Survival Strategies of Annual Desert Plants / Edition 1

by Yitzchak Gutterman

Overview

Annual desert plant species of unrelated taxa in the Negev Desert of Israel have developed complementary sets of adaptations and survival strategies as ecological equivalents with physiological, morphological and anatomical resemblances, in the various stages of their life cycles. After 40 years of research in hot deserts Yitzchak Gutterman provides a comprehensive treatise of such adaptations and strategies. In doing so he covers the following topics: post-maturation primary seed dormancy, which prevents germination of maturing seeds before the summer; seed dispersal mechanisms with escape or protection strategies; cautious or opportunistic germination strategies; seedling drought tolerance. The day-length is an important factor in regulating flowering as well as the phenotypic plasticity of seed germination which is also affected by maternal factors.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783540431725
Publisher:	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publication date:	10/03/2002
Series:	Adaptations of Desert Organisms
Edition description:	2002
Pages:	348
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

1 The Desert Biome, Survival Adaptations and Strategies of Annual Plant Species.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Plant Adaptation and Survival Strategies.- 1.3 The Negev Desert.- 1.4 Conclusion.- 2 Flowering Strategies.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Flowering Adaptations and Strategies of Perennial Plants.- 2.3 Flowering Adaptations and Strategies of Selected Annual Plants.- 2.4 Conclusion.- 3 Strategies of Phenotypic Plasticity of Germination During Seed Development and Maturation.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Environmental Factors Affecting Phenotypic Germination Plasticity.- 3.3 Seed Position on the Mother Plant During Seed Development and Maturation Affecting Seed Germination.- 3.4 Desiccation Tolerance of Maturing Seeds.- 3.5 Conclusion.- 4 Strategies of Phenotypic Plasticity of Germination: Dormancy After Seed Maturation.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Post Maturation Environmental Influences on Dry Seed Primary Dormancy (After-Ripening).- 4.3 Periods of Storage of Dry Seeds at High Temperatures Affecting Primary Dormancy in Seeds of Different Plant Species.- 4.4 Post Maturation Phenotypic Germination Plasticity of Hard Seeds.- 4.5 Post-Maturation Supra-optimal Temperatures Affecting Germination of Wet Seeds, and Thermodormancy.- 4.6 Conclusion.- 5 Seed Dispersal Adaptations and Strategies.- 5.1 Seed Consumption, Plant Adaptations and Strategies of Seed Dispersal.- 5.2 One-Season Winter Annuals and Seed Dispersal Seasons.- 5.3 Bi-seasonal Annuals and Seed Dispersal by Wind.- 5.4 Conclusion.- 6 Germination Adaptations, Strategies and Influences on Germination During Seed Wetting.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Fitness to Habitats and Range of Temperatures for Germination of some Plants Occurring in the Negev.- 6.3 Environmental Factors During Seed Wetting and Germination During the Season with Rain.- 6.4 Conclusion.- 7 Embryo and Seedling Survival and Plant Development.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Seedling Drought Tolerance and Survival.- 7.3 Amounts of Water Affecting Seedling Survival.- 7.4 Conclusion.- 8 Summary of the Complementary Sets of Survival Strategies of Some Common Species of the Negev Desert That Have Been Studied in Detail.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 The Complementary Sets of Adaptation and Survival Strategies.- 8.3 Conclusion.- References.- Index of Latin Names.

Editorial Reviews

"... this book is recommended to experts as well as to others with interest in plant sciences (physiology, ecology, conservation biology or botany). A most valuable trait of the book is the comprehensive summary of our actual knowledge on the adaptations and survival strategies of annual desert plants, what was not yet available. Aided by analysis of numerous experiments and case studies observed in the Negev Desert ..., the author demonstrates that these plants are not just interesting exceptions, but one of the greatest survivors of their habitat." (Community Ecology)

"This book encapsulates a lifetime´s wisdom on plant survival in the harshest of environments - the desert ... The content of the book ranges widely, with examples from many of the world´s great deserts, drawing together information from both old and new literature and describing many of the observations and experiments from the author´s own laboratory. ... The wealth of information within this volume, with the twenty-two pages of literature citations, makes this dedicated work the encyclopedia from which to start." (Israel Journal of Plant Sciences)

From the Publisher