This new synthesis summarizes the international research effort in the Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (GCTE) Core Project of the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme in five major thematic areas: ecosystem physiology, ecosystem structure and composition, terrestrial production systems, global biogeochemistry, and ecological complexity (biodiversity). The editors present a summary of the integrated and interactive effects of global change on the terrestrial biosphere for four key regions of the world, as well as a projection of future trends in the terrestrial component of the...

In 1970 Bernd Fischer proved his beautiful theorem classifying the almost simple groups generated by 3-transpositions, and in the process discovered three new sporadic groups, now known as the Fischer groups. Since then, the theory of 3-transposition groups has become an important part of finite simple group theory, but Fischer's work has remained unpublished. 3-Transposition Groups contains the first published proof of Fischer's Theorem, written out completely in one place. Fischer's result, while important and deep (covering a number of complex examples), can be understood by any student...

When predicting the effects of changing climate and carbon dioxide on plants at the global scale there is a major stumbling block--we have very little information, in many cases none, about how plants will respond in the future. In order to circumvent this problem, and until more information on species accumulates, we reduce the diversity of species to a diversity of functions and structures. The structures may be trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses. The functions may be types of photosynthetic processes, the capacity to minimize water loss and varying the timing of growth. This book describes...