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Carbon dioxide and Plant Responses
264
Book reviews
Chapter 3 (19 pp.) analyses basically the horticultural sector per region. Well structured, it gives the horticultural contribution of each region in terms of area and production. Three main categories of regions are distinguished: regions with small horticultural contribution, regions with medium horticultural contribution and horticultural regions. AndalucõÂa, and the province of AlmerõÂa, receive particular attention, as they are the most important horticultural regions in Europe. Chapter 4 (13 pp.) is essentially a description of the main cultivated crops (vegetables, non-citrus fruits and citrus fruits). Data on area, production, growing techniques (irrigated, non-irrigated, protected or outdoors), main cultivated varieties, and main markets are presented. The last chapter (2 pp.) on marketing, distribution and new trends, is a short analysis of one of the most important and complex part of the horticultural production chain. Some interesting points concerning market trends and the different interests of growers, distributors and consumers are presented. The book contains an extensive appendix (46 pp.), that is about half of the book. It is composed of a set of tables providing statistics for the different crops (vegetables, non-citrus and citrus fruits) based on the agricultural census from 1995. In fact, the use of 5-year-old data is a limitation although throughout the book the author tries to make reference to more recent data. The complete lack of references and of a critical analysis of the data are omissions of this book. The title suggests a wide approach, whereas many aspects of the horticultural industry such as logistics, quality control and subsidiary industry receive minor attention or are not covered at all. Even so, ``Horticultural industry in Spain'' provides an introduction to the reality of the horticultural sector in Spain. It may be a useful tool for consultants, researchers or students, more interested in numbers than in a critical view on Spanish horticulture. J. Miguel Costa Horticultural Production Chains Group Wageningen University Marijkeweg 22 6709 PG Wageningen Netherlands PII: S 0 3 0 4 - 4 2 3 8 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 1 9 3 - X
Carbon dioxide and Plant Responses D.R. Murray (Ed.); Wiley, Chichester, West Sussex, UK, 1998, 275 pp., ISBN 0-86380-213-3 (£52.00) This is two books in one. The title indicates that it reviews the various effects of carbon dioxide on plants. That is indeed what the reader ®nds in Chapters 2±11
Book reviews
265
with a comprehensive and critical review of the literature on the complex changes at the cell, plant and canopy scales due to variations of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. But in the Preface, the author explains that his intention was much broader: in Chapters 1 and 12, he has also addressed the evolution of the global carbon cycle and its consequences on climate, canopy transpiration and nutritional value of crops, and more generally on the sustainability of our model of development. Most of the book, however, is about plant physiology. Chapter 2 recalls the direct effects of CO2 concentration on metabolism (respiration, reduction of carbon dioxide by RuBP and PEP carboxylase, ethylene synthesis, etc.). The following chapters review the responses to CO2 concentration in the various plant organs in functional and morphogenetic terms. In roots, the importance of the interactions with the water and nutrient availability is stressed and their consequences on the shoot/root balance is analysed for annuals and perennials. Three chapters are dedicated to leaves. One is about the effect of elevated CO2 concentration on the leaf morphology (area, thickness, shape) and composition. The second is about photosynthesis with a detailed discussion of the carboxylase/ oxygenase balance, of the differences between C3, C4 and CAM metabolisms, and of acclimation processes. The last focuses on stomata opening, transpiration and water use ef®ciency. Stems are not ignored, especially in woody species. Two chapters deal with reproductive development and seed yield and quality. The latter topic is quite original, with a strong contribution by the author himself. It is clearly demonstrated that, over the production of photoassimilates, an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide affects the balance between the accumulation of carbon and of other elements, with possible ®nal consequences on the quality of animal and human food. In the framework of the global climate change, ultraviolet radiation and aerial pollutants may increase together with carbon dioxide. A chapter is about the possible interactions between these environmental factors; it focuses on ozone, sulphur dioxide and UV-B. At last the dynamics of plant communities is addressed, with a speci®c interest for the competition between crops and weeds. This thorough review of the plant responses to carbon dioxide is more than 80% of the book length. It has been sandwiched between Chapter 1 that recalls the range and origins of the past and current changes in composition of the Earth atmosphere, and Chapter 12 in which the sustainability of our present model of agricultural and industrial development is questioned. The book ends with proposals of an alternative policy of food production, fertilization, use of wood and ®bre, energy production and waste management. Scientists, teachers and students in crop physiology will ®nd in this book a comprehensive and original review of the plant responses to carbon dioxide. The list of cited references is very rich, including recent results within a large range of studied physiological processes and plant species. The sometimes contradictory
