Bookreviews

B. J. HUNTLEY and B. H. WALKER (eds.) ECOLOGY

OF TROPICAL

SAVANNAS

Ecological Studies 42. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg and :New York 1982, 669 pp., 262 Figs. Price 47.20 US $. The savanna blome covers a much broader range, b o t h in the ecological and biogeographical sense, t h a n its perhumide counterpart -- the tropical rain forest. The difficulties connected w i t h the exploration of tropical woodland are commonly acknowledged, but the huge t a s k of research into the s a v a n n a ecology is only seldom a d m i t t e d . The geographical range affects t h e enormous physiognomic and floristic variation of "grassy woodlands" and "wooded grasslands", and prevents the adoption of an i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y unified classification, and adequate mapping on a reasonable scale. Floristic diversity can be one reason for the limited knowledge of this biome; however, it is the inaccessibility of the greater part of s a v a n n a s t h a t causes unpleascnt retardation in t h e survey and ecological monitoring of these terrestric ecosystems. The 42nd volume of the Springer-Verlag Ecological Studies series a t t e m p t s to summarize the current knowledge of the savanna biome in Africa, America and Australia, the three continents possessing the largest areas ~)f this endangered ecosystem. After a short " I n t r o d u c t i o n " six sections of the book describe and analyze various aspects of s a v a n n a ecology: structure, determinants, function, mnltidiscipllnary project in a South African savanna, dynamics and management, and conclusion of characteristic features of tropical savanna. Altogether 42 authors compiled 28 papers rich in d a t a , fresh ideas and consistent considerations. Among the contributors there are a number of experienced botanists and ecologists, well known from their earlier publications. 1~o doubt, the success of the book is a result of b o t h editors' brilliant work. Section 2 referring to the structure of tropical savannas contains six papers describing the Australian, African and South American variety o f numerous savanna types. The difficulty accompanying the description of widely studied African savannas matches t h e troubles in the summarization of the few ecological t r e a t m e n t s of Australian and South American wooded grasslands. I t is nice to read the two different, yet still consistent accounts of chaco and caatlnga savannas and woodlands. Also, the uniqueness of the Australian savannas is clearly described in a paper written b y two Australian experts. Section 3 includes seven contributions explaining the major factors in the life of savanna biota. Soil and soil moisture is the subject of three treatises, one paper is devoted to the influence of large herbivores, and three chapters refer to the ecological effectes of fire. I t is t h i s part of the book which brings a number of new d a t a t h a t will sooner or later find their way into general t e x t b o o k s of ecology. One of these papers tacldes the most essential question o f savanna ecology: the relationships between s a v a n n a structure and d e n s i t y of large herbivores, cattle and h u m a n population. In the Section 4 various problems of the ecophysiology of plants and related populations o f animals are treated. Most welcome is the summarizing paper of Prof. MEDINA on the physiological ecology of l~reotropical savanna plants; his treatise will be a great help in all future experimental work and compilation of a general t e x t b o o k . The reviewer likes t h e physiologically t i n t e d definition of the savanna ecosystem -- " a distinctive vegetation t y p e . . . characterized b y a continuous cover o f mainly C4 perennial grasses with or without trees . . . " Section 4 is devoted to a pilot s t u d y of the South African Savanna E c o s y s t e m project at N'ylsvley l~'ature Reserve in n o r t h e r n Transvaal. Sixteen contributors in six papers analyze the soils, vegetation and vertebrate fauna in a 745 ha s t u d y area dominated b y BurIcea a/ricana. The results of this pilot s t u d y are comparable to those achieved at Lampto, I v o r y Coast, and

324

FOLIA GEOBOTANICA ET PHYTOTAX01~OMICA 20.1985

excel mainly in two a t t e m p t s to i n t e r p r e t the energy b u d g e t o f the entire savanna ecosystem. F o u r papers make up Section 6 focused on the s t a b i l i t y and management strategies for s a v a n n a biome. Indeed, it was highly questionable to apply t h e stability concept for a biome of such a seasonality, fragility and incessant change. B. H. WALKER,one of the editors, t o g e t h e r w i t h a collaborator examined the dynamics of the woody and herbaceous vegetation, in b o t h space and time. " S t a b i l i t y is not a major feature of s a v a n n a s , b u t there are m a n y homeostatic mechanisms which prevent changes of too great a m a g n i t u d e " is one of the conclusions expressed in this paper. Management of the savanna biome is a m a t t e r of great complexity and variation all over the geographical range of this ecosystem. Thus the book, u n d e r s t a n d a b l y , brings just one example referring to the Southern African savanna. Only four pages present t h e conclusions offered b y the editors to the reader. Certainly, it was difficult to summarize such a richness of data and views from three continents, however, eager ecologists will gladly exploit the contents of t h e whole book which fills a gap in the developing field of ecology. JAN JENIK

ZEV N A V E H and ARTHUR S. LIEBERMAN LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY Theory and Application Springer-Verlag, N e w York, Berlin, Heidelberg and Tokyo 1984, 356 pp., 77 Figs. Price D M 108 U S $ 40.30. Some centuries ago all science was philosophy. Later on, a rapid swelling of knowledge t e r m i n a t e d the age of polyhistors and the specialist was born. He joined his colleagues of the same brood under the banner of a distinct "science". F r o m these times on, a b o t a n i s t was communicating mainly with another botanist, a m a t h e m a t i c i a n with another m a t h e m a t i c i a n etc. Years of intensive isolation of t h e scientific clans were soon to bear fruit: esoteric languages, p a t t e r n s of thought, rituals, approaches to nature, flourished. Our century, proud o f its achievements, found this feudal stage of science unbearable and a desperate call for interdisciplinarity was heard from all corners of the community. As if no barriers ever existed, the prophets of reunion addressed each other, struggling -- often with apparent success -- to r e e o g n i ~ some familiar p a t t e r n s on the lips of their partners. But the same words do not necessarily mean t h e same; true understanding stems from ages of common experience. Thus a new Tower of Babel emerged, this time in a dangerous, hidded form -- t h e prevailing philosophy of objective knowledge reduced all potential misunderstandings to grammatical differences, say, between Spanish and Italian. However, this was an encounter between different cultures. P e r h a p s nowhere is the diagnosis more obvious t h a n with t h e still ailing offspring of ecology and geography -- landscape ecology. The authors o f t h e recent Springer title did n o t fail to witness to this. The book consists of two very different parts: the theoretical (chapters 1, 2) and applicational (ch. 3, 4). The theory as presented here is a caleidoscope of condensed views of the greatest interdisciplinary prophets of our times: W r ~ Z R , BZRTALA~Flrr, ASH~r, J. G. MILLER, PRI(~OGINE~ to name but a few. Not lacking ~re, naturally, t h e founding fathers of vegetation science (BRAuN-BLANQU~.T, ELI~NBERG, Tikx~.~, WALTER), prominent geographers (TROLL, SCHMITHD'SEN, CHORLEY), ecologists (0DUM, W~r~TTAXER, MARGALE~F) or just theorists whose contributions aroused some interest in interdisciplinary circles (KuRN, THEM, KOESTLER, PIAO~T). In spite of these bright names illuminating page after page and a formidable literature survey implied (both in ideas and in total volume) the emerging theory is r a t h e r poor in content and in applicability (the latter is sufficiently proved in the application p a r t where t h i s t h e o r y is almost totally ignored). Who is to blame~ Centainly neither t h e authors who t a p p e d the best intellectual resources an interdisciplinary striving can have, nor the youth of the landscape ecology itself -- f o r t y or more years is no infancy in our hectic century. I t seems t h a t the teachings of t h e prominent thinkers of our time just do not fit into a cohe-

