Low temperature represents, together with drought and salt stress, one of the most important environmental constraints limiting the pro ductivity and the distribution of plants on the Earth. Winter survival, in particular, is a highly complex phenomenon, with regards to both stress factors and stress responses. The danger from winter cold is the result not only of its primary effect, i. e. the formation of ice in plant tissues; additional threats are presented by the freezing of water in and on the ground and by the load and duration ofthe snow cover. In recent years, a number of books and reviews on the subject of chilling and frost resistance in plants have appeared: all of these publications, however, concentrate principally on the mechanisms of injury and resistance to freezing at the cellular or molecular level. We are convinced that analysis of the ultrastructural and biochemical alterations in the cell and particularly in the plasma membrane during freezing is the key to understanding the limits of frost resistance and the mechanisms of cold acclimation. This is undoubtedly the immediate task facing those of us engaged in resistance research. It is nevertheless our opinion that, in addition to understanding the basic physiological events, we should be careful not to overlook the importance of the comparative aspects of the freezing processes, the components of stress avoidance and tolerance and the specific levels of resistance.

An analysis of the ultrastructural and biochemical alterations in the cell and plasma membrane during the freezing of plants. Organized to include both the cellular and the comparative aspects of freezing stress and plant survival, the book covers ecophysiological research from the biochemical to the ecological viewpoint.

Conifer Cold Hardiness provides an up-to-date synthesis by leading scientists in the study of the major physiological and environmental factors regulating cold hardiness of conifer tree species. This state-of-the-art reference comprehensively explains current understanding of conifer cold hardiness ranging from the gene to the globe and from the highly applied to the very basic. Topics addressed encompass cold hardiness from the perspectives of ecology, ecophysiology, acclimation and deacclimation, seedling production and reforestation, the impacts of biotic and abiotic factors, and methods for studying and analyzing cold hardiness. The content is relevant to geneticists, ecologists, stress physiologists, environmental and global change scientists, pathologists, advanced nursery and silvicultural practitioners, and graduate students involved in plant biology, plant physiology, horticulture and forestry with an interest in cold hardiness.

Presenting the latest research on the effects of cold and sub-zero temperatures on plant distribution, growth and yield, this comprehensive volume contains 28 chapters by international experts covering basic molecular science to broad ecological studies on the impact of global warming, and an industry perspective on transgenic approaches to abiotic stress tolerance. With a focus on integrating molecular studies in the laboratory with field research and physiological studies of whole plants in their natural environments, this book covers plant physiology, production, development, agronomy, ecology, breeding and genetics, and their applications in agriculture and horticulture.

Representing the latest knowledge of the ecology and the physiology of cold-adapted microorganisms, plants and animals, this book explains the mechanisms of cold-adaptation on the enzymatic and molecular level, including results from the first crystal structures of enzymes of cold-adapted organisms.

The economic costs of frosts in agriculture and horticulture in many parts of the world can be very significant. Reports in the media include accounts on how frosts have devastated coffee crops in Brazil or in Papua New Guinea, and how frosts have seriously damaged the Florida citrus industry. Frost may cause losses in current harvests or a decline in future yields through more permanent damage to trees and bushes. Damaging frosts may occur as infrequent, short-term events with sub-zero temperatures or with unusually severe winter temperatures which extend over long periods. In this book we have aimed at providing a comprehensive review of recent advances in the area of frost research. The stimulus for writing this book has come from the recognition that there is a shortage of recent texts which deal exclusively with the bioclimatology of frost. Bioclimatology deals with the relations between climate and life and the present text is particularly concerned with the effects of low temperatures on plants. Our purpose has been to assist researchers, engineers, extension officers and students in understanding the physical aspects of frost occurrence and frost distribution as well as the biological and phenological aspects of frost damage and to provide an overview of direct and indirect methods of frost pro tection and prevention.

“This should be the cornerstone of every gardener’s library.” —Jeff Gillman, Director of the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens What happens inside a seed after it is planted? How are plants structured? How do plants reproduce? The answers to these and other questions about complex plant processes can be found in the bestselling Botany for Gardeners. First published in 1990 with more than 260,000 copies sold, it has become the go-to introduction to botany for students and gardeners. Now in its fourth edition, Botany for Gardeners has been expanded and updated. It features a revised interior, with new photos and illustrations that clarify the concepts clearer than ever before. Additional updates address scientific advances, changes in nomenclature and taxonomy, and more. As before, Botany for Gardeners shares accessible information about how plants are organized, how they have adapted to nearly all environments on earth, their essential functions, and how they reproduce.