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Author: David J. Gibson Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN: 019852918X Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 323
Book Description
This book is the most up to date and thorough account of the natural history of the plants that comprise the most important food crop on Earth, the grasses and grasslands.
Author: David J. Gibson Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN: 019852918X Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 323
Book Description
This book is the most up to date and thorough account of the natural history of the plants that comprise the most important food crop on Earth, the grasses and grasslands.
Author: David J. Gibson Publisher: OUP Oxford ISBN: 0191546097 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 322
Book Description
Grasslands, in particular managed pastures and rangelands, are widespread, covering approximately 40% (52 million km2) of the Earth's land surface. They are dominated by members of the Poaceae - the fourth largest plant family with over 7,500 species, and also the most widespread. Grasslands constitute a major biome on all continents except Antarctica and also represent the most important food crop on Earth with corn, wheat, maize, rice and millet accounting for the majority of our agricultural output. Grasses and Grassland Ecology provides an ecologically orientated introduction to this influential group of plants, summarizing the most recent scientific research in ecology and agriculture in the context of the older, classic literature. Ten chapters cover the morphology, anatomy, physiology and systematics of grasses, their population, community and ecosystem ecology, their global distribution, and the effects of disturbance and grassland management. This comprehensive and accessible textbook is suitable for graduate level students as well as professional researchers in the fields of plant ecology, rangeland science, crop science, and agriculture.
Author: David J. Gibson Publisher: ISBN: 9781383024784 Category : Grasses Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
This text is an up-to-date and thorough account of the natural history of the plants that comprise the most important food crop on Earth, the grasses and grasslands.
Author: Mark R. Stromberg Publisher: Univ of California Press ISBN: 9780520252202 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 416
Book Description
"This highly synthetic and scholarly work brings together new and important scientific contributions by leading experts on a rich diversity of topics concerning the history, ecology, and conservation of California's endangered grasslands. The editors and authors have succeeded admirably in drawing from a great wealth of recent research to produce a widely accessible and compelling, state-of-the-art treatment of this fascinating subject. Anyone interested in Californian biodiversity or grassland ecosystems in general will find this book to be an invaluable resource and a major inspiration for further research, management, and restoration efforts."—Bruce G. Baldwin, W. L. Jepson Professor and Curator, UC Berkeley "Grasses and grasslands are among the most important elements of the California landscape. This is their book, embodying the kind of integrated view needed for all ecological communities in California. Approaches ranging across an incredibly broad spectrum -- paleontology and human history; basic science and practical management techniques; systematics, community ecology, physiology, and genetics; physical factors such as water, soil nutrients, atmospherics, and fire; biological factors such as competition, symbiosis, and grazing -- are nicely tied together due to careful editorial work. This is an indispensable reference for everyone interested in the California environment."—Brent Mishler, Director of the University & Jepson Herbaria and Professor of Integrative Biology, UC Berkeley "The structure and function of California grasslands have intrigued ecologists for decades. The editors of this volume have assembled a comprehensive set of reviews by a group of outstanding authors on the natural history, structure, management, and restoration of this economically and ecologically important ecosystem."—Scott L. Collins, Professor of Biology, University of New Mexico
Author: N.R. French Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media ISBN: 1461261821 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 215
Book Description
This volume is a result of the summary and synthesis of data collected in the Grassland Biome Program, which is part of the American contribution to the International Biological Program (IBP). The purpose of this volume is to present a summary of quantitative ecological investigations of North American grass lands and to present a set of broad comparisons of their characteristics and functions as well as the results of some models and experiments that lead to practical considerations of the management of grasslands. Synthesis is a continuing activity in science. Early in the Grassland Biome Program there was a synthesis of literature data on grasslands, edited by R. L. Dix and R. G. Beidleman (1969). Results of the first year of field data collection under this program were synthesized in a volume edited by N. R. French (1971). Development of the large-scale model constructed to depict the processes and the dynamics of state variables in grassland ecosystems was presented by Innis (1978). Soon to appear will be two volumes integrating studies of American grasslands with IBP studies in other grasslands of the world (Coupland, in press) and the application of systems analysis to understanding grassland function and utilization (Breymeyer and Van Dyne, in press). The present volume presents current results and comparisons of field investigations and experimental studies that were conducted under this program.
Author: Brian Wilsey Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN: 0191061948 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 240
Book Description
This accessible text provides a concise but comprehensive introduction to the biology of global grasslands. Grasslands are vast in their extent, with native and non-native grasslands now covering approximately 50% of the global terrestrial environment. They are also of vital importance to humans, providing essential ecosystem services and some of the most important areas for the production of food and fibre worldwide. It has been estimated that 60% of calories consumed by humans originate from grasses, and most grain consumed is produced in areas that were formerly grasslands or wetlands. Grasslands are also important because they are used to raise forage for livestock, represent a source of biofuels, sequester vast amounts of carbon, provide urban green-space, and hold vast amounts of biodiversity. Intact grasslands contain an incredibly fascinating set of plants, animals, and microbes that have interested several generations of biologists, generating pivotal studies to important theoretical questions in ecology. As with other titles in the Biology of Habitats Series, the emphasis is on the organisms that dominate this environment although restoration, conservation, and experimental aspects are also considered.