B00XR~.VXEWS

325

r e n t p a t t e r n like pieces o f a mosaic. W h y should t h e y ? A semantic analysis of a few most frequent key t e r m s (landscape, holistic, diversity, ecosystem etc.) would be an overwhelming task but it is not only language differences t h a t m a t t e r . Any collective work is unthinkable without a common plan; n o t h i n g of this kind unites the workers brought t o g e t h e r here. They m a y put themselves similar questions and even the outcoming answers m a y seem similar. But this is the surface where reconciliation is possible only at the price of extreme vagueness. A deeper insight will reveal the uniqueness and isolation of the giants. Figurally, the interdisciplinary field of landscape ecology is a quagmire where a dozen isolated scrap projects -built on insecure grounds of amateur philosophy -- slowly sink into oblivion. W h a t is most lacking is common experience, i.e., a tradition of successful ( ~ meaningful and solvable) projects in which the participating disciplines are indispensable and their results ready to be synthesized. This would be a melting pot to cast a t h e o r y from, even if t h e full gallery of giants were to be left undisturbed on their Olympus. The programs . . . t h e y are to be expected in the appplicatlon part: c h a p t e r 3 hears "some major contributions of landscape ecology" in this headlines, offering "tools, methods and applications". Remote sensing is treated first. 1~o doubt, it is a tool with a great potential for solving problems t h a t are, broadly speaking, ecological. Many sensible examples are given from all over the world. Only the delicate landscapizatlon of ecology is missing; the language, changing styles of a technical manual, a UNESCO action plan, and a tourist guide, has virtually no room for it. The rest of the chapter is divided between an ineomprehensive model and modest information on some national schools of regional planning. The f o u r t h and the last chapter is a comprehensive look at mediterranean lanscapes with an a p p a r e n t focus on Israel, the homeland of one of t h e authors. Although well balanced in " n a t u r a l " and " m a n - m a d e " determinations of the area, it is too general t o contain either new information or a new synthesis. No doubt, the book is inspiring in m a n y ways (I personally would like to join the family o f its owners) b u t reading it through brings a critical reader to the conclusion t h a t landscape ecology is more a belief t h a n a science. A passionate bellef in the possibility of saving t h e world b y rational means, pp. 88--91 are explicit. Desirable as it m a y be, this zeal is all too heavy a burden not only for one inter-discipline b u t for science as such. For one thing: this world is full of passionate beliefs, m a n y of t h e m , unfortunately, conflicting. EDUARD BRA~EO

U. JENSE~ and D. E. FAIRBROTHERS (Eds.) PROTEINS AND NUCLEIC ACIDS IN PLANT SYSTEMATICS Proceedings in Life Sciences from the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Symposium on P l a n t Macromoleeular Systematics held at t h e U n i v e r s i t y of Bayreuth, Federal Republic Germany, in J u l y 1982 Springer-Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg, New York and Tokyo 1983, 408 pp, 148 Figs. Price DM 114., US $ 44.30 I n the era of information expansion in the fields of molecular genetics, macromolecular biochemistry and related sciences, information a b o u t new results in these fields and about progress in the techniques applied is especially useful. Such a book is even more valuable when two such o u t s t a n d i n g botanical research workers in chemosystematics as Prof. U. JENSm~ and Prof. D. E. FAIRBRO'I~n~I~S undertake the arrangement and editing it. This collection of 26 contributions from the symposium is divided into several t h e m a t i c groups: nucleic acids, structural properties of proteins, contribution o f investigation into individual proteins to phylogeny and t a x o n o m y ; in effect a similar group of topics is devoted to serology. I t is characteristic of the editors t h a t t h e y selected as the introduction the contribution of Professor F. EHRENDORFER (Vienna) " Q u a n t i t a t i v e and Qualitative Differentiation of Nuclear DNA in Relation to P l a n t Systematics and E v o l u t i o n " . This helped t h e m to stress their point. Examples from Rutaceae, R a n u n ~ a ~ a e , Fabaceae, A~t~raceae, L~iaceo~, Poar~ae and other families illustrate the systematic relevance of nucleotype p a r a m e t e r s and their correlations with cell cycles, life forms, karyotyple stability etc.

326

FOLIA GEOBOTANICA ET PHYTOTAXONOMICA 20,1985

The article b y H. K6SS~.L and co-workers from the U n i v e r s i t y of Freiburg " P h y l o g e n e t i c Significance of Nueleotide Sequence Analysis", d e m o n s t r a t e s how various parameters of t h e s e c o n d a r y structures of DNA a n d R N A m a y be used as criteria of phyl~genetic relationships. F u r t h e r contributions are devoted to r R N A and t R N A and t h e obtention of phylogenetic i n f o r m a t i o n from comparison of t h e i r sequences. The n e x t group of articles on p r o t e i n characters and t h e i r importance for plant systematics is i n t r o d u c e d b y t h e contributloh of K. BEYREUTHER and coauthors from the lJ~niversity of Cologne, on t h e genotypie a n d p h e n o t y p l c analysis of D N A sequences. Of the o t h e r a u t h o r s I should like to m e n t i o n D. BOULTS~a of t h e University of D u r h a m , who surveyed new possibilities of p r o t e i n sequence d a t a in phylogenetic studies and t h e i r prospects in the near future. The research fields concerning individual proteins can be briefly outlined b y e n u m e r a t i n g t h e subjects dealt w i t h b y t h e a u t h o r s of particular contributions: phycobiliproteins of cyanobacteria, red algae and e r y p t o p h y t e s (W. WEHRM'EYER, U n i v e r s i t y of Marburg), ferredoxius of algae, P t e r i d o p h y t a and angiosperms (I-I. MATSUBARA a n d T. HASE, Osaka U n i v e r s i t y ) , ribulose 1,5 bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase or rubisco enzyme (S. G. WrLDMA~, Univers i t y of California, Los Angeles, M. P. 1ROBBZ~~ and J. G. VAUGHA~, Queen E l i s a b e t h College, London, and K. BossAc~, U n i v e r s i t y of Osnabriick), isozymes (L. D. GOTTLIEB, ~Tniv. of California, Davis), enzymes of Cap.~ella species (H. HURXA, U n i v . of Osnabriiek), seed storage proteins of some Fabaceae or Poaceae species (U. JE~rSE.W and B. GI~UMPE, Univ. of B a y r e u t h ) and pollen proteins (F. P. PETERS~.Zr Rutgers University, Piseataway, USA). The serological p a r t of t h e book is devoted to t h e analysis of i m m u n o t a x o n o m i e d a t a , t e r m i n o l o g y and notation, as well as t h e comparison of t h e results obtained b y different analytical methods w i t h selected representatives of Nolanum (R. N. LESTER et al.. B i r m i n g h a m Univ., U K ) , serological investigations of representatives of t h e subclass ~Iagnoliidae (D. E. FAIRBROTHERS and F. P. PETERSE~r Rutgcrs Univ., P i s c a t a w a y , USA), some grasses (P. M. S~fITH, U n i v . of E d i n b u r g h ) , some representatives of t h e tribes of t h e Leguminosae family ( G . CRISTOFOr.I~Z and P. PERI, U n i v . of Bologna), representatives of the Phaseolae t r i b e (E. KLOTA3V~, V. TURKOV~ and J. ~VACHULOV.4, Czechoslovak A k a d e m y of Sciences, Prague), f u r t h e r w i t h some representatives of Pinus (W. PRus-G~owAcEr, A. MICXTEwIcz Univ., Poznafi) and selected K o r e a n Quereus species (Y. S. L~E, C h u n g b u k National U n i v e r s i t y , Chongju). Finally R. DAlrLOREI~ (Univ. of Copenhagen) describes the results of serological investigations carried out over t h e p a s t 30 years and t h e resulting conclusions for relationship, in hihger plants. The c o n t r i b u t i o n of m o d e r n serological analyses to the classification of t h e angiosperm orders and superorders is evaluated critically and t h e results of serology compared w i t h those of other classification m e t h o d s and comparative studies. The s u r v e y presented shows t h a t serological contributions are increasingly incorporated in t h e basic evidence concerning relationships between families a n d f a m i l y groups, and in t h e m a t e r i a l utilized in t h e construction of m o d e r n classification systems. F r o m a n u m b e r of examples dealing w i t h t h e position Of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonons t a x a , I would like to pick o u t in t h e first place t h e t a x o n o m i c i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of serological studies in t h e context of o t h e r results of the classification of representatives of t h e supcrorder Lilii]lorae and some families from t h e Sa~c~]ragales-Corncdes complex. Finally, a list of almost 50 families of angiosperms is presented, t h e representatives of which should be serologically tested, according to Professor DA~LORE~, and compared w i t h t h e representatives of t h e possibly more or loss related families; t e n years have elapsed since Professor A. CRO~CQUIST, a t t h e 2 5 t h Nobel s y m p o s i u m i n Sweden proposed a chemosystematic investigation of s e c o n d a r y motabolites in m e m b e r s of a series of families, w i t h t h e hope to solve t h e i r phylogenetic relationships. An i n t e g r a t i o n of b o t h methodological approaches would c e r t a i n l y help to elucidate t h e relations of t h e s e families which are still n o t clearly classified, a n d would e n r i c h t h e lacking criteria for a classification evaluation. The final conclusions of t h e s y m p o s i u m were prepared b y U. J~-NSE~, D. E. FArRBRO'rn~RS a n d D. BOULTER; it is a r e p r e s e n t a t i v e report on t h e c o n t r i b u t i o n s and discussions of t h e logistic aspects of t h e use of nucleic acids in p l a n t systematics. The readiness w i t h which t h e book was edited and p r i n t e d is Characteristic n o t only of t h e editors, b u t of t h e p u b l i s h i n g house as well, so t h a t a few inaccuracies or inconsistencies of n a m e s of compounds c a n in n o w a y d i m i n i s h t h e importance of this very useful book. JA~ To~A~

