Springer Survival Strategies of Annual Desert Plants (Adaptations of Desert Organisms)

Annual desert plant species of unrelated taxa in the Negev Desert of Israel have developed complementary sets of adaptations and survival strategies as ecological equivalents with physiological, morphological and anatomical resemblances, in the various stages of their life cycles. After 40 years of research in hot deserts Yitzchak Gutterman provides a comprehensive treatise of such adaptations and strategies. In doing so he covers the following topics: post-maturation primary seed dormancy, which prevents germination of maturing seeds before the summer; seed dispersal mechanisms with escape or protection strategies; cautious or opportunistic germination strategies; seedling drought tolerance. The day-length is an important factor in regulating flowering as well as the phenotypic plasticity of seed germination which is also affected by maternal factors. Review "... this book is recommended to experts as well as to others with interest in plant sciences (physiology, ecology, conservation biology or botany). A most valuable trait of the book is the comprehensive summary of our actual knowledge on the adaptations and survival strategies of annual desert plants, what was not yet available. Aided by analysis of numerous experiments and case studies observed in the Negev Desert ..., the author demonstrates that these plants are not just interesting exceptions, but one of the greatest survivors of their habitat." (Community Ecology)"This book encapsulates a lifetime´s wisdom on plant survival in the harshest of environments - the desert ... The content of the book ranges widely, with examples from many of the world´s great deserts, drawing together information from both old and new literature and describing many of the observations and experiments from the author´s own laboratory. ... The wealth of information within this volume, with the twenty-two pages of literature citations, makes this dedicated work the encyclopedia from which to start." (Israel Journal of Plant Sciences)