Plant Growth and Climate Change / Biological Sciences Series (PDF)

Evidence grows daily of the changing climate and its impact on
plants and animals. Plant function is inextricably linked to
climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. On the
shortest and smallest scales, the climate affects the plant's
immediate environment and so directly influences physiological
processes. At larger scales, the climate influences species
distribution and community composition, as well as the viability of
different crops in managed ecosystems. Plant growth also influences
the local, regional and global climate, through the exchanges of
energy and gases between the plants and the air around them.

Plant Growth and Climate Change examines the major
aspects of how anthropogenic climate change affects plants,
focusing on several key determinants of plant growth: atmospheric
CO2, temperature, water availability and the interactions between
these factors. The book demonstrates the variety of techniques used
across plant science: detailed physiology in controlled
environments; observational studies based on long-term data sets;
field manipulation experiments and modelling. It is directed at
advanced-level university students, researchers and professionals
across the range of plant science disciplines, including plant
physiology, plant ecology and crop science. It will also be of
interest to earth system scientists.