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Chemotaxonomie der Pflanzen, Volume 9
612
BOOK REVIEWS
The text is divided into five sections. The first consists of four chapters describing the fundamentals of weed control programmes using pathogens and nematodes. A. K. Watson focuses on classical control and discusses the constraints due to host genetic variability and environmental deficiencies. R. Charudattan assesses the accomplishments of mycoherbicide research over the last 20 years and considers its current status and future potential. This is an outstanding contribution, tabulating a wealth of factual information. It is a commendably realistic appraisal, including future outlook and needs and a consideration of the reasons why, in spite of the large number of projects worldwide, only two mycoherbicides have been marketed. The relatively low weed-control potential of nematodes is discussed by P. E. Parker. W. L. Bruckart and S. Hasan return to the subject of classical control and consider the case for manipulation of pathogens in rangeland and pasture. The second section comprises three chapters on the important implications of fundamental studies on host-parasite interactions to biological weed control. The chapters consider: the needs and practice of host-range testing (G. J. Weidemann), ecology and epidemiology of fungal pathogens (D. D. TeBeest) and parasitism, host specificity and gene-specific host cell death (D. W. Gabriel). The techniques and potential of the somewhat controversial area of genetic modification to improve biocontrol efficacy of prokaryotic (G. H. Lacy) or fungal agents (H. C. Kistler; G. E. Harman and T. E. Statz) is adequately presented in the third section. The two chapters of the fourth section are devoted to application technology. R. J. Smith, Jr discusses integration of microbes and chemical pesticides, and C. D. Boyette, P. C. Quimby, Jr, W. J. Connick, Jr, D. J. Daigle and F. E. Fulgham consider progress in production, formulation and application of mycoherbicides. The final two chapters (the fifth section) consider economic aspects. L. J. Stowell presents a highly informative discussion on the problems of cost of submerged fermentation and downstream processing. He includes several useful process diagrams, tables of nutrient sources, and explains the advantages of experiments based on factorial design. B. Auld presents a more general overview of the costs and benefits of both classical and mycoherbicidal approaches, concluding that there are compelling economic reasons why biological weed control should receive government support. The Editor has succeeded in drawing together the expertise of active researchers in this rapidly advancing applied science in a well structured format. Each chapter is supported by a substantial list of references. Minor complaints are that the text may have benefited from editing out a degree of repetition (e.g. definitions of classical and mycoherbicidal control), the inclusion of more photographic illustrations, and perhaps a more inspired cover design. However, the book represents a worthy addition to the rapidly increasing library of books devoted to aspects of biological control, and will be an invaluable reference update for researchers in the field. DR. M. BURGE
Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology University of Strathclyde Glasgow U.K.
Chemotaxonomie der Pflanzen, Volume 9: R. Hegnauer, Birkhauser AG, Basel. 1990. 786 pp. ISBN 3-7643-2299-3. Price 580.00 Swiss Francs. By the time you get to Volume 9 of Hegnauer's Chemotaxonomie der Pflanzen there is really very little new that can be said. Volume 9 brings up to date Volumes 5 and 6
BOOK REVIEWS
613
which dealt with the dicot, families Magnoliaceae through to Zygophyllaceae. The style remains the same as in previous volumes with addenda to all families bringing coverage of literature up to late 1989 or early 1990. The quality and thoroughness of the coverage also remains of the same high standard that characterized past volumes; such that browsing through the Rutaceae (a family I know particularly well) I failed to find any important references that were not cited. Anyone fortunate enough to own or to have access to a complete series of this work has, at their fingertips, a comprehensive family by family summary of the major secondary metabolic pathways, distribution of secondary metabolites, and an insight into their chemotaxonomic significance, that is not remotely equalled by any other source. The one disappointment in the whole series was the decision, for what originally seemed to be a very logical reason, to exclude the Fabaceae (Leguminosae). I do not know whether there are plans for further updates but I very much hope that there are. I find it difficult to overemphasize the importance of these books--collectively they really are the "bible" of the micromolecular chemotaxonomist. PETER G. WATERMAN (Executive Editor)