BOOKREVIEWS

327

WALTER JULICH

DIE

NICHTBL/~TTERPILZE,

GALLERTPILZE

UI~'D B A U C H P I L Z E

Kleine Kryptogamenflora, vol. 2 b / l , Basidiomycetes, 1. Teil. Gustav Fischer Verlag, (9) 626 p., S t u t t g a r t and New York (parallel edition also Jena, GDR), 1984, Price 88 DM. The book reviewed here appeared in the very popular series of pocket manuals for the identification of cryptogamic plants (except for microscopic algae) -- Kleine I(~ryptogamcnflora. I t deals mainly w i t h wood-inhabiting fungi such as polypores, corticia, hydnold fungi, clavarioid fungi, stereoid and thelephoroid fungi, jelly fungi as well as gasteromycetes, i.e. Aphyllophorales, Heterobasidiomycetes and Gasteromycetes. The author can be congratulated for treating these difficult groups of European macrofungi in the form of keys for identification. This is the first modern manual of non-lamellate Basidiomycetes compiled in more t h a n half a century, after BOU~DOT et GALZI~'S classical work (except of gasteromycetes) " H y m e n o myc~tes de F r a n c e " (1928). Mycologists m a y find in this book various useful d a t a on generic diagnoses, short specific diagnoses, ecology, d a t a on the habitats, geographical distribution and L a t i n names of fungi w i t h the authors' abbreviations including the dates of valid publication of the correct names (for the first time in the Kleine Kryptogamenflora). A very interesting n o v e l t y in the book are the separate shortened and useful keys for identification of common representatives of t h e large genera. Another highly interesting innovation Is the special t r e a t m e n t of fungal characters which are striking ("Besonderheiten") e.g. the change of eolour of flesh after bruising, special forms of spore o r n a m e n t a t i o n etc. which lead to rapid identification of conspicuous species (see e . g . p . 59 for identification of gasteromycetes with very striking features). The construction of keys and indeed the compilation of the whole book was no doubt a very onerows task which should be highly appreciated. I t is n o t e w o r t h y t h a t the author managed to include in this book some quite new results from literature published during the preparation of the manual. Specialists will be pleased to find in the book reviewed some genera quite originally treated, especially the genus Tulasnella. Also some new taxonomic results h i t h e r t o unpublished are included, e.g. identification of PMebia viridesalebrosa J . E~x~rss. et HJORTST. w i t h P . cremeoechracea (BounD. et GALZ.) PALM. As for nomenclature, the reader should be aware t h a t for t h e most part, the author follows the 1978 Code but in some genera (e.g. in Grandinia, Lyarnyces and Corticium) the new Code of 1983 is taken into consideration, whereas in other genera b o t h Codes are used -- e.g. Trametes multicolor (ScH~EFF.) JiJ~ICH contrary to o t h e r species as T. versicolor (L. ex Fn.) PILXT, T. hirsuta (WULF. ex FR.) PrL/~T etc. I t will o f course take some time before the correct names of fungi with a u t h o r s ' abbreviations will he k n o w n perfectly in accordance w i t h the S y d n e y Code 1983. I n this type of pocket manual each repeated generic name is usually a b b r e v i a t e d t o the first letter to save place, b u t on some pages of t h e book reviewed this has been dealt with differently. For instance, Clavaria is shortened u n n a t u r a l l y as Clara. (p. 7 7 - - 7 8 , 8 3 - 8 4 , 92--93), Hericium and Hydnurn as Her. and Hyd. (p. 115), Polyparus as Polyp. (p. 316) as well as Pol. (p. 349) etc. This should be removed in the n e x t edition of the book. The reviewers are surprised to see t h a t some groups of fungi are t r e a t e d in a very detailed manner, e.g. Polyporales (citation of rich literature, illustrations etc.) while in others not -- eL eorticia where only a minimum of similar information is given. The reviewers would like to mention a few further details either as critical notes or as interesting things which should n o t escape the reader's attention. There is missing in t h i s manual a very valuable species common in Central Europe, Cantharellu~ pallens PrL., which is unknown also to m a n y other mycologists -- despite the fact t h a t it has been published in 1959, even if in a rare publication, a collection o f papers dedicated t o T. S A w ~ s C U (P~L.~T A., Cantharellus cibari~ und Cantharellus pallen~ sp. n . - - I n : Omagiu lul Trajan S~,vulescu an prilejul implin[rii a 70 de ani, p. 597--600, Bucure~ti 1959). We could hardly agree w i t h the classification of a definitely i n d e p e n d e n t species Ca~ztharellus a~nethystet~ as a mere variety of C. cibarius. There is also another i m p o r t a n t omission, i.e. Cyphella digitalis {ALto et SCHW.) FR. which should be inserted somewhere near the genus Ale~rodiscus. We would like to note t h a t the correct name for Cytldiella melze~ Pouz. 1954 (not 1959 as

