Twenty-nine, prominent, international researchers provide contributions which deal with understanding the basic ecophysiological and molecular principles governing the functioning of plant systems in relation to their environment. Divided into two headings: biotic and abiotic; the first consists of abiotic, natural environmental factors--light, ultraviolet radiation, chilling and freezing, high temperatures, drought, flooding, salt and trace metals. The latter half presents anthropogenic aspects including allelochemicals, herbicides, polyamines, air pollutants, carbon dioxide, radioisotopes and fire.

M. N. V. Prasad, PhD, is a Professor of Environmental Biology at the University of Hyderabad, India, and is the author, coauthor, editor, or coeditor of six books and more than 170 research papers on environmental botany and heavy metal stress in plants. Dr. Prasad is an elected Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, England, and the National Institute of Ecology, New Delhi, India; life member of the National Institute of Ecology and the Bioenergy Society of India; and a member of the International Allelopathy Society and the Indian Network for Soil Contamination Research.