266
Book reviews
responses that have been observed by different authors on different species are described and critically analysed with care. Chapters generally end with a useful conclusion that recalls the major traits of the present knowledge. Readers will appreciate to ®nd a lot of information on other processes than assimilation of CO2 in leaves: development of roots, stems and fruits, interactions with water and nutrient availability, and with aerial pollutants, formation of seed quality, competition with weeds have also been considered. Such a detailed analysis of the various physiological processes contrasts with the succinct treatment of the global carbon cycle. The gap is large between the plant and the planet. The author does not refer to the impressive amount of literature that has been published during the last decade on the behaviour of natural and agricultural plant communities and ecosystems under various hypotheses of climate changes. For example, in Chapter 1, the defence of tropical forests as carbon reservoirs would be more convincing if based on data in the framework of a comparison among various ecosystems. In the last chapter, no hierarchy has been introduced in the proposals for a more sustainable development. Is it sure that replacing wooden fences with wire (page 221), or ®reworks with video displays (page 225) would be less energy consuming or carbon releasing? Clearly, sustainable development would deserve another book with scienti®c material that would feed the author's arguments for a new environmental policy. In the Foreword of the book, Vincent Serventy, AM, President of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia, claims that ``the bulk of this book is devoted to the effects increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide may have on our future''. This is a misunderstanding. Most of the book is actually, in accordance with its title, a very informative and up to date review of the plant responses to carbon dioxide. It has been written with passion: the author does not hesitate to argue and feed the scienti®c debate about several points, which stimulates the interest of the reader. Vincent Serventy opposes David Murray to the scientists that stay ``safe in their ivory towers''. Indeed, he is not one of these. Christian Gary INRA, Unite de Bioclimatologie, Domaine St-Paul Site Agroparc, 84914 Avignon Cedex 9 France PII: S 0 3 0 4 - 4 2 3 8 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 2 1 0 - 7
Book reviews
Chapter 3 (19 pp.) analyses basically the horticultural sector per region. Well structured, it gives the horticultural contribution of each region in terms of area and production. Three main categories of regions are distinguished: regions with small horticultural contribution, regions with medium horticultural contribution and horticultural regions. AndalucõÂa, and the province of AlmerõÂa, receive particular attention, as they are the most important horticultural regions in Europe. Chapter 4 (13 pp.) is essentially a description of the main cultivated crops (vegetables, non-citrus fruits and citrus fruits). Data on area, production, growing techniques (irrigated, non-irrigated, protected or outdoors), main cultivated varieties, and main markets are presented. The last chapter (2 pp.) on marketing, distribution and new trends, is a short analysis of one of the most important and complex part of the horticultural production chain. Some interesting points concerning market trends and the different interests of growers, distributors and consumers are presented. The book contains an extensive appendix (46 pp.), that is about half of the book. It is composed of a set of tables providing statistics for the different crops (vegetables, non-citrus and citrus fruits) based on the agricultural census from 1995. In fact, the use of 5-year-old data is a limitation although throughout the book the author tries to make reference to more recent data. The complete lack of references and of a critical analysis of the data are omissions of this book. The title suggests a wide approach, whereas many aspects of the horticultural industry such as logistics, quality control and subsidiary industry receive minor attention or are not covered at all. Even so, ``Horticultural industry in Spain'' provides an introduction to the reality of the horticultural sector in Spain. It may be a useful tool for consultants, researchers or students, more interested in numbers than in a critical view on Spanish horticulture. J. Miguel Costa Horticultural Production Chains Group Wageningen University Marijkeweg 22 6709 PG Wageningen Netherlands PII: S 0 3 0 4 - 4 2 3 8 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 1 9 3 - X
Carbon dioxide and Plant Responses D.R. Murray (Ed.); Wiley, Chichester, West Sussex, UK, 1998, 275 pp., ISBN 0-86380-213-3 (£52.00) This is two books in one. The title indicates that it reviews the various effects of carbon dioxide on plants. That is indeed what the reader ®nds in Chapters 2±11
Book reviews
265