328

FOLIA GEOBOTAI~'ICA ET PHYTOTAXONOMICA 20, 1985

erroneously printed in the book) is according t o P.~RMASTO (1968) C. albomdlea (Bo~D.) PAR~. based on Cytidiu albomellea BONI)ARCEV 1927. A few anatomical features given in the manual reviewed are not correct. For instance, the spores o f Albatrdlus ovinu~ are n o t "diinnwandig" b u t t h e y are in fact similarly thick-walled as are those in A. cri.~tatus, .4.6"ubrubescens and some others; spores of A . con/luens are amyloid, and not inamyloid. The generic concept of Auri~ularia is too broad -- contrary to very m a n y really narrowly circumscribed genera. As already pointed out b y Do~x (1952), Hirneola and Auricularia can be clearly separated as two distinct genera. I n some few cases the a u t h o r s ' abbreviations are not exact and should be corrected as follows: Phellinus ]errugineo]~cus (P. KARST.) BOURn., Postia s i m a n i i (PIL. ex PIL.) JULICH, Skeleto~lt~;s stdlae (PIL. ex PIL.) K~.LLER etc.; the name Dichostereum boreale has not yet hecn validly published as this species was originally published as Vararia borealis Pouz. In one case, one and the same species is erroneously treated under two different names in two different genera: Fomitopsis cytisina (p. 382) is identical with Perenniporia ]raxinea (p. 388) which seems to be the correct name for t h i s polypore. Ji2rICH'S assertion t h a t Gec~,trum pouzarii differs from G. campestre only in spring g r o w t h is incorrect: this species differs also in radial straight fissures (3--5) in the external white layer of the subhygroscopic rays and in s o m e w h a t smaller spores w i t h finer o r n a m e n t a t i o n (see KOTLA~A, Ces. Mykol. 24: 21--31, 1970, and 36: 206--210, 1982). We can generally note t h a t in certain species there are given very m a n y -- in some cases for this t y p e of manual surely superfluous -- s y n o n y m s (e.g. in Abortiporus biennis 19!, i n IAjcoperdon pyri/orme 17!, in Clam~lina cristata, Trametes malicola, Polyporus ~luamosu~ and Pisolithus arhizus 13, in Clavaria vermicularis 12 etc.) whereas in other species there are very few or no synonyms, although t h e y exist: Stereum /U~cum (Sc~RAD.) QU~L. to Laxitextum bicelor, Stereum sulcatum BURT in I~CX (basionym!) to Laurilia sulcata, K a v i n i a bourdotii (BHEs.) J. Enr~rss. and Caldesiella sa]anensis PIL. to K a v i n i ~ alboviridis, Inonotus corr~carl~ (FR.) P. KARST. to I. dryophilus etc. This is very i m p o r t a n t for connection to t h e older literature where different names are used. For practical use, it will no doubt he useful for the reader t o note, under which generic n a m e s the species are t r e a t e d in older classical works (BotrRDOT e t GALZIN, BURS', PILXT, CH~rSTIA~rs~N etc.); e.g. in Megalocystidium there should be some reference t o Gloeeystidium (BOURDOT et GALZIN) as well as to Gloeoeystidiellum (CHnISTIANSEN) - - or at least to one of t h e m , etc. All mycologists will certainly welcome J~LICH'S really useful book as it comprises in o n e (rather thick) volume a lot o f information about such huge group of fungi which are o f considerable interest to m a n y scientists -- not only profesionals (mycologists, foresters, ecologists and other naturalists) but also v e r y m a n y amateurs. FRANTI~EK KOTLABA ZDEN~K POUZAR H. BESL, M. A. FISCHER, F. HAOEMA~r~ and W. H(SLL STUDIENHILFEN LEHRBUCH DER

BOTANIK BOTANIK,

(3. A U F L A G E ) 32. A U F L A G E

ZU STRASBURGER:

Gustav Fischer Verlag S t u t t g a r t et New York 1984, 250 pp., 10 Figs., paperback. The book is designed, as a s t u d y aid for university students, who s t u d y b o t a n y from "STRAS-

BURGER". I t is arranged in t h e form o f questions and replies concerning the whole t e x t of

the

above mentioned university t e x t b o o k , while, of course, the order of the questions correspond t o t h e parts, sections and s u b c h a p t e r s of the textbook, which this s t u d y material has been designed to supplement. The 254 questions with replies altogether cover the e x t e n t o f t h e whole textbook. The data accumulated in this book represent a brief analysis and, at the same time, an appreciation of the m a i n or harder problems o f the s t u d y material. I t is necessary to emphasize t h a t the function of questions is ~aot based only upon the repetition of t h e c o n t e n t s of the corresponding part of t h e t e x t , but the character o f the questions is first of all provocative -- t h e y lay stress on similarity or diversity of the facts, t h e y call for mutual comparison and real knowledge. Also the character of the replies is linked with the construction of the questions -- the replies are brief, intelligible, comprising the m o s t informative contents.

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I n conclusion it m a y be said t h a t the e l a b o r a t i o n of the material in this book is balanced and6compact. Not only a t the final state e x a m would the examiners c e r t a i n l y be satisfied w i t h the e x t e n t of knowledge, b u t t h e s t u d e n t should also manage. BOHDAN KRisA

DAVID TILMAN RESOURCE

COMPETITION

AND COMMUNITY

STRUCTURE

Monographs in P o p u l a t i o n Biology 17. P r i n c e t o n U n i v e r s i t y Press, Princeton 1982, X I + 296 pp., 98 Figs. Price $ 21.50 [cloth], $ 9.98 [paper]. I n accordance w i t h t r a d i t i o n , a new volume of t h e series Monographs in population biology (Princeton U n i v e r s i t y Press) offers a lot of ideas a n d a new insight into a central area of ecology. I n nine brilliant chapters DAVID TIL~,~N presents his own ideas on c o m p e t i t i o n for resources. Short accounts of this t h e o r y have already been published, b u t t h i s book gives a fall description of it. D. TILMAN suggested a graphical way of depicting relations between species limited b y small n u m b e r of resources. I t enables rapid insight into possible competition outcomes under different resource levels and allows easy inclusion of small scale spatial heterogeneity. The t h e o r y is s u i t a b l e for organisms limited b y small n u m b e r of resources a n d whose communities are s t r u c t u r e d to a largo e x t e n t b y s p a t i a l heterogeneity [as p l a n t s are]. Since these communities have been neglected b y c o n t e m p o r a r y ecological theory, TILMAN fills an i m p o r t a n t gap. The a p p r o a c h is clear, simple, and, c o n t r a r y t o m a n y ecological models, it is fully explanatory. Therefore, it offers a lot of hypotheses to be tested b y e x p e r i m e n t a l work. The t h e o r y is illustrated b y field d a t a from a u t h o r ' s own algological studies a n d b y extensive material from long-term experiments at Rotha~nsted. The prediction of t h i s t h e o r y t h a t low resource levels and species richness are correlated agrees w i t h m a n y field observations. A special chapter is devoted t o t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of space in t e r m s of resource competition. U n f o r t u n a t e l y , t h e a u t h o r devoted little space to non-equilibrium situations. This approach does n o t provide a n y framework for t h e s t u d y of d y n a m i c processes in ecological [especially plant] communities. We feel this is t h e most neglected area in present p l a n t ecology. I n our opinion t h e book should be read b y all ecologists interested in t h e t h e o r y of competition and coexistence for t h e following reasons: it is concise, clear, simple, and, p r o b a b l y the most i m p o r t a n t point, i t suggests a lot of testifiable hypotheses. ToMkw H ~ . m N I~RAN'rIw K K R A H U ~ 0

D. R. S~x~ONO, D. SIMBERI~DFF, L. G. ABELE, A. B. THISTLE (eds.) ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES: EVIDENCE