Directing Ecological Succession: J. O. Luken, Chapman & Hall, London. 1990. pp. 251+vii. ISBN 0-412-34450-5. £30.00 The dust jacket states that this book will be of interest to natural resource managers and planners, wildlife biologists, foresters, reclamationists, landscape architects and academic ecologists. There are nine chapters, each with a short summary. Chapters 4, 5 and 6 totalling 84 pages are an important part of the book dealing with management including plant and plant-part removal, changing resource availability and changing propagule availability. The book concentrates heavily on terrestrial rather than aquatic ecosystems; the very term hydrosere is not indexed. The "practicing natural resource manager", for whom this manual is intended as is stated in the Foreword, must be a rarity if his activities combine the control of rabbits, sheep and cattle as well as elephants (Chapter 7). Not surprisingly this attempt at a worldwide scope leads to some omissions. No discussion of European heathlands and their management could leave unmentioned Charles Gimingham but why draw attention to only one 1970 paper and neglect his textbook on the topic and the booklet on muirburn? The ancient anthropogenic origin of lowland heaths in Europe goes unmentioned. The sections on prehistoric vegetational changes brought about by man in southern Scandinavia and the eastern U.S.A. give an inadequate review of anthropogenic influences both in time and space. As a palaeoecologist I can heartily agree with the statement (p. 2) that "Palaeoecology is providing new insights into the historical dynamism of plant communities and the effects of prehistoric people on such changes." However, the short section (31-32) on macroscopic remains and pollen gives a very poor impression of the value of these fossils in understanding succession. The single discussed example from a bog in Alaska is a very uninformative one. If trees capable of "stump-sprouting" after cutting in Amazonia deserve mention, why is there no discussion whatever of coppicing, the very ancient type of woodland management in Britain, so well described in the works of Oliver Rackham?
BOOK REVIEWS
The text is divided into five sections. The first consists of four chapters describing the fundamentals of weed control programmes using pathogens and nematodes. A. K. Watson focuses on classical control and discusses the constraints due to host genetic variability and environmental deficiencies. R. Charudattan assesses the accomplishments of mycoherbicide research over the last 20 years and considers its current status and future potential. This is an outstanding contribution, tabulating a wealth of factual information. It is a commendably realistic appraisal, including future outlook and needs and a consideration of the reasons why, in spite of the large number of projects worldwide, only two mycoherbicides have been marketed. The relatively low weed-control potential of nematodes is discussed by P. E. Parker. W. L. Bruckart and S. Hasan return to the subject of classical control and consider the case for manipulation of pathogens in rangeland and pasture. The second section comprises three chapters on the important implications of fundamental studies on host-parasite interactions to biological weed control. The chapters consider: the needs and practice of host-range testing (G. J. Weidemann), ecology and epidemiology of fungal pathogens (D. D. TeBeest) and parasitism, host specificity and gene-specific host cell death (D. W. Gabriel). The techniques and potential of the somewhat controversial area of genetic modification to improve biocontrol efficacy of prokaryotic (G. H. Lacy) or fungal agents (H. C. Kistler; G. E. Harman and T. E. Statz) is adequately presented in the third section. The two chapters of the fourth section are devoted to application technology. R. J. Smith, Jr discusses integration of microbes and chemical pesticides, and C. D. Boyette, P. C. Quimby, Jr, W. J. Connick, Jr, D. J. Daigle and F. E. Fulgham consider progress in production, formulation and application of mycoherbicides. The final two chapters (the fifth section) consider economic aspects. L. J. Stowell presents a highly informative discussion on the problems of cost of submerged fermentation and downstream processing. He includes several useful process diagrams, tables of nutrient sources, and explains the advantages of experiments based on factorial design. B. Auld presents a more general overview of the costs and benefits of both classical and mycoherbicidal approaches, concluding that there are compelling economic reasons why biological weed control should receive government support. The Editor has succeeded in drawing together the expertise of active researchers in this rapidly advancing applied science in a well structured format. Each chapter is supported by a substantial list of references. Minor complaints are that the text may have benefited from editing out a degree of repetition (e.g. definitions of classical and mycoherbicidal control), the inclusion of more photographic illustrations, and perhaps a more inspired cover design. However, the book represents a worthy addition to the rapidly increasing library of books devoted to aspects of biological control, and will be an invaluable reference update for researchers in the field. DR. M. BURGE
Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology University of Strathclyde Glasgow U.K.
