Physiological Plant Ecology IV

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XI

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2. Introduction

   • O. L. Lange, P. S. Nobel, C. B. Osmond, H. Ziegler

   Pages 1-3

3. Nutrient Allocation in Plant Communities: Mineral Cycling in Terrestrial Ecosystems

   • J. L. Charley, B. N. Richards

   Pages 5-45

4. Nutrient Cycling in Freshwater Ecosystems

   • A. Melzer, Ch. Steinberg

   Pages 47-84

5. Nutrient Cycling in Marine Ecosystems

   • T. R. Parsons, P. J. Harrison

   Pages 85-115

6. Modeling of Growth and Production

   • F. W. T. Penning De Vries

   Pages 117-150

7. Productivity of Agricultural Systems

   • R. S. Loomis

   Pages 151-172

8. Productivity of Grassland and Tundra

   • L. L. Tieszen, J. K. Detling

   Pages 173-203

9. Productivity of Desert and Mediterranean-Climate Plants

   • J. Ehleringer, H. A. Mooney

   Pages 205-231

10. Productivity of Temperate, Deciduous and Evergreen Forests

    • P. G. Jarvis, J. W. Leverenz

    Pages 233-280

11. Productivity of Tropical Forests and Tropical Woodlands

    • E. Medina, H. Klinge

    Pages 281-303

12. Phytoplankton Productivity in Aquatic Ecosystems

    • W. R. Boynton, C. A. Hall, P. G. Falkowski, C. W. Keefe, W. M. Kemp

    Pages 305-327

13. Effects of Biocides and Growth Regulators: Physiological Basis

    • K. Pfister, W. Urbach

    Pages 329-391

14. Effects of Biocides and Growth Regulators: Ecological Implications

    • R. Schubert

    Pages 393-411

15. Eutrophication Processes and Pollution of Freshwater Ecosystems Including Waste Heat

    • A. Kohler, B. C. Labus

    Pages 413-464

16. Ecophysiological Effects of Atmospheric Pollutants

    • K. J. Lendzian, M. H. Unsworth

    Pages 465-502

17. Ecophysiological Effects of Changing Atmospheric CO2 Concentration

    • D. M. Gates, B. R. Strain, J. A. Weber

    Pages 503-526

18. Man’s Influence on Ecosystem Structure, Operation, and Ecophysiological Processes

    • W. D. Billings

    Pages 527-548

19. Back Matter

    Pages 549-646

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O. L. LANGE, P. S. NOBEL, C. B. OSMOND, and H. ZIEGLER In the last volume of the series 'Physiological Plant Ecology' we have asked contributors to address the bases of ecosystem processes in terms of key plant physiological properties. It has often been suggested that it is not profitable to attempt analysis of complex living systems in terms of the properties of component individuals or populations, i. e. , the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Nevertheless, assessments of ecological research over the last century show that other approaches are seldom more helpful. Although it is possible to describe complex systems of living organisms in holistic terms, the most useful descriptions are found in terms of the birth, growth and death of individ­ uals. This allows analysis of performance of the parts of the whole considering their synergistic and antagonistic interrelationships and is the basis for a synthe­ sis which elucidates the specific properties of a system. Thus it seemsthat the description of ecosystem processes is inevitably anchored in physiological under­ standing. If enquiry into complex living systems is to remain a scientific exercise, it must retain tangible links with physiology. Of course, as was emphasized in Vol. 12A, not all of our physiological understanding is required to explore ecosystem processes. For pragmatic purposes, the whole may be adequantely represented as a good deal less than the sum of its parts.

• ecology
• ecosystem
• ecosystem processes
• physiology
• plant
• Ökosystem

• Lehrstuhl für Botanik II der Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

  O. L. Lange

• Department of Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA

  P. S. Nobel

• Department of Environmental Biology, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra City, Australia

  C. B. Osmond

• Institut für Botanik und Mikrobiologie der Technischen Universität München, München 2, Germany

  H. Ziegler

Policies and ethics