CONCEPTUAL

ISSUES

AND THE

P r i n c e t o n U n i v e r s i t y Press, Princeton, 1984, 613 pp. Price 18 US $ [cloth], 22.50 US $ [paper]. E i g h t years after p u b l i c a t i o n of MAcAxT~tm's memorial volume, devoted t o concepts and evidence in the t h e o r y of ecological communities (CODYand DIAMOND : Ecology a n d evolution of communities, B e l k n a p Press 1976), a book similar in scope and importance has been published; it stems from t h e conference held at W a k u l l a Springs, Florida, in spring 1981. I m p o r t a n t l y , t h e prineipial concern of this book is quite different from t h a t published in 1976; it does not build theories, b u t re-examines concepts in c o m m u n i t y ecology and searches for evidence for theories developed d u r i n g sixties and seventies. Such evidence would m e a n p r i m a r i l y finding s t r o n g biotic i n t e r a c t i o n s playing a significant role in shaping communities. However, the m a i n interest of t h e book is competition. T h o u g h a classical c o m m u n i t y ecology was b u i l t principally using this t y p e of interaction, t h e d e m o n s t r a t i o n of its relative u n i m p o r t a n c e in

330

FOLIA GEOBOTAI~ICA ET PHY~TOTAXONO]KICA 20, 1985

p a r t i c u l a r communities does n o t disprove t h e importance of biotic interactions in general. The m a i n topics discussed in t h e book comprise: e x p e r i m e n t a l tests of competitiom in n a t u r a l communities, indirect evidence from biogeography and distribution, guild delimitation, s t r u c t u r e a n d competition, building and usefulness of " n u l l models" in ecology, paradigms in marine biology, food web s t r u c t u r e . The first two sections (experimental tests, biogeographic evidence) concentrate mostly on t h e role of competition as the p r i m a r y biotic force in ecological communities. Incidentally, all t h e four experimental papers t e s t i n g its role b r i n g evidence against its importance; the i m p o r t a n c e of other kind of biotic interactions has been d e m o n s t r a t e d (STRonG: Exorcising the ghost of competition past: P h y t o p h a g o u s insects). The results from biogeographic studies, t h o u g h less conclusive, seem t o s u p p o r t the assertion of t h e relative u n i m p o r t a n c e of competition. Much discussion (passionate, sometimes n o t even p e r t i n e n t ) is devoted to t e s t i n g observational hypotheses in ecology using " n u l l models" and t h e feasibility of such models (articles b y SIMBERLO~'F, I)IAMOND and GILPIN, CONNOR and SIMBERLOFF, COLW'ELL and WheELER, RATHCKE). Though not closer to a n y solution t h a n a t its beginning in 1979, t h i s discussion h a s helped much to clarify i m p o r t a n t concepts in ecology. Some i m p o r t a n t points emerge: l) t h e need for experimental tests, 2) c o m m u n i t y wide tests t e n d to obscure e v e n s t r o n g competitive effects within guilds; as detected b y computer simulation of COLV~LL a n d WINELEIt 3) t h e ecological meaning of " n u l l models" m u s t be clarified. There are m a n y studies dealing w i t h guilds, their s t r u c t u r e , character displacement, comp e t i t i o n etc. (articles b y GRANT a n d SCHLUTER, WERNER, SCHOENER, B~aOWN a n d BOWERS). These articles are based p r i m a r i l y on observational a n d descriptive d a t a and use a priori delimited guilds. The importance of guild-oriented s t u d y is stressed b y " n u l l model" discussion; however, this contrasts s h a r p l y w i t h the results of t h e only experimental s t u d y of guild s t r u c t u r e in the book (HArRSTO.~: Inferences and e x p e r i m e n t a l results in guild s t r u c t u r e ) , t h a t was unable to delimit two guilds of salamanders using experimental data. Curiously enough, d y n a m i c n o n - e q u i l i b r i u m processes in ecosystems play only a m i n o r role in concepts of communities a n d in t h e evidence of t h e i r i m p o r t a n t s t r u c t u r i n g forces. Moreover, it is p i t y no p l a n t studies have b e e n included; even citations of botanical publications are scanty. Animal communities are still the m a i n area of i m p o r t a n c e for the science of general ecology, t h o u g h some situations discussed (e.g. shore communities} have close parallels in p l a n t ecology. Certainly t h e role of competition in p l a n t communities is too i m p o r t a n t t o be disputed, and it interacts w i t h t e m p o r a l a n d spatial e n v i r o n m e n t a l stochastieity a n d preda t i o n in diverse ways, t h o u g h p l a n t s do not e x h i b i t " g l o b a l " interactions owing t o t h e i r sessile nature. The reviewed book m a y be a l a n d m a r k of possible p a r a d i g m change in ecology. U n f o r t u n a t e l y it was puvblishcd more t h a n 3 years after the conference was held. A lot of r e l e v a n t papers h a v e been published since (e.g. FfA~VEy et al.: Null models in ecology, Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 14, 1983; R o u n d Table discussion on research in ecology and e v o l u t i o n a r y biology, Amer. N a t u r . 122/5, 1983). I t c e r t a i n l y has not become obsolete, only its l a n d m a r k position has emerged more clearly. To ~r167 H~maEN

BAPaOOZZI C. (ed.) MECHANISMS OF SPECIATION Proceedings from the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Meeting on Mechanisms of Speeiation sponsored b y t h e A c a d e m i a Iqazionale dei Lincei, M a y 4 - - 8 , 1981, Rome, I t a l y . Progress in Clinihal and Biological Research, vol. 96, xiv ~ 546 pp., illust. Alan R. Liss, Inc., l~ew York, 1982, Price 67 s The book contains 25 papers loosely connected b y a c o m m o n t h e m e -- m e c h a n i s m s a n d results of speciation events in eukaryotes, methodology of t h e i r study, e v o l u t i o n a r y interp r e t a t i o n of interspecific differences revealed b y m o d e r n macromolecular, biochemical and genetic technicques, and theoretical implications of observations, experiments a n d t h i n k i n g

