Plant Growth and Climate Change
Biological Sciences Series
1. Edition October 2006
232 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Evidence grows daily of the changing climate and its impact on
plants and animals. Plant function is inextricably linked to
climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. On the
shortest and smallest scales, the climate affects the plant's
immediate environment and so directly influences physiological
processes. At larger scales, the climate influences species
distribution and community composition, as well as the viability of
different crops in managed ecosystems. Plant growth also influences
the local, regional and global climate, through the exchanges of
energy and gases between the plants and the air around them.
Plant Growth and Climate Change examines the major
aspects of how anthropogenic climate change affects plants,
focusing on several key determinants of plant growth: atmospheric
CO2, temperature, water availability and the interactions between
these factors. The book demonstrates the variety of techniques used
across plant science: detailed physiology in controlled
environments; observational studies based on long-term data sets;
field manipulation experiments and modelling. It is directed at
advanced-level university students, researchers and professionals
across the range of plant science disciplines, including plant
physiology, plant ecology and crop science. It will also be of
interest to earth system scientists.
Preface.
1. Recent and future climate change and its implications for
plant growth.
David Viner, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia,
Norwich, UK, James I.L. Morison, Department of Biological Sciences,
University of Essex, Colchester, UK and Craig Wallace, Climatic
Research Unit, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
2. Plant responses to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Lewis H. Ziska and James A. Bunce, Crop Systems and Global
Change, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Maryland, USA.
3. The significance of temperature in plant life.
Christian Körner, Institute of Botany, University of Basel,
Basel, Switzerland.
4. Temperature and plant development: phenology and
seasonality.
Annette Menzel, Department of Ecology, Technical University of
Munich, Germany and Tim Sparks, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology,
Huntingdon, UK.
5. Responses of plant growth and functioning to changes in water
supply in a changing climate.
William J. Davies, Department of Biological Sciences, Lancaster
Environment Centre, University of Lancaster, UK.
6. Water availability and productivity.
João S. Pereira, Maria-Manuela Chaves,
Maria-Conceição Caldeira and Alexandre V. Correia,m
Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Lisboa, Portugal.
7. Effects of temperature and precipitation changes on plant
communities.
M. D. Morecroft, NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology,
Wallingford, UK and J.S. Paterson, Environmental Change Institute,
Oxford University Centre for the Environment, Oxford, UK.
8. Issues in modelling plant ecosystem responses to elevated
CO2: interactions with soil nitrogen.
Ying-Ping Wang, CSIRO Atmospheric Research, Aspendale, Victoria,
Australia and Ross McMurtrie, Belinda Medlyn and David Pepper,
School of Biological Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences,
University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
9. Predicting the effect of climate change on global plant
productivity and the carbon cycle.
John Grace & Rui Zhang, Institute of Atmospheric and
Environmental Science, School of GeoSciences, University of
Edinburgh, UK.
References.
Index
title suggests, ranging from organ physiology through to ecosystem
responses. I recommend the book for advanced students, teachers and
researchers who have interests in, and need to consider, a wide
range of plant-environmental processes, not just the complexities
of plant responses to 'climate change'..."
Annals of Botany, 1-1, 2007
Essex, UK
Dr Michael Morecroft, NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology,
Wallingford, UK