Plant Ecology

2. Auflage 1996
ISBN: 978-0-632-03639-4
Verlag: Wiley-Blackwell

Buch, Englisch, 736 Seiten, Format (B × H): 170 mm x 242 mm, Gewicht: 1420 g

Plant ecology is the scientific study of the factors influencing the distribution and abundance of plants. This benchmark text, extremely well received in its first edition, shows how pattern and structure at different levels of plant organization--from ecophysiology through population dynamics to community structure and ecosystem function--are influenced by abiotic factors (eg, climate and soils) and by biotic factors (eg, competition and herbivory). Adopting a dynamic approach, this book combines descriptive text with theoretical models and experimental data. It will be invaluable reading for both student and practising ecologist alike.

In this second edition, the structure of the book has been completely revised, moving from the small scale to the large scale, in keeping with contemporary teaching methods. This fresh approach allows consideration of several new and important topics such as plant secondary chemistry, herbivory, sex, and breeding systems. Additional chapters address topical applied issues in plant ecology including global warming, pollution and biodiversity.
- The latest edition of a very widely adopted textbook
- Written by a team of leading experts and edited by an international authority in the field

Autoren/Hrsg.

Crawley, Michael J.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

List of Contributors xi
Preface to the Second Edition xiii
Preface to the First Edition xv

1 Photosynthesis 1
Harold A. Mooney And James R. Ehleringer

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Background
1.3 Environmental influences on photosynthetic capacity
1.4 Seasonality of photosynthesis
1.5 Photosynthetic capacity and defence against herbivores
1.6 Variations on the basic photosynthetic pathway
1.7 Ecological consequences of different photosynthetic pathways
1.8 Climate change and photosynthesis
1.9 Conclusions

2 Plant Water Relations 28
John Grace

2.1 Introduction: water and life
2.2 Transpiration rate
2.3 Soil–plant–atmosphere continuum
2.4 Water relations and plant distribution patterns
2.5 Water, carbon and nutrient relations
2.6 Concluding remarks

3 Nutrient Acquisition 51
Alastair Fitter

3.1 Availability of nutrients
3.2 Nutrient uptake by root system:

3.3 Responses to nutrient deficiency
3.4 Heterogeneity
3.5 Summary

4 Life History and Environment 73
Michael J. Crawley

4.1 Introduction
4.2 Neighbourhoods
4.3 Lite history
4.4 Trade-offs
4.5 Canopy architecture
4.6 Environmental factors affecting plant performance
4.7 Conclusions

5 Plant Secondary Metabolism 132
Jeffrey R. Harborne.

5.1 Introduction
5.2 Secondary metabolites
5.3 Terpenoid metabolites
5.4 Nitrogen-containing metabolites
5.5 Phenolic metabolites
5.6 Conclusions

6 Sex 156
Michael J. Crawley

6.1 Introduction
6.2 Sex: why bother?
6.3 Mating systems
6.4 Inbreeding and outbreeding
6.5 Sex types
6.6 Incompatibility systems
6.7 Prevention of self-pollination
6.8 Limits to reproductive output
6.9 Monocarpy and polycarpy
6.10 Pollination by wind
6.11 Pollination by animals
6.12 Sexual investment by hermaphrodites
6.13 Agamospermy: seeds without sex
6.14 Sex ratios and variable sex expression
6.15 Population genetics and genetic neighbourhoods
6.16 Gene flow through migration
6.17 Sex on islands
6.18 Local mate competition
6.19 Mate choice in plants
6.20 Conflicts of interest
6.21 Case studies
6.22 Conclusions

7 Seed Dormancy 214
Mark. Rees

7.1 Introduction
7.2 Seeds and the environment
7.3 Seed banks
7.4 Population persistence
7.5 Population dynamics and coexistence
7.6 Evolution of dormancy
7.7 Conclusions

8 Mechanisms of Plant Competition 239
David Tilman

8.1 Introduction
8.2 Competition in natural plant communities
8.3 A single limiting resource
8.4 Competition for two resources
8.5 Multispecies communities
8.6 Conclusion

9 Ecology of Pollination and Seed Dispersal 262
Itenry F Howe And Lynn C. Westley

9.1 Introduction
9.2 Challenges of a sedentary existence
9.3 Adaptive trends
9.4 Reproductive imperatives of success and failure
9.5 Adjusting tophysical and biological reality
9.6 Conclusions

10 Plant Chemistry and Herbivorv, or Why the World is Green 284
Susan E. Hartley And Clive G. Jones

10.1 Why is the world green?
10.2 Plants are poor food: they have 'cruddy' ingredient
10.3 Plants are poor food: they are unpredictable
10.4 Herbivores are between the devil and the deep blu1: sea
10.5 Conclusions

11 The Structure of Plant Populations 325
Michael J. Hutchings

11.1 Introduction
11.2 Performance structure in plant populations
11.3 Spatial structure of plant populations
11.4 Age structure in plant populations
11.5 Generic structure of plant populations
11.6 Abiotic influences on population structure

12 Plant Population Dynamics 359
Andrew R. Watkinson

12.1 Introduction
12.2 Population flux
12.3 Population regulation
12.4 The individual and the population
12.5 The fates of individuals
12.6 Population models
12.7 Density-dependence
12.8 Population dynamics
12.9 Interactions in mixtures of species
12.10 Concluding remarks

13 Plant–Herbivore Dynamics 401
Michael J. Crawley

13.1 Introduction
13.2 Herbivores and plant performance
13.3 Herbivores and plant vigour
13.4 Plant compensation
13.5 Herbivores and plant fitness
13.6 Overgrazing
13.7 Herbivores and plant genetics
13.8 Herbivores and atmospheric CO2
13.9 Herbivores and plant population dynamics
13.10 Case studies
13.11 Herbivores and plant diversity
13.12 Herbivores and plant succession
13.13 Summary

14 The Structure of Plant Communities 475
Michael J. Crawley

14.1 Introduction
14.2 Definition of plant community
14.3 The niche concept
14.4 Species richness
14.5 Evenness and relative abundance
14.6 Physical structure of plant communities
14.7 Succession
14.8 Models or spatial dynamics
14.9 Conclusions

15 Dynamics of Plant Communities 532
Stephen W. Pacala

15.1 Introduction
15.2 Simple models of ideas
15.3 Empirical tests
15.4 Models of natural systems
15.5 Spatial segregation hypothesis
15.6 Empirical evidence for the spatial segregation hypothesis
15.7 Conclusions

16 Plants in Trophic Webs 556
James P. Grover And Robert D. Holt

17 Plants and Pollution 568
Mike Ashmore

17.1 Introduction
17.2 Effects on individual plants
17.3 Effects on species interactions
17.4 Evolutionary responses
17.5 Community-level effects
17.6 Concluding remarks

18 Climate Change and Vegetation 582
J. Philip Grime

18.1 Introduction
18.2 Importance of land use
18.3 Current predictions
18.4 Current research
18.5 Conclusions

19 Biodiversity 595
Michael. J. Crawley

19.1 Introduction
19.2 The number of plant species
19.3 Origins of plant biodiversity
19.4 Postglacial changes in plant biodiversity
19.5 Current geographical distribution of biodiversity
19.6 Variation in plant biodiversity within the British Isles
19.7 Threats to biodiversity
19.8 Alien plants
19.9 Plant conservation
19.10 Food plant conservation
19.11 Economics, of plant conservation
19.12 Conclusions

References 633
Index 701
Colour plates fall between pp. 366 and 367

Über Autor(innen)

Michael J. Crawley, FRS, is with the Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. He is the author of three bestselling Wiley statistics titles and five life science books.