TUM Library

Magnitude and quality of life as well as sustainable human progress inescapably depend on the state of our environment. The environment, in essence, is a common resource of all the living organisms in the biosphere as well as a vivacious basis of the evolution of life on Earth. A sustainable future broods over a sustainable environment--an environment encompassing life-originating, life-supporting, and life-sustaining uniqueness. A deteriorating environment haplessly sets in appalling conditions leading to shrinkage of life and a halt in human progress. The current global environment scenario is extremely dismal. Environmental disruptions, largely owing to anthropogenic activities, are steadily leading to awful climate change. Horribly advancing toward mass extinction in the near or distant future and posing a threat to our Living Planet, the unabatedly ongoing climate change, in fact, is an unprecedented issue of human concern about life in the recorded human history. How to get rid of the environmental mess and resolve environmental issues leading to climate change mitigation is the foremost challenge facing humanity in our times. There are several measures the whole world is resorting to. They are primarily focused on cutting down excessive carbon emissions by means of development of technological alternatives, for example, increasing mechanical efficiencies and ever-more dependence on clean-energy sources. These are of great importance, but there is yet a natural phenomenon that has been, and will unceasingly be, pivotal to maintain climate order of the Earth. For it to phenomenally boost, we need to explore deeper aspects of environmental science. It is the environmental plant physiology that links us with deeper roots of life. Environmental Plant Physiology: Botanical Strategies for a Climate-Smart Planet attempts to assimilate a relatively new subject that helps us understand the very phenomenon of life that persists in the planet's environment and depends on, and is influenced by, a specific set of operating environmental factors. It is the subject that helps us understand adaptation mechanisms within a variety of habitats as well as the implications of the alterations of environmental factors on the inhabiting organisms, their populations, and communities. Further, this book can also be of vital importance for policy makers and organizations dealing with climate-related issues and committed to the cause of the earth. This book can be instrumental in formulating strategies that can lead us to a climate-smart planet. Features: Provides ecological basis of environmental plant physiology Discusses energy, nutrient, water, temperature, allelochemical, and altitude relations of plants Reviews stress physiology of plants and plants' adaptations to the changing climate Examines climate-change effects on plant physiology Elucidates evolving botanical strategies for a climate-smart planet

Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Author -- Chapter 1: Environment and Ecosystems: Physiological Basis of Ecology -- The Lumenosphere -- The Biosphere -- The Organism-Environment Relationships -- Energy and Nutrient Flows through Ecosystems -- Food Chains -- Food Web -- Ecological Pyramids -- Ecological Pyramid of Numbers -- Ecological Pyramid of Biomass -- Ecological Pyramid of Energy -- The Sixth Trophic Level -- The Seventh Trophic Level -- What Is Environmental Physiology? -- Climate and Its Changing Behavior

Scope of Environmental Plant Physiology -- Applications in Food Production -- Environmental Physiology: The Basis for a Climate-Smart Planet -- Summary -- References -- Websites -- Chapter 2: Energy Relations -- Energy and Life -- Trophic Diversity in Nature -- The Light of Life -- Leaf and Light -- Leaf-Energy Balance -- Energy Inputs and Energy Outputs of a Leaf -- Net Radiation -- Sensible Heat Loss (Conduction and Convection) -- Latent and Chemical Energy -- Photosynthetic Pathways -- C3 Photosynthesis -- C4 Photosynthesis -- CAM Photosynthesis -- E = mc2 in the Context of Earth's Ecosystems

Sun-Soil-Plant: The Evolutionary Ladder of Life -- Photosynthesis and Soil Fertilization -- Energy from Inorganic Molecules -- Energy from Organic Molecules -- Chemical Composition vis-à-vis Nutrient Requirements -- Herbivory -- Carnivory -- Detritivory -- Energy Limitations -- Optimal Foraging by Animals -- Optimal Foraging by Plants -- Energy Flow in the Biosphere -- Summary -- References -- Websites -- Chapter 3: Nutrient Relations -- The Pedosphere -- Soil as an Ecosystem -- Diversity of the World's Soils -- Soil Types -- Soil Biodiversity -- Pedodiversity-Biodiversity Relations

Essential Elements -- Sources of Plant Nutrients -- Nutrient Availability for Plants -- Interactions among Ions -- Cycles in the Soil -- Ion-Uptake Physiology -- Kinetics -- Internal Control -- Morphological Responses -- Root:Shoot Ratio and Root:Weight Ratio -- Root Diameter and Root Hairs -- Root Density and Distribution -- Soil Microorganisms -- Rhizosphere -- Impact on Nutrient Uptake -- Nitrogen Fixation -- Influence of Environmental Factors -- Mycorrhizas -- Summary -- References -- Websites -- Chapter 4: Water Relations -- The Water Planet as Home to Life

Water Properties Conducive to Life -- Water Availability to Organisms -- Water in Air -- Water Movement within Water -- Water Potential -- Plant Roots and Water Acquisition -- Water Relations of Plant Cells -- Supply of Water by the Soil -- Water Planet a Climate-Smart Planet -- Summary -- References -- Websites -- Chapter 5: Temperature Relations -- Microclimatic Variations and Temperatures -- Atmospheric Trends vis-à-vis Altitudes -- Troposphere -- Stratosphere -- Mesosphere -- Thermosphere -- Exosphere -- Plant-Temperature Relations -- Ground Color and Temperatures

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