Author: Chris Helzer Publisher: University of Iowa Press ISBN: 1587299313 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 234
Book Description
Most prairies exist today as fragmented landscapes, making thoughtful and vigilant management ever more important. Intended for landowners and managers dedicated to understanding and nurturing their prairies as well as farmers, ranchers, conservationists, and all those with a strong interest in grasslands, ecologist Chris Helzer’s readable and practical manual educates prairie owners and managers about grassland ecology and gives them guidelines for keeping prairies diverse, vigorous, and viable. Chapters in the first section, "Prairie Ecology," describe prairie plants and the communities they live in, the ways in which disturbance modifies plant communities, the animal and plant inhabitants that are key to prairie survival, and the importance of diversity within plant and animal communities. Chapters in the second section, "Prairie Management," explore the adaptive management process as well as guiding principles for designing management strategies, examples of successful management systems such as fire and grazing, guidance for dealing with birds and other species that have particular habitat requirements and with the invasive species that have become the most serious threat that prairie managers have to deal with, and general techniques for prairie restoration. Following the conclusion and a forward-thinking note on climate change, eight appendixes provide more information on grazing, prescribed fire, and invasive species as well as bibliographic notes, references, and national and state organizations with expertise in prairie management. Grasslands can be found throughout much of North America, and the ideas and strategies in this book apply to most of them, particularly tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies in eastern North Dakota, eastern South Dakota, eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, northwestern Missouri, northern Illinois, northwestern Indiana, Iowa, southwestern Wisconsin, and southwestern Minnesota. By presenting all the factors that promote biological diversity and thus enhance prairie communities, then incorporating these factors into a set of clear-sighted management practices, The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States presents the tools necessary to ensure that grasslands are managed in the purposeful ways essential to the continued health and survival of prairie communities.
Author: G. Boonman Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media ISBN: 9780792318675 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 376
Book Description
This book is based on more than 1000 references to English and French articles produced in the region over many decades. A comprehensive review of the achievements in farming and research in both wet and dryland is given, related to the grasslands of: Eastern Africa, extending from Malawi to Eritrea, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan and eastern Zaire. Sown grasses, within the time-proven system of mixed-farming based on crop-grass rotations. Fodders, e.g. Elephant grass, dryland-Sorghum, lucerne, Leucaena, tropical legumes and hay.£/LIST£ The main objectives of the book are to illustrate the value of East African grasses and fodders for: Livestock: East Africa is the gene-centre of the world's most famous cultivated tropical grasses capable of achieving high animal performance, also without fertilizer. Soil fertility maintenance: local farmers pioneered the practice of grass fallows with Elephant grass to restore soil fertility. This was later extended to sown grasses to accelerate the restoration process. Crop yields are doubled following pasture. Environmental protection: priority in natural grassland is to prevent deterioration. In crop-pasture rotations grasses are effective in trapping rainfall and in reducing erosion by improved soil structure. Topics discussed include animal manure versus fertilizer; zero versus direct grazing; fodder crops (annual and perennial) versus grass conservation; seed production and plant breeding. The main species in cultivation are described in detail.
Author: Hansjoerg Kraehmer Publisher: John Wiley & Sons ISBN: 1119416809 Category : Technology & Engineering Languages : en Pages : 585
Book Description
Combines new findings on morphological aspects, the latest data on gene function in grasses, and the interaction of grasses with their habitats 45% of all arable land is covered by five grass crops: wheat, maize, rice, barley and sugar cane. This book demonstrates why crops and weeds are growing in characteristic environments today, and looks at how cropping practices may change in the future and how these changes will affect weed spectra. It explains the distribution of grasses and their role for mankind and summarizes our knowledge on grass genomes. Special emphasis is placed on the function of genes at defined developmental stages and in organs of grasses. The development of grasses is then described from the germination to fruit set with many unpublished examples. Grasses: Crops, Competitors and Ornamentals provides readers with a comparative description of selected grass organs (stem, root, leaf, inflorescence) and devotes several chapters to habitats of grasses and morphological characteristics that enable grasses to grow in special environments. In addition, some chapters deal with grasses as crops and weeds, and emphasis is placed on their adaptation to modern agriculture. Predicts how cropping practices may change in the future and how these changes will affect weed spectra Details grasses as crops and weeds, emphasizing their adaptation to modern agriculture Summarizes our knowledge on grass genomes Connects classical morphology with the latest tools in molecular biology as well as ecological aspects determining the wide distribution of grass species today Grasses: Crops, Competitors and Ornamentals will be of great interest to agricultural scientists who want to know more about crops and weeds, grassland specialists and breeders interested in special grass traits, and molecular biologists and ecologists who study the biology and habitat of grasses.
Author: David J. Gibson
Author: David J. Gibson
Author: David J. Gibson
Author: David J. Gibson
Author: Mark R. Stromberg
Author: N.R. French
Author: David J. Gibson
Author: Brian Wilsey
Author: Chris Helzer
Author: G. Boonman
Author: Hansjoerg Kraehmer