Ecological Genetics and Air Pollution

ISBN-13: 9781461277804 / Angielski / Miękka / 2011 / 359 str.

George E. Jr. Taylor; Louis F. Pitelka; Michael T. Clegg

Opis

Human activities influence the chemical and physical properties of the atmosphere; examples are increases in troposphere concentrations of ozone, carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, heavy metals and UV-B radiation. Many of these changes can alter the physiological status of terrestrial vegetation through either inhibition or enhancement of growth and reproduction, thereby influencing the ability of sensitive plants to compete for limited resources. As a result, air pollution stress may be changing the genetic structure of plant populations. In this book, leading researchers with a broad, interdisciplinary range of expertise discuss the known and measurable effects of pollution on terrestrial vegetation within the framework of ecological genetics, as well as suitable experimental methodologies to analyze the often novel or unusual effects of such environmental stresses. For environmental researchers and managers, Ecological Genetics and Air Pollution will be a welcomed introduction to this field of growing importance for long-term ecological studies.

Spis treści

1 Introduction.- 2 Evolution in Relation to Environmental Stress.- 3 Ecological Genetics and Chemical Modifications of the Atmosphere.- 4 Atmospheric Pollution and Terrestrial Vegetation: Evidence of Changes, Linkages, and Significance to Selection Processes.- Commentary to Chapter 4 Evidence of Changes, Linkages, and Significance of Atmospheric Pollution to the Selection Process.- 5 Genetics of Response to Atmospheric Pollutants.- Commentary to Chapter 5 Genetics of the Resistance of Plants to Pollutants.- 6 Population Processes in Plants and the Evolution of Resistance to Gaseous Air Pollutants.- Commentary to Chapter 6 Population-Level Processes and Their Relevance to the Evolution in Plants Under Gaseous Air Pollutants.- 7 Consequences of Evolving Resistance to Air Pollutants.- Commentary to Chapter 7 Estimating Costs of Air Pollution Resistance.- 8 The Physiological Basis of Differential Plant Sensitivity to Changes in Atmospheric Quality.- Commentary to Chapter 8 Possible Genetic Effects of Continually Increasing Atmospheric CO2.- 9 Molecular Characterization of Plant Responses to Stress.- Commentary to Chapter 9 (A) Common Mechanisms of Intracellular Stress Induction by Atmospheric Pollutants and the Role of Genes and Mutation in Damage Alleviation.- Commentary to Chapter 9 (B) Genomic Stress, Genome Size, and Plant Adaptation.- 10 Population-Level Techniques for Measuring Microevolutionary Change in Response to Air Pollution.- Commentary to Chapter 10 Ecological Genetics of Plant Populations in Polluted Environments.- 11 Ecological Genetics and Changes in Atmospheric Chemistry: The Application of Knowledge.- Commentary to Chapter 11 (A) Plant Ecological Genetics and Air Pollution Stress: A Commentary on Implications for Natural Populations.- Commentary to Chapter 11 (B) Ecological Genetics and Changes in Atmospheric Chemistry: A Commentary on Application of Knowledge in Managed Forest Systems.- Species Index.