Chemotaxonomie der Pflanzen, Volume 9: R. Hegnauer, Birkhauser AG, Basel. 1990. 786 pp. ISBN 3-7643-2299-3. Price 580.00 Swiss Francs. By the time you get to Volume 9 of Hegnauer's Chemotaxonomie der Pflanzen there is really very little new that can be said. Volume 9 brings up to date Volumes 5 and 6
BOOK REVIEWS
613
which dealt with the dicot, families Magnoliaceae through to Zygophyllaceae. The style remains the same as in previous volumes with addenda to all families bringing coverage of literature up to late 1989 or early 1990. The quality and thoroughness of the coverage also remains of the same high standard that characterized past volumes; such that browsing through the Rutaceae (a family I know particularly well) I failed to find any important references that were not cited. Anyone fortunate enough to own or to have access to a complete series of this work has, at their fingertips, a comprehensive family by family summary of the major secondary metabolic pathways, distribution of secondary metabolites, and an insight into their chemotaxonomic significance, that is not remotely equalled by any other source. The one disappointment in the whole series was the decision, for what originally seemed to be a very logical reason, to exclude the Fabaceae (Leguminosae). I do not know whether there are plans for further updates but I very much hope that there are. I find it difficult to overemphasize the importance of these books--collectively they really are the "bible" of the micromolecular chemotaxonomist. PETER G. WATERMAN (Executive Editor)
Directing Ecological Succession: J. O. Luken, Chapman & Hall, London. 1990. pp. 251+vii. ISBN 0-412-34450-5. £30.00 The dust jacket states that this book will be of interest to natural resource managers and planners, wildlife biologists, foresters, reclamationists, landscape architects and academic ecologists. There are nine chapters, each with a short summary. Chapters 4, 5 and 6 totalling 84 pages are an important part of the book dealing with management including plant and plant-part removal, changing resource availability and changing propagule availability. The book concentrates heavily on terrestrial rather than aquatic ecosystems; the very term hydrosere is not indexed. The "practicing natural resource manager", for whom this manual is intended as is stated in the Foreword, must be a rarity if his activities combine the control of rabbits, sheep and cattle as well as elephants (Chapter 7). Not surprisingly this attempt at a worldwide scope leads to some omissions. No discussion of European heathlands and their management could leave unmentioned Charles Gimingham but why draw attention to only one 1970 paper and neglect his textbook on the topic and the booklet on muirburn? The ancient anthropogenic origin of lowland heaths in Europe goes unmentioned. The sections on prehistoric vegetational changes brought about by man in southern Scandinavia and the eastern U.S.A. give an inadequate review of anthropogenic influences both in time and space. As a palaeoecologist I can heartily agree with the statement (p. 2) that "Palaeoecology is providing new insights into the historical dynamism of plant communities and the effects of prehistoric people on such changes." However, the short section (31-32) on macroscopic remains and pollen gives a very poor impression of the value of these fossils in understanding succession. The single discussed example from a bog in Alaska is a very uninformative one. If trees capable of "stump-sprouting" after cutting in Amazonia deserve mention, why is there no discussion whatever of coppicing, the very ancient type of woodland management in Britain, so well described in the works of Oliver Rackham?