| Contents Notes |
The freeloaders: plants using plants -- The plumbing system of plants -- Climbing to the light: the vines -- Living in the treetops: the epiphytes -- Plant pirates: the parasites -- Not enough water: the plants of deserts and seasonally arid places -- Why there are deserts -- The hot deserts: landforms and habitats -- Plant strategies for desert survival: the hot deserts of North America -- Hot deserts outside North America: the temperate deserts -- Seasonal drought in Mediterranean climates -- Seasonal drought in savannas -- Rising from the ashes: plants and fire -- The sprouters -- The seeders -- Fire and vegetation in human times -- Serpentine and salt: coping with toxic soils -- Serpentine soils -- Halophytes: plants that grow on salty soils -- Too much water: plants of rivers, lakes, swamps, and margins of the sea -- Submerged plants -- Plants with leaves that float on the surface -- Plants that float -- Plants with stems, leaves, and flowers that rise above the water -- Plants of river flood zones. Too cold for trees: mountain and arctic plants -- Alpine plants of temperate regions -- Arctic tundra -- Alpine plants of tropical mountains -- Trees that shut down during severe continental winters -- A love-hate relationship: plants and animals -- Plants under attack -- How plants survive the onslaught -- How seed plants reproduce -- The complexities of flower pollination -- The pollinators -- Dispersal of seeds and fruits -- The agents of seed dispersal -- The tables turned: plants that eat animals -- Mostly hidden relationships: plants, fungi, and bacteria -- Fungi -- Lichens -- Bacteria -- Viruses -- Plant evolution through the ages: an overview. "Whether they procreate courtesy of fire or flying insects, bury their roots in sand or salt, thrive in toxicity or bask in treetops, many plants demonstrate a prodigious ability to adapt to punitive conditions and external provocations. In this superlative and erudite resource, the authors present the causes and effects of such biological modifications through a vivid and intricate investigation of the realm of environmental challenges plants must overcome to survive. From the frigid wastelands of the arctic tundra to the parched expanses of unyielding deserts, habitats that cannot support other life forms frequently manage to manifest hospitable conditions sufficient to support some forms of plant life. Positioning their findings within a broad context that examines evolutionary patterns, climatological conditions, and geographic influences, the authors provide pertinent background information, thereby enhancing one's understanding and appreciation of plants' tenacious characteristics. Although written in a clear and approachable manner, this scholarly exploration is best suited to the serious student of botany and horticulture."--Carol Haggas in Booklist. |