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related to the subject. As usual in m u l t i a u t h o r e d volumes of this kind t h e scope, generality, d e p t h of t r e a t m e n t a n d relatedness to the subject varies w i t h individual contributions. There is a wide range of approaches, from case histories to s y n t h e t i c t r e a t m e n t s , a n d from a t t e m p t s a t grasping the m e c h a n i s m s of processes to simple descriptions of t h e i r results, t h o u g h mostly based on highly sophisticated techniques. Often new taxonomies of concepts a n d mechanisms are introduced. The book is h e a v i l y biased towards zoology. 0 n l y four contributions are botanical, and two of a general macromolecular nature. Perhaps this also reflects the a t t i t u d e towards general taxonomical and e v o l u t i o n a r y problems a m o n g c o n t e m p o r a r y zoologists a n d botanists. Because of the general c h a r a c t e r of t r e a t m e n t , I should single out some of t h e contributions w r i t t e n m a i n l y b y those who have recently h a d most to say on the subject. E. MAYR provides a concise synthesis of his views on speeiation in animals a n d introduces a useful new term. " p e r i p a t r i c speeiation". The t i t l e of G. L. STEBBINS' paper " P l a n t Speeiati o n " suggests more t h a n i t offers, b u t it is t h e only p a p e r in which t h e zoloogical and botanical aspects are integrated a n d t h e points of s i m i l a r i t y a n d difference are clearly identified. S. M. STANLEY discusses t h e speciation events as seen in the fossil record, and J. R. POWELL provides a new t a x o n o m y of speeiation mechanisms a n d stresses t h e possible role of non-genetic mechanisms in speciation. M. J . D. WHITE elaborates on t h e relationship between r e c t a n g u l a r i t y of speciation and fine chromosome architecture, a n d A. R. TEMPLETON evolves S E W ~ WRIGHT'S "shifting b a l a n c e " evolutionary model i n t o a newly modified m e t a p h o r i c a l concept of an adaptive landscape. His paper entitled ,,Genetic Architecture of Speciation" is p r o b a b l y t h e most i m p o r t a n t original theoretical c o n t r i b u t i o n to the volume. More specialized, b u t e x e m p l a r y in its t r e a t m e n t of model allopatric s i t u a t i o n , is V. SBORDONI's p a p e r on speeiation in cave animals. B. J. TURNER'S paper on t h e genetics of unisexual fishes m i g h t possibly appear as a relevation t o t h e reader unfamiliar w i t h t h e r a t h e r recently discovered subject of hybridogenetic and gynogenetie species of lower vertebrates. H. L. CARSON newly organizes his largely u n c o r r o b o r a t e d b u t original ideas o n t h e importance of changes in open and closed genomlc systems in speeiation, and G. DOVER lucidly explains his t h e o r y of molecular drive in 9 t o speciation, G. PASTEUR is the only c o n t r i b u t o r a t t e m p t i n g t o discuss t h e relationship between speciation and trans-specifie evolution. The book has been r a t h e r caustically reviewed b y D. J. FUTU~Z~A (Science, 219: 1059-- 1060; 1983). His m a i n objections were t h e irrelevance of m a n y papers to t h e s u b j e c t , too m a n y controversial speculations, r e d u n d a n t repeating of views already published, a n d a holistlc, r a t h e r t h a n reduetlonist approach. I agree w i t h h i m on t h e first point, b u t could n o t disagree more on t h e others. U n d e r s t a n d i n g of speeiation m e c h a n i s m is one of t h e core problems of m o d e r n e v o l u t i o n a r y t h e o r y , and daring ideas are needed for a subject in w h i c h mieroevolutionary reduetionism a n d Mayrlan o r t h o d o x y of aUopatrlc speciation t h r e a t e n e d till recently t o change the speciation t h e o r y into a gradualistic dogma. True, m a n y published opinions are repeated here b y m a n y esteemed authors. B u t in e v e r y c a s e , t h e m a t t e r is re-organized, concisely summarized, a n d -- in t h e context of t h e book -- t h e varied t h e o r e t i c a l approaches t o the multifacetted problem of speciation are confronted w i t h each other. This is n o t a n insignificant c o n t r i b u t i o n m a d e b y this volume, p a r t i c u l a r l y for non-specialists in the subject. A m o s t all recent ideas related to speclatio n are m e n t i o n e d and explained here: p u n c t u a l i s m a n d gradualism, b u d d i n g a n d fission of species, p a r a p a t r i e , peripatrie a n d s t a s l p a t r i c speciation, flush a n d crush t h e o r y , etc. I do n o t know o f a n y o t h e r single volume in w h i c h t h e reader would be exposed t o such an influx of new ideas s i m u l t a n e o u s l y advocated b y t h e i r adherents and criticized b y opponents. The didactic a n d heuristic value of this book c a n n o t be overestim a t e d in these respects. A n d the reductlonlst a p p r o a c h of population genetics a n d biochemistry recommended b y F U T U Y ~ ? I agree it is t r u l y necessary for elucidation of m a n y single facets of the speciation problem, b u t I am convinced t h a t it should n e v e r be applied t o its necessarily pluralistic synthesis. I can h e a r t i l y r e c o m m e n d t h e book to e v e r y zoologist, b o t a n i s t or general biologist interest e d in evolution, e v o l u t i o n a r y genetics and general t a x o n o m y and to e v e r y b o d y who is able t o e n j o y observation of a n o t h e r ":New S y n t h e s i s " of speciatlon t h e o r y in nascendi. PA'V'~L ~TYS

332

FOLIA GEOBOTANICA ET PHYTOTAX01~OMICA 20. 1985

F. H. SCHWEI~GRUB~R DER JAHRRING Standort, Methodik, Zeit und K l i m a in dcr Dendrochronologie. Verlag Paul ttaupt, Bern und S t u t t g a r t 1983, 243 pages, 575 illustrations in the text. Five years after the publication of the atlas "Microscopic Wood A n a t o m y " (reviewed in Folia Geobot. Phytotax. Praha, 18." 447--448) another monograph by the same athor has been published. The author is the head of the research teams " Q u a r t e r s HSlzer" and " J a h r r i n g und Standort" in the Swiss Federal Institute of Forestry Research, Birmensdorf/Ziirich. He is known In this country primarily for his development of X-ray densitometry and its practical application. I n this book, too, the space devoted to illustrations (photographs, maps, pen and ink drawings and graphs cover about 70 % of the printed pages) is more extensive t h a n the t e x t itself. The work, however, is neither an atlas nor a popular and informative picture book. Its value lies in the compact text, abundantly documented--especially g r a p h i c a l l y - - b y examples from works of the more important European as well as American research organizations. The author aimed at giving a clear and full picture of the contemporary level of scientific fields, based on year-ring density analysis and anatomical analysis of wood, above all t h a t of dendrochronology and its ecological applications. The book is divided into five chapters- Origin of the Material, Analysis of the Material, Year-ring Growth and Site, Practical Applications of Dendrochronology and The H i s t o r y of Dendrochronology. This arrangement already shows t h a t SCHWEI~GRUBER is primarily an ecologist. His approach to the subject is based on the supposition t h a t the dynamics of width changes or other measurable characteristics of year-rings reflect the individual's ontogenesis, affected b y a set of influences from the environment and its changes. 'In the first chapter the author defines and categorizes the concept "site". The regularity with which edafical, climatic as well as sociological characteristics are reflected in year-ring series is documented on a large number of results b y various authors. Special attention is paid to woods having the longest chronology up to now: P i n u s longaeva D. K. B ~ . Y , Quercus rob,at L., Q. 1Detraea (MATT.) LIEBL., Larix decidua MILL., and Picea abies (L.) K ~ T ~ . ~ . I n the p a r t devoted to subfossile woods the author pays attention also to the secondary changes occurring during their deposition in the earth. The aerobic decomposition of wood is documented with microphotographs from RYP~.~EK'S monograph (1966). The second chapter is devoted to methodology. This p a r t of the book is very thorough, not only in content, but also in extent. I t s scope greatly exceeds the frame-work of year-ring analysis of wood methods, as described in FRr~rs's book "Tree Rings and Climate" (reviewed in Folia Geobot. Phvtotax. Praha, 15: 102--103). Besides the year-ring analysis technique t h e reader IS acquainted with xylotomio technique, tissue analysis technique, including modern systems of picture analysls, with wood micro-sliee photometry, the latter developed in the USSR. A substantial p a r t of the second chapter concerns X - r a y densltometry methods. FRITTS included this technique in his monograph only marginally. Therefore the book "Der Jahrring" is actually the first work to give readers complete information about the results of studies b y Pov.G~, PARKER, L~.NZ, as well as the a u t h o r himself, all of whom have created a new methodology of year-ring analysis i n the past fifteen years. Obviously this is the very reason for devoting so much space t ~ X - r a y densitometry--roughly 40 % of the second chapter, The passage on statistical methods, which is r a t h e r long, has been taken, to a large extent, from ~XTTS' monograph quoted above. The t h i r d chapter of the book deals with information about the present state of knowledge about responses of diameter growth to environmental factors. The author describes tissues reactIng to environmental changes and t h e mechanisms involved. The reaction of the species to the climate and site is shown on Pinu8 silvestris L. in the whole range of its ecological amplitude and area, parallelly on year-ring anatomy and densitogram, on the vector of year-ring width as well as on the vector of its maximum and minimum densities. The t h i r d p a r t concentrates on the s t u d y of relations between individual characters of year-rings in the same or different tree species at the same site, also in similar or different sites. The study of t h e relationship between year-rings and climate takes an important place in this section too. The fourth chapter is first concerned with "dendrochronology in the strict sense", i.e. w i t h wood dating. Other subsections cover further applications such as criminology, climatology,

