Physiological Ecology of Tropical Plants

by Luttge, Ulrich E.

• ISBN13: 9783540717928
• ISBN10: 3540717927
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-02-03
• Publisher: Springer Nature

Summary

Since the publication of the first edition of this book ten years ago, international research into the physiological ecology of plants in the tropics has increased enormously in quantity and quality. This brand new edition brings the story right up to date. New approaches have been developed in remote sensing while at the other end of the scale molecular biology has come on in leaps and bounds, particularly regarding ecological performance of tropical plants, e.g. in understanding the adaptation of resurrection plants to the extreme habitat of inselbergs. In this fully revised and updated second edition the wealth of new information has made it necessary to break large chapters down into smaller ones.

Author Biography

Ulrich L++ttge is also series editor of our series "Progress in Botany", and Editor-in-Chief of our journal "Trees - Structure and Function".

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Historical Background of Ecophysiology	p. 1
The Tropics	p. 3
Tropical Forests and Savannas: Their Emotional, Commercial, Ecological and Scientific Importance	p. 5
The Destruction of Tropical Forest	p. 11
References	p. 14
Large-Scale Sensing and Diagnosis in Relation to the Tropical Environment	p. 17
Approaches	p. 17
Climatic Relations and Vegetation Modeling	p. 17
The Klimadiagramm	p. 18
Vegetation Modeling Based on Irradiance and Water Budgets	p. 22
Remote Sensing Using Radiation	p. 23
Reflection and Absorption	p. 23
Fluorescence	p. 26
Gas Analysis	p. 29
Stable Isotope Analysis	p. 33
Mathematical Tools	p. 42
References	p. 46
Tropical Forests. I. Physiognomy and Functional Structure	p. 51
Separation of Different Types of Tropical Forests	p. 51
Physiognomy of Different Types of Tropical Forests	p. 55
Tropical Rain Forests	p. 55
Tropical Cloud and Elfin Forests	p. 59
Floodplain Forests	p. 60
Thorn Scrub and Cactus Forests	p. 62
Mangroves and Gallery Forests	p. 67
Horizontal Structure and Diversity of Tropical Forests	p. 67
Diversity and the Spatial Structure of the Environment	p. 67
Diversity and Plasticity and the Biological Stress Concept	p. 69
Diversity and the Chaos of Oscillating Mosaics	p. 73
Diversity and Life Forms	p. 77
Vertical Structure	p. 84
Irradiance	p. 85
Temperature and Air Humidity	p. 88
Carbon Dioxide	p. 89
Mineral Nutrients	p. 90
References	p. 97
Tropical Forests. II. Ecophysiological Responses to Light	p. 103
Light Responses of Photosynthesis	p. 103
Light-Response Characteristics of Sun and Shade Plants	p. 103
The Photosynthetic Apparatus: Pigments, Enzymes and Nitrogen	p. 107
The Origin of High-Irradiance Stress and General Plant Responses	p. 118
Dissipation of Excitation Energy in the Form of Heat: The Role of Xanthophylls	p. 121
Damage and Repair of Reaction Centres of Photosystem II: The D[subscript 1]-Protein	p. 124
Conclusion: Summarizing Mechanisms of Dissipation of Photosynthetic Excitation Energy	p. 125
Dissipation of Excitation Energy in the Form of Fluorescence: A Tool in Plant Ecophysiology	p. 126
Varying Irradiance on the Forest Floor and in Gap Dynamics	p. 131
The Response to Light Flecks	p. 131
Light Quality: Signalling Functions of Light	p. 136
Seedlings: Germination, Establishment and Growth	p. 138
Regulation of Seed Dormancy and Germination	p. 138
Growth of Seedlings	p. 139
References	p. 142
Tropical Forests. III. Ecophysiological Responses to Drought	p. 149
Drought in Moist Tropical Forests	p. 149
Drought in Dry Tropical Forests	p. 151
Leaf Shedding and Hydraulic Architecture	p. 151
