host Location and Selection by Holoparasitic Plants.- Plant Innate Immunity.- Airborne Induction and Priming of Defenses.- Chemical Signaling During Induced Leaf Movements.- Aposematic (Warning) Coloration in Plants.- Deceptive Behavior in Plants. I. Pollination by Sexual Deception in Orchids: A Host-Parasite Perspective.- Deceptive Behavior in Plants. II. Food Deception by Plants: From Generalized Systems to Specialized Floral Mimicry.- Cognition in Plants.- Memorization of Abiotic Stimuli in Plants: A Complex Role for Calcium.- Plants and Animals: Convergent Evolution in Action?.
Summary
Our image of plants is changing dramatically away from passive entities merely subject to environmental forces and organisms that are designed solely for the accumulation of photosynthate. Plants are revealing themselves to be dynamic and highly sensitive organisms that actively and competitively forage for limited resources, both above and below ground, organisms that accurately gauge their circumstances, use sophisticated cost-benefit analysis, and take clear actions to mitigate and control diverse environmental threats. Moreover, plants are also capable of complex recognition of self and non-self and are territorial in behavior. They are as sophisticated in behavior as animals but their potential has been masked because it operates on time scales many orders of magnitude less than those of animals. Plants are sessile organisms. As such, the only alternative to a rapidly changing environment is rapid adaptation. This book will focus on all these new and exciting aspects of plant biology.
Additional text
From the reviews:
“The main thesis of this book is that plants monitor and integrate many abiotic and biotic parameters in their environment. … The scientific references cited are up-to-date. … The authors attempt to use an integrative approach to synthesizing the literature to demonstrate the dynamic nature of plants. With its diverse topics, this book would provide a valuable overview in advanced graduate classes in plant biology. Summing Up: Recommended. Academic collections, upper-division undergraduate through researchers/faculty.” (J. Z. Kiss, Choice, Vol. 47 (4), December, 2009)
Report
From the reviews: "The main thesis of this book is that plants monitor and integrate many abiotic and biotic parameters in their environment. ... The scientific references cited are up-to-date. ... The authors attempt to use an integrative approach to synthesizing the literature to demonstrate the dynamic nature of plants. With its diverse topics, this book would provide a valuable overview in advanced graduate classes in plant biology. Summing Up: Recommended. Academic collections, upper-division undergraduate through researchers/faculty." (J. Z. Kiss, Choice, Vol. 47 (4), December, 2009)