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geomorphology, the history of floods, glaciers, forest fires, vulcanlsm and the application of dendrochronology in entomology. One passage is devoted to its application in forestry. This is represented by four illustrations, viz the effect of thinning and pruning (including the use of X - r a y methods in evaluating the quality of wood), fertilizing and soil amelioration. Last but not least, the fourth chapter includes a passage on tree-ring research in the environmental sciences, evaluating the current conifer die-back due to air pollution, also mentioning marginally the evaluation of harmful factors in the root sphere. The l a s t - - f i f t h - - c h a p t e r gives a concise history of dendrochronology. References include only works from which passages are quoted, in all 255. The number itself shows the extent of the publication reviewed. The list represents actually a practical if not exhaustive bibliography of the most recent West and Central European as well as American studies. Soviet dendrochronological publications are not included. The " J a h r r i n g " is an outstanding and useful work. I t has filled a substantial gap in the literature of modern ecology. It would therefore be hardly correct to criticize the author for having underestimated or omitted some minor topics. The only major omission seems to be the application of year-ring analysis t o classical forest production ecology. That is obviously the reason why VIN~ is not to be found among the authors quoted, his work being foremost in the world in the given field. JOSEF KYNCL L. STEUBING, H. O. S C ] R ~ V ~ S 0KOLOGISCHE BOTANIK.

BOTANIK.

EINF(~HRUNG

IN DIE ANGEWANDTE

UNI-Taschenbiicher 888.--Quelle & Meyer, Heidelberg, 1981, 408 pp., 130 Figs., 53 Tabs., DM 29,80 (soft cover). The period in which we li~e is characterized by an information explosion .As a rule, the authors of textbooks simply add new knowledge to the older items and, in this way, increase the extent of books and the amount of information which they contain. Only few of t h e m are able to condense the traditional material in such a way as not to affect its informative value and, in addition, to perform selection, using a new point of view, from the enormous amount of new data so as to produce novel pictures in the kaleidoscope of the natural science called botany. However, S~SU~ r o and SCH'~rANTES,the authors of the book under review, seem to be experts in this discipline. In the 408 pages of the pocket edition of their "0kologische Botanik" they managed to explain the anatomy, morphology and physiology of plants and - and this is especially worth emphasizi n g - to survey all these disciplines from the ecological and evolutionary points of view. Besides, they extend their explanation by offering a sound appreciation of the role of plants as producers in their ecosystems and in the biosphere in general and demonstrated, on the level of general ecology, the cycling of biogenlc elements and of water in a landscape. The chapter on evolution is also unconventional: it is concerned with the chemical evolution of the atmosphere, with the evolution of biocnergetic and biological structures and functions from the Procaryonts to highly specialized CAM plants. This more or less theoretical part is balanced by sections dealing with pure application of knowledge, e.g. a chapter on starch-producing plants, including descriptions of the principal plants cultivated by man and elaborating their products, on plants producing sugar, proteins, fats, or a chapter on the adaptation of plants to various stresses of the environment and on their ability to indicate various properties of the habitat. I t is almost unbelievable t h a t all this could be compressed into a pocket mannual together with numerous highly irrqtructive figures and tables ranging from the ultrastructure of biological membranes through the construction of Flagellata cells, types of fruits and infloroscences up to depictions of the source of stresses in ecosystems, from the saceharide structure through Calvin's cycle and through CO2 fixation in Ca and C4 plants up to nitrogen cycling in the biosphere, including a table of N fixation by industrial, physical and biological ways, with annual sums. The book is arranged in a highly unusual manner. The selection and sequence of chapters aims more at capturing the reader's interest t h a n at observing the strict hierarchy of botanical

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science. A t the beginning, the book impresses the non-botanist w i t h the significance of plants for the E a r t h and for man in general: it starts with concrete and palpable ~xperienee (Producers as Suppliers of Basic Nutrients}, proceeds through the origin of the biosphere, and t h e n guides the reader through highly theoretical paths, e.g. t h a t of biological evolution; in this context it acquaints the reader with the entire cytology including sexual reproduction or bioenergetic evolution and explains in detail, among other things, the structures and functioning of photosynthetic and respiration processes. I n doing this, it offers an unconventional survey of anatomy and morphology (Plants in Aquatic Environment, Plants in Terrestrial Environment) and accompanies the reader through t h e maze of physiology (Water Relations in Plants, Nutrient Uptake) up to the evolution of plants in a community. Here t h e reader interested in the practical aspects of science is again back in well-known waters, learning about weeds and their extirpation, phytopathogenous fungi and so on, while at the same time getting acquainted w i t h the principles of aUelopathy, competition, tolerance and other terms and relations. Gradually he approaches whole ecosystems; they demonstrate the linking of producers and consumers and the mineral-element cycling in nature. An entire chapter is t h e n devoted to the adaptation of plants to particular habitats and to various impacts of h u m a n activity on plants (mowing, trampling, grazing, effect of heavy metals, etc.). Only a little step separates this from the notion of plants as bioindicators of air and water pollution. A practical biologist will certainly close the book with much satisfaction, for he has found in it well-known working problems with plants. However, he has also acquired understanding of biological processes and intimate knowledge of the secrets of plant life. An orthodox botanist will perhaps not agree with such an arrangement of the foundation stones of his discipline. The book, however, is above all i n t e n d e d for the use of students of agriculture, economy or food industry, i.e. for the students of applied science for which b o t a n y is one of numerous :disciplines to learn, sometimes of minor importance. The authors' invention seems to be fully justified here. Except for the arrangement of material, pursuing a didactic purpose and attracting the attention of the reader, the book nowhere deviates from the high standards of modern and progressive botany. Moreover, a carefully composed index is available for those who look for various items of information. However, even an erudite botanist will be pleased to go the way prepared for him b y the authors of the book. The students of the Giessen University (FRG} may be congratulated upon having such an attractive textbook of botany. Other countries could also profit from it if the new arrangement of material were imitated abroad, or if the book were translated into other languages. Consciousness of ecological problems would increase, even among non-botanists, the world of plants would come nearer to the world of technology, and even professional workers in botany would find in the book m a n y chapters with freshly transformed new knowledge which t h e y would otherwise have to look for, with many difficulties, in the original literature. MILEI~A I:~YCHI~OVSKA

JOHN T. O. Iz~RX LIGHT

AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS

IN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, London, New York, New Rochelle, Melbourne and S y d n e y 1983, 140 Figures, 15 Tabs. 401 pp, This book is an interdisciplinary s t u d y of the key role of light in aquatic ecosystems, b o t h inland and marine. I t presents a long-needed integrated s t u d y a n d a review of the physics of light transmission within water, through the biochemistry a n d physiology of aquatic photosynthesis to ecological relationships a n d the strategies which depend on the underwater light climate. The a u t h o r is well-known for his theoretical analysis of the contribution of different forms of algal cells to the light a t t e n u a t i o n within natural waters a n d b y his exact experimental analysis of the natural water light climate. This m o n o g r a p h is a s t u d y o f light in the underwater e n v i r o n m e n t from the viewpoint of p h o t o s y n t h e s i s and is m e a n t for the hydrobiologist r a t h e r t h a n the physicist. The book is divided into two parts~

