Plant Physiology

The field of plant physiology includes the study of all chemical and physical processes of plants, from the molecular-level interactions of photosynthesis and the diffusion of water, minerals, and nutrients within the plant, to the larger-scale processes of plant growth, dormancy and reproduction. This new book covers a broad array of topics within the field.

Plant Physiology focuses on the study of the internal activities of plants, including research into the molecular interactions of photosynthesis and the internal diffusion of water, minerals, and nutrients. Also included are investigations into the processes of plant development, seasonality, dormancy, and reproductive control. The chapters focus on various aspects of plant physiology, including phytochemistry; interactions within a plant between cells, issues, and organs; ways in which plants regulate their internal functions; and how plants respond to conditions and variations within the environment. Given the environmental crises brought about by pollution and climate change, this is a particularly vital area of study, since stress from water loss, changes in air chemistry, or crowding by other plants can lead to changes in the way a plant function.

Readers of this book will gain the information they need to stay current with the latest research being done in this essential field of study.

Dr. Philip Stewart has a PhD in horticulture with a focus on the genetics of flowering in strawberries. He has worked in association with Cornell University's Grapevine Breeding Program, the Department of Horticulture at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and the Horticultural Sciences Program at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He has contributed to multiple publications, including the International Journal of Fruit Science, Horticultural Science, Plant Science, and BMC Plant Biology. He has served as a member on the U.S. Rosaceae Genetics and Breeding Executive Committee, the North American Strawberry Growers' Association, and the Small Fruit Crop Germplasm Committee. Dr. Stewart is one of the inventors of the patented strawberry plant named DrisStrawSeven, and he currently works with the NCRA, State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors. Professor Sabine Globig received her BA in 1972 at the American University School of International Service and her MS in horticulture and plant physiology in 1988 at Rutgers University. Presently, she is Professor of Biology at Hazard Community & Technical College in the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky, where she specializes in human anatomy and physiology and plant sciences. She has also worked as an Adjunct Instructor of Biology at Union County College in New Jersey and at Rutgers University, and as a certified high school biology teacher. While at Rutgers, she worked as a plant physiology researcher at their AgBiotech Center and held the same position for DNA Plant Technologies Corp. She has given presentations at XXII International Conference on Horticultural Science, UC Davis, CA, 1987; and 1997 ISHS International Symposium on Artificial Lighting in Horticulture, Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands. She has also been included in several Who's Who entries.