A thorough synthesis of current knowledge about the ways canopies grow, develop, and function. Only recently have advances in simulation modeling in plants begun to emphasize the structural and functional properties of plant canopies in addition to those of the individual constituent leaves. The book considers these properties in terms of the processes--such as transpiration and photosynthesis--by which the canopy and its aerial environment interact. Topics discussed include the meaning of canopy structure, interception of solar radiation, exchange processes, nitrogen nutrition, leaf...

The notion has persisted far too long that the army of patriots that won Texas independence from Mexico in 1835-1836 was totally without uniforms, clad indifferently for the most part in rustic frontier garb. This was true for many, but by no means all. Surprisingly, there were uniformed Texas units in all of the major battles of the Texas Revolution from the first to the last: the siege of Bexar, the Alamo, Goliad (Coleto), and the final victory at San Jacinto. This new book by Bruce Marshall is a long overdue history of the uniforms of the Texas Revolution and the men who wore them. It will...

The focus of leaf development modeling in the last two decades has been on predicting commercial crop yields and identifying the constraints on them. The weakness of this approach: the implicit belief in the existence of a "global brain" deciding which parts of the plant are deficient and directing remedial action. Leaf Development and Canopy Growth presents an alternative view based on "local rules" - the simple results of metabolic processes within each cell. These rules and the interconnections between them provide the means for self-organization within the plant and emergent global...