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1) The u n d e r w a t e r l i g h t field 2) P h o t o s y n t h e s i s in l i g h t e n v i r o n m e n t I n P a r t 1, the b e h a v i o u r of light in n a t u r a l waters is described: the n a t u r e of light, the properties defining the r a d i a t i o n field, absorption a n d scattering, light transmission t h r o u g h atmosphere a n d air-water interface. The a b s o r p t i o n processes a t p h o t o n l~vel in w a t e r a n d in pigments, principles of absorption coefficient m e a s u r e m e n t , types of i n s t r u m e n t s for scattering a n d nonscattering samples are discussed. The requirements for ideal submersible irradiance sensor are deduced a n d different types of irradiance meters are described. A b s o r p t i o n spectra of pure water, soluble yellow m a t e r i a l a n d a b s o r p t i o n properties of b o t h p a r t i o u l a t e a n d soluble fractions as well as p h y t o p l a n k t o n of various waters are given in tables. The principles of different types of scattering meters a n d nephelomotric turbidimeters are explained. In a separate chapter, p r a c t i c a l aspects of the characterizing the underwater l i g h t field are dealt with. The a u t h o r considers the remote sensing of the a q u a t i c e n v i r o n m e n t , which m a k e s it possible to acquire a synoptic view of a large aquatic ecosystem, a n d examines some of the remote sensing studies t h a t have been carried o u t so far, e.g. : a spatially s c a n n i n g p h o t o m e t e r carried by a n aircraft a t t h e altitude from 18 to 20 kin, other different satellite systems inclu. ding d a t a evaluation processes. I n P a r t I I of t h e book, photosynthesis in t h e aquatic e n v i r o n m e n t is d e a l t with. P a r t I I begins w i t h a description of the p h o t o s y n t h e t i c intracellular structures, from the organelles level down to t h a t of molecules. Chloroplast form a n d s t r u c t u r e are shown and t h e photos y n t h e t i c pigment composition of the different t y p e s of algal t a x a is given in tables. The role of chlorophyll/carotenoid-protein complexes for t h e in vivo functions of p h o t o s y s t e m I a n d I I is stressed. P h o t o s y n t h e t i c light collection is described for each of t h e different pigment classes as well as for whole organisms w i t h p a r t i c u l a r reference t o the c o m b i n a t i o n of pigments and, in t h e case of p h y t o p l a n k t o n to the size and shape of the cells or colonies. The efficiency of light utilization w i t h respect to the incident light wavelength and water d e p t h is discussed for different freshwater a n d marine algae a n d macrophytes. To fully u n d e r s t a n d t h e e x t e n t to which light a v a i l a b i l i t y limits p r i m a r y production it is necessary to be aware of t h e limitations which are imposed at t h e same time b y other environm e n t a l factors. On t h e basis of the p h o t o s y n t h e t i c mechanism, t h e role of o t h e r e n v i r o n m e n t a l factors, like carbone dioxide concentration, t e m p e r a t u r e , inorganic n u t r i t i o n and grazing b y aquatic fauna, is mentioned. The p h o t o s y n t h e t i c t e m p o r a l variations are t h e n derived from t h e variation of these l i m i t i n g factors. The last chapter of t h e book "Ecological s t r a t e g i e s " considers the ways in which t h e aquatic flora is adapted t o t h e v a r i a b i l i t y of the light climate. The aquatic p l a n t d i s t r i b u t i o n in relation to the light q u a l i t y a n d t o the kinds of p h o t o s y n t h e t i c pigments is shown. Evidence for and against chromatic a d a p t a t i o n and the role of phylogenetic and ontogenetic chromatic a d a p t a t ion as well as shade a d a p t a t i o n s are discussed for m a n y water p l a n t groups. R a p i d adaptations of p h o t o s y n t h e t i c s y s t e m involving dinoflagellato migration, vertical m o v e m e n t of blue-green algae (by formation and collapse of gas-filled vacuoles within t h e cells), b e n t h i c d i a t o m movements, chloroplast m o v e m e n t s are demonstrated. The s t r a t e g y of highly p r o d u c t i v e aquatic b e n t h i c plants (Larni~aria, Macrocystis, Fucus, Ascophyllurn, Thalasia, Zostera) is discussed a t the end of t h i s book. The book has a lucid style and is well-arranged. The reader will find in a single monograph a correct and b r i e f e x p l a n a t i o n of light physics, b i o c h e m i s t r y and physiology of water p l a n t photosynthesis, ecophysiology, ecological strategies and problems of light m e a s u r e m e n t in water. I n addition, all topics are documented w i t h m a n y suitable examples. The last chapter "Ecological strategies", t h e description of optical devices as well as the role of pigment complexes are especially valuable and original in t h e ecological context. We imagine t h a t this book will t u r n into one much-sought for b y scientists a n d b y advanced s t u d e n t s dealing w i t h t h e role of light in w a t e r ecosystems, w i t h p h o t o s y n t h e s i s in water plants or w i t h t h e different hydroecological relationships, which depend on t h e light climate.

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FOLIA GEOBOTANICA ET PHYTOTAXONOMICA 20,1985

Adelbert von Chamisso . . . U N D L A S S E N G E L T E N , WAS I C H B E O B A C H T E T H A B E Naturwissenschaftliche Schriften mit Zeichnungen des Autors. Herausgegeben yon R u t h Sehneebeli-Graf. Dietrich Reimer Verlag, Berlin 1983, 324 pp., 15 figs. Price DM 58. Nowadays, AD~.~.I~T yon CHAMISSO, an outstanding poet, is also regarded as an all-round s t u d e n t in such specializations as biogeography, b o t a n y and zoology, and as an i m p o r t a n t traveller. His biological works, w r i t t e n in Latin or French, are scattered in rare old journals t h a t are not easily available in our time. RUTH SCHNEEBELI-GRAFtook up a complicated task: to publish collected biological works b y this author. The works of Prof. MARXOBAF of Zitrieh must be regarded as a s u b s t a n t i a l contribution to this meritorious enterprise; he t r a n s l a t e d the L a t i n t e x t s t o German, and a d d e d m a n y special remarks. Thus, such i m p o r t a n t works as ,,~ber die G a t t u n g ~a/pa oder tiber Generatiouswechsel", ,,Zur Gattung Potarno~eton", ,,~ber die Koralleninseln im Stillen Ozean", , , ~ b e r die Torfmoore . . . " etc. etc. can be studied in the book under review. A detailed biography o f A . v. CHA~sso, and a list of geographical objects, plants and animals n a m e d after him, are also v e r y useful parts of the book. I t can be stated t h a t the greater p a r t represents a valuable help for taxonomic and historiographical work, indeed. The same, however, cannot be said of the arrangement of individual chapters and sometimes of the additional remarks, too. The complete bibliography of CHAMISSO'S biological works is scattered t h r o u g h the 50 pages of his biography, and it is not easy to find the bibliographical data in the works included in the book. The titles of the individual articles ought (in m y opinion) to be supplied w i t h this information. Original pagination indicated on page margins would also add to the bibliographical value of the book. The names Dryas chamissonis SP~.E~G. ex J'C'ZEPCZUKand Taraxacum chamissoni~ Gm~1~v~ are missing from the list, and a number of other missing items can probably be found in t h e literature. One can be misled b y Prof. MARXGRAF'Snote on the work "Draba parryoide~ n. sp. vel nov. gen. Ermania parryoides CHAM." (p. 80): " . . . diese Art Ermania parryoides zu benennen, Ist heute regelwidrig, da es sich urn einen E v e n t u a l n a m e n h a n d e l t . " . It should be pointed out t h a t the name Ermania parryiodes is ,,heute" in agreement with the Code. In spite of these minor shortcomings, the work can be recommended as a valuable handbook. JA~ K I R S C H N ~