| Popis: |
This book includes new information on the growth, ecology and effects of environmental influences on plant tissues from the scale of the germination of seeds to that of young plants. It starts with (1) a review article that mostly address the initial phase of the plant life cycle (i.e., seed germination) from an ecophysiological viewpoint. The following three chapters shed light on the (2) translocation and utilization of storage compounds in relation to the formation of those aromatics, during the germination and greening of Cucumis sativus, (3) developmental basis and significance of the light-induced exaggeration of the hypocotyl hook on various epigeal dicots, (4) possible action mechanisms of various reactive oxygen species on seed ageing, and root growth and development of willow seedlings. The remaining chapters are related to applied research and include information obtained under laboratory conditions, although most studies were conducted at the field in salt-marsh; temperate, arid and semiarid; humid, subtropical; high mountain, Mediterranean; tropical or cool-temperate forest, or mine tailing ecosystems. They increase our knowledge of the (5) dynamics of root-microenvironment systems on wheat seedlings, (6) the possibility of predicting the potential for natural or managed re-vegetation of dieback areas on salt marshes, (7) the importance of safe sites in the establishment of new individuals and plant species regeneration of rangeland perennial grasses and forbs, (8) the fact that Hyalis argentea is a non-dormant species that germinates during autumn, taking advantage of soil resources over other species that germinate later, during spring, (9) the physiological processes that contribute to adaptation to water stress on seedlings of various range grasses, (10) defoliation tolerance and competitive ability mechanisms of one native and two introduced genotypes in semiarid rangelands, (11) the most important environmental and biotic factors that influence seedling dynamics of some of the most conspicuous species that grow in a forest-steppe gradient within an arid region, (12) high sensitivity of seed germination and early seedling survival to water stress on the perennial bunchgrass Digitaria eriantha, which constraints its use for re-vegetation purposes in arid rangelands, (13) the salinity effects on germination of tree and shrub species that grow in a seasonally subtropical climate, (14) plant growth regulators that can improve germination and growth of various shrub species, which can be used for restoration of degraded areas in a Mediterranean region, (15) implications of mycorrhiza on the early growth of some tree seedlings endemic to Madagascar, highlighting the importance of mycorrhizal fungi diversity and some pioneer plant species, (16) tropical herbivore-seedling interactions, examining the effects of herbivory from the level of individual through the community, (17) environmental conditions that affect seed germination of spring ephemerals at the floor of deciduous, broad-leaved forests and (18) need of inoculating exotic tree species (e.g., Acacia mangium) with native mycorrhizal fungi for a successful rehabilitation of marginal and mine tailing sites in the Philippines. |