Ecophysiological Responses of Plants with C[subscript 3]-Photosynthesis and Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM)	p. 153
References	p. 162
Tropical Forests. IV. Lianas, Hemi-Epiphytes, Epiphytes and Mistletoes	p. 165
The Conquest of Space: Cryptogams and a Diversity of Life Forms of Vascular Plants	p. 165
Cryptogams	p. 170
Bacteria and Cyanobacteria	p. 170
Bryophytes and Lichens	p. 171
Lianas, Climbers, Vines and Hemi-Epiphytes	p. 175
Epiphytes	p. 183
Mistletoes	p. 188
Stressors Driving Ecophysiological Adaptation of Eiphytes and Hemi-Epiphytes	p. 191
Light and the Evolution of Plants to Epiphytism	p. 191
Water	p. 195
Mineral Nutrients	p. 210
References	p. 219
Tropical Forests. V. Mangroves	p. 227
Phytogeography	p. 227
Site Characteristics and Contrasts in Salinity	p. 232
Morphological Characteristics of the Mangrove Tree Life Form	p. 233
Hypoxia in Inundated Swampy Soils, Root Morphology and Aeration	p. 233
Hydraulic Architecture and Xylem Sap Flow	p. 236
Vivipary	p. 237
Exclusion, Inclusion and Excretion of Salt	p. 237
Photosynthesis	p. 246
CO[subscript 2]-Exchange and Stomatal Conductance	p. 246
Water Use Efficiency	p. 251
High Irradiance, Photoinhibition and Oxidative Stress	p. 253
Interacting Factors: Salinity, Irradiance, Elevated CO[subscript 2]	p. 256
Nutrition	p. 257
Aquatic Communities	p. 258
Macroalgae in Mangroves	p. 258
Microbial Mats	p. 259
Mangroves as Endangered Ecosystems with Numerous Benefits for Man and the Need for their Conservation	p. 259
References	p. 260
Ecosystems of Coastal Sand Plains	p. 265
Restingas	p. 265
Geological History and Vegetation Physiognomy	p. 265
The Nurse Plant Syndrome and Dynamics of Vegetation Islands	p. 266
Ecophysiology of Photosynthesis of Restinga Plants	p. 268
Salinas	p. 269
Formation of Coastal Salt Marshes and Vegetation Physiognomy	p. 269
Dynamics of Vegetation Islands	p. 275
Strategies of Adaptation of Plants in the Different Vegetation Units	p. 277
References	p. 290
Savannas. I. Physiognomy, Terminology and Ecotones: Why Do Savannas Exist?	p. 293
Physiognomy and Terminology	p. 293
Seasonality	p. 304
The Savanna Problem: Why Do Savannas Exist?	p. 305
Ecotones	p. 306
Savanna-Forest Ecotone Dynamics	p. 306
Savanna-Desert Ecotone Dynamics: The Sahel Problem as a Case Story	p. 308
Productivity	p. 310
References	p. 311
Savannas. II. The Environmental Factors Water, Mineral Nutrients and Fire	p. 313
The Water Factor	p. 313
Grasses	p. 315
Trees	p. 323
The Nutrient Factor	p. 335
Nitrogen	p. 339
Phosphorus	p. 344
Biotic Interactions	p. 345
The Aluminium Problem	p. 356
The Fire Factor	p. 361
The Causes of Fire: Anthropogenic and Natural	p. 361
Pyrophytes	p. 364
Burning by Man: Losses and Gains	p. 365
References	p. 372
Inselbergs	p. 379
Physiognomy	p. 379
Cryptogams	p. 382
Cyanobacteria	p. 382
Lichens and Mosses	p. 400
Vascular Plants	p. 401
Diversity and Life Forms	p. 401
Physiological Ecology	p. 401
Desiccation Tolerance	p. 404
Cyanobacteria	p. 404
Lichens and Bryophytes	p. 404
Vascular Plants	p. 407
References	p. 413
Paramos	p. 419
Summer Every Day, Winter Every Night	p. 419
The Stress Factor Frost	p. 422
Life Forms of Paramo Plants	p. 423
Giant-Rosette Plants	p. 423
Other Life Forms: Tussocks, Cushions, Acaulescent Rosettes, Sclerophylls	p. 429
Cacti	p. 433
Frost Resistance in Giant-Rosette Plants	p. 433
Afro-Alpine Plants: Freezing Tolerance	p. 433
Andean Plants: Freezing Avoidance	p. 435
Comparison of the Strategies of Freezing Tolerance and Avoidance	p. 435
Other Stress Factors	p. 438
Water Availability	p. 438
Mineral Nutrition and Carbon	p. 438
Irradiance and Heat	p. 439
References	p. 439
Scientific Name Index	p. 443
Subject Index	p. 449
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