Synopses & Reviews
This book is intended for people interested in plant ecophysiology research or related sciences. It will also be useful for scientists working in forestry or agronomy. Twenty-seven chapters cover a wide variety of techniques, from electron microscopy applied to seed germination, flow cytometry applied to different measures, cell cycle studies, field and lab measures related to photosynthesis (from pigments to gas exchange and fluorescence), determination of water-related parameters, and techniques to measure phenolics, total soluble proteins, stress proteins, polyamines, proline, RubisCO activity, ATPases, ABA, and ion interchange. Each chapter includes both physiological aspects of the measured parameter and the chosen reference technique for that parameter. A special emphasis is put on allelopathy research, although the book will be valuable for the study of any kind of stress. All chapters can be read independently, and both expert and inexperienced scientists will be able to take advantage of the handbook.
Synopsis
The Handbook of Plant Ecophysiology Techniques you have now in your hands is the result of several combined events and efforts. The birth of this handbook can be traced as far as 1997, when our Plant Ecophysiology lab at the University of Vigo hosted a practical course on Plant Ecophysiology Techniques. That course showed us how much useful a handbook presenting a bunch of techniques would be for the scientists beginning to work on Plant Ecophysiology. In fact, we wrote a short handbook explaining the basics of the techniques taught in that 1997 course: Flow cytometry to measure ploidy levels, Use of a Steady-State porometer to measure transpiration, In vivo measure of fluorescence, HPLC analysis of low molecular weight phenolics, Spectrophotometric determinations of free proline and soluble proteins, TLC polyamines contents measures, Isoenzymatic electrophoresis, Use of IRGA and oxygen electrode. That modest handbook, written in Spanish, was very helpful, both for the people who attended the course and for other who have used it for beginning to work in Plant Ecophysiology. The present Handbook is much more ambitious, and it includes more techniques. But we have also had in mind the young scientists beginning to work on Plant Ecophysiology. In 1999 Francois Pellissier leaded a proposal presented to the European Commission in the Fifth Framework Program in the High Level * Scientific Conferences, including three EuroLab Courses about lab and field techniques useful to improve allelopathic research."
Table of Contents
List of Contributors. Preface. Acknowledgments. 1. Seed Bioassay and Microscopy in the Study of Allelopathy: Radish and Purslane Responses; G. Aliotta, G. Cafiero. 2. Flow Cytometry: Principles and Instrumentation; A. Blanco Fernández, et al. 3. Flow Cytometry: DNA Quantification; A. Blanco Fernández. 4. Use of Flow Cytometry to Measure Physiological Parameters; T. Coba de la Peña. 5. Flow Cytometry: Cell Cycle; T. Coba de la Peña, A. Sánchez-Moreiras. 6. Mitotic Index; A.M. Sánchez-Moreiras, et al. 7. Determination of Photosynthetic Pigments; L. González. 8. Gas Exchange Techniques in Photosynthesis and Respiration. Infrared Gas Analyzer; P. Ramos Tamayo, et al. 9. Use of Oxygen Electrode in Measurements of Photosynthesis and Respiration; L. González, et al. 10. Fluorescence Techniques; M.J. Reigosa Roger, O. Weiss. 11. Modulated Fluorescence; O. Weiss, M.J. Reigosa Roger. 12. Plant Water Status; L. González, M.J. Reigosa Roger. 13. Determination of Water Potential in Leaves; L. González. 14. Determination of Relative Water Content; L. González, M. González-Vilar. 15. Determination of Water Potential in Soils; L. González. 16. Determination of Transpiration Using a Steady-State Porometer; M.J. Reigosa Roger, A. Sánchez-Moreiras. 17. Stomata Imprints. A New and Quick Method to Count Stomata and Epidermis Cells; M.H. Meister, H.R. Bolh