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characteristics of the habitat from which the species came.
Chapters on leaf arrangement and root-system structure
illustrate how plant architecture is influenced by resourcecapture requirements for light above ground and water/
nutrients below ground. This is then developed in the following three chapters, which focus on the physiological
ecology of resource relations. Studies from the Arctic,
Antarctic, tropics and Mediterranean are used to exemplify
the relationships between habitats and plant distribution.
Five chapters on populations and communities touch on
all aspects of inter- and intraspecific interactions (competition, herbivory, reproduction, etc). The book closes with
a series of chapters on new approaches, including remote
sensing at multiple scales and a revisit of the plant
ecology strategy debate.
Functional plant ecology is an updated version of the
Handbook of functional plant ecology edited by Pugnaire
and Valladares (1999; New York: Marcel Dekker). The
layout of the second edition is much the same, except for
the omission of a chapter on ‘Plant survival in arid environments’ and minor changes to the running order of the 23
remaining chapters. As a result the second edition is 177
pages shorter than its predecessor. It is a pity that useful
section headings, which divided chapters into different
subject topics, have been removed from the contents page
as it makes the book more difficult to navigate at a quick
glance than the earlier edition. However, these can soon
be written in by hand! Chapters have been revised and
updated to include the latest published works, although it
should be noted that no new references (i.e. post 1999)
are cited in four of the chapters, including the introduction.
The book follows a bottom-up approach with detailed
studies from plant organs up to the broadest ecosystem
approaches. Studies at the lower levels of organisation are
conducted with the aim of being subsequently scaled up
to the level of the ecosystem.
Pugnaire and Valladares have managed to pull together
a wide range of subjects with the depth and breadth of
a series of essays, but the accessibility of a textbook.
However, the chapters are not linked as you would expect
in a textbook, and the style of some of the chapters can
be a bit foreboding to the uninitiated. A list of contents is
presented at the start of each chapter, and where appropriate
appendices are given, such as detailed information on
experimental design and competition indices in the
chapter on plant interactions. Effective black and white
illustrations are used throughout the book, and additional
colour inserts appear in the remote sensing chapter.
Although costly, I think the book would have benefitted
from the inclusion of more colour inserts as black and
white photographs of lichens on rocks, for example, do
not show the subject matter as well. The book is intended
for a broad audience, ranging from specialist plant ecologists to upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students. It will certainly be well used as a reference book
on my bookshelf.
In 724 pages Pugnaire and Valladares have produced a
comprehensive reference for anyone interested in functional
plant ecology. This timely, fully revised and updated
edition, which includes work from 49 contributors,
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investigates the role of plant function in determining the
underlying laws that shape plant communities at multiple
scales. The book has an international flavour, describing
studies from many different parts of the world, and is therefore globally applicable.
Sarah L. Taylor
E-mail [email protected]
doi:10.1093/aob/mcn169
Principles and practices of
plant genomics. Volume 1.
Genome mapping.
Kole C, Abbott AG. eds 2008.
Enfield, HN: Science
Publishers. $109.50
(hardback). 415 pp.
This volume is the first of a
three-volume series. The 11
chapters of the volume provide
the reader with the basic knowledge on the approaches, tools
and platforms required to map
genomes and extract useful
information for different applications, particularly for
tagging Mendelian and quantitative genes. The first four
chapters present a vibrant historical summary of the main
features of the genetic materials and marker classes required
for the construction of linkage maps. The next four chapters
provide a detailed description on how the genomics approach
can best be used to unravel the genetic basis of traits, all the
way from the primary and coarse mapping of genes and QTL
to their cloning. A number of valuable examples have been
critically surveyed, thus providing the reader with an accurate overview of what can reasonably be achieved and the
effort it will require. Of particular value to newcomers in
the genomics world are the two chapters devoted to bioinformatics, computer strategies and software for gene mapping.
Finally, one chapter illustrates the main genomic initiatives
undertaken so far.
This volume is well poised to become a reference classic
for those willing to engage in the study of the structure and
evolution of plant genomes and how this information can be
used to improve crop performance. The volume is particularly valuable to those with limited or even no knowledge
of the fundamentals of plant genomics, an attribute also
clearly implied by the title of the series. Among the
many merits of this volume, the main one is the clarity
with which the information is presented, a feature particularly valuable for the neophytes. Nonetheless, a number
of chapters clearly go beyond this basic level of knowledge
and provide an ample list of references that can be accessed
for further reading. The figures very clearly report the basic
features of the relevant marker classes and approaches, a
particularly valuable feature for teaching purposes.
880
Book Reviews
Additionally, a number of well-organized and informative
tables summarize relevant key features. The list of abbreviations is very handy and provides a quick overview of the
genomics jargon used (and often abused) that may otherwise discourage newcomers to take full advantage of the
analytical power and potential of the genomic approach.
Similarly useful is the simple and well-organized analytical
index. Notwithstanding the year of publication (2008) of the
volume, only a handful of the quoted references are from
2007 and only a few more are from 2006. This shortcoming
probably reflects a delay in finalizing the volume and its
prevailing scholastic orientation coherently with what is
stated by the editors in the Preface: ‘. . .it is essential that
academics in these broad disciplines have available the
lucid deliberations of the basic concepts and strategies of
plant genomics to enhance their own studies, training and
expertise’. The step-by-step structure of most chapters provides even the most recalcitrant reader with the opportunity
to wade through all the topics easily in a clear and logical
fashion. This feature makes the volume particularly valuable for teaching students at low and intermediate levels
and for scientists willing to engage, either theoretically or
practically, for the first time with the genomics approach.
This volume also targets students and researchers in plant
science and biotechnology with an interest in genomics
who are willing to undertake a more in-depth journey,
either from an academic or applicative standpoint. The
content and style of the volume clearly reflect the fact
that it is the first of a three-volume set. Although the
book is an excellent buy as a stand-alone volume, its
value will be enhanced when considered in conjunction
with the remaining two volumes that will soon be published
in the series.
In summary, the volume Genome Mapping represents a
valuable resource for those students and scientists willing
to take advantage of the research and applicative possibilities offered by plant genomics. This book provides an
excellent starting point to further knowledge on genome
structure and gene function, and demonstrates how the
genomics paradigm can be exploited to provide breeders
and other scientists with the information required to more
effectively unravel and manipulate trait complexity and
crop performance.
Roberto Tuberosa
E-mail [email protected]