with a comprehensive and critical review of the literature on the complex changes at the cell, plant and canopy scales due to variations of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. But in the Preface, the author explains that his intention was much broader: in Chapters 1 and 12, he has also addressed the evolution of the global carbon cycle and its consequences on climate, canopy transpiration and nutritional value of crops, and more generally on the sustainability of our model of development. Most of the book, however, is about plant physiology. Chapter 2 recalls the direct effects of CO2 concentration on metabolism (respiration, reduction of carbon dioxide by RuBP and PEP carboxylase, ethylene synthesis, etc.). The following chapters review the responses to CO2 concentration in the various plant organs in functional and morphogenetic terms. In roots, the importance of the interactions with the water and nutrient availability is stressed and their consequences on the shoot/root balance is analysed for annuals and perennials. Three chapters are dedicated to leaves. One is about the effect of elevated CO2 concentration on the leaf morphology (area, thickness, shape) and composition. The second is about photosynthesis with a detailed discussion of the carboxylase/ oxygenase balance, of the differences between C3, C4 and CAM metabolisms, and of acclimation processes. The last focuses on stomata opening, transpiration and water use ef®ciency. Stems are not ignored, especially in woody species. Two chapters deal with reproductive development and seed yield and quality. The latter topic is quite original, with a strong contribution by the author himself. It is clearly demonstrated that, over the production of photoassimilates, an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide affects the balance between the accumulation of carbon and of other elements, with possible ®nal consequences on the quality of animal and human food. In the framework of the global climate change, ultraviolet radiation and aerial pollutants may increase together with carbon dioxide. A chapter is about the possible interactions between these environmental factors; it focuses on ozone, sulphur dioxide and UV-B. At last the dynamics of plant communities is addressed, with a speci®c interest for the competition between crops and weeds. This thorough review of the plant responses to carbon dioxide is more than 80% of the book length. It has been sandwiched between Chapter 1 that recalls the range and origins of the past and current changes in composition of the Earth atmosphere, and Chapter 12 in which the sustainability of our present model of agricultural and industrial development is questioned. The book ends with proposals of an alternative policy of food production, fertilization, use of wood and ®bre, energy production and waste management. Scientists, teachers and students in crop physiology will ®nd in this book a comprehensive and original review of the plant responses to carbon dioxide. The list of cited references is very rich, including recent results within a large range of studied physiological processes and plant species. The sometimes contradictory
266
Book reviews
responses that have been observed by different authors on different species are described and critically analysed with care. Chapters generally end with a useful conclusion that recalls the major traits of the present knowledge. Readers will appreciate to ®nd a lot of information on other processes than assimilation of CO2 in leaves: development of roots, stems and fruits, interactions with water and nutrient availability, and with aerial pollutants, formation of seed quality, competition with weeds have also been considered. Such a detailed analysis of the various physiological processes contrasts with the succinct treatment of the global carbon cycle. The gap is large between the plant and the planet. The author does not refer to the impressive amount of literature that has been published during the last decade on the behaviour of natural and agricultural plant communities and ecosystems under various hypotheses of climate changes. For example, in Chapter 1, the defence of tropical forests as carbon reservoirs would be more convincing if based on data in the framework of a comparison among various ecosystems. In the last chapter, no hierarchy has been introduced in the proposals for a more sustainable development. Is it sure that replacing wooden fences with wire (page 221), or ®reworks with video displays (page 225) would be less energy consuming or carbon releasing? Clearly, sustainable development would deserve another book with scienti®c material that would feed the author's arguments for a new environmental policy. In the Foreword of the book, Vincent Serventy, AM, President of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia, claims that ``the bulk of this book is devoted to the effects increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide may have on our future''. This is a misunderstanding. Most of the book is actually, in accordance with its title, a very informative and up to date review of the plant responses to carbon dioxide. It has been written with passion: the author does not hesitate to argue and feed the scienti®c debate about several points, which stimulates the interest of the reader. Vincent Serventy opposes David Murray to the scientists that stay ``safe in their ivory towers''. Indeed, he is not one of these. Christian Gary INRA, Unite de Bioclimatologie, Domaine St-Paul Site Agroparc, 84914 Avignon Cedex 9 France PII: S 0 3 0 4 - 4 2 3 8 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 2 1 0 - 7