Bookreviews

L. E. MORSE and M. S. HEI~IFIN [eds.] RARE

PLANT

CONSERVATION:

GEOGRAPHICAL

DATA ORGANIZATION

The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York, 1981; 377 p., 20 Figs. The book under review resulted from a symposium on the above theme held in the editing organization in 1979 and contains 27 papers. The t a s k of the symposium was t o give a survey of various present projects on conservation of rare or endangered plants i n USA, especially t a k i n g into account the necessary gathering of geographical data. The importance of t h e present information for the evaluation of rareness, knowledge of types of t h r e a t and conditions of localities as well as familiarity w i t h t h e general status of species were stressed during the symposium. An extensive survey of methods for the organization of d a t a and for t h e i r presentation was given. Several papers are devoted to geographical d a t a necessary for conservation projects. As a result of the symposium, guidelines for the preparation of reports on the status of rare a n d endangered plants were prepared. The t e x t of the American Act on these species is also appended. F r o m a great n u m b e r of papers only brief information c a n be given here on some of the most i m p o r t a n t from the viewpoint of the reviewer. The book consists of four thematic sections t o which a n introductory part a n d final Appendices have been added. I n the introduction MORSE a n d LAWYER show t h a t a more profound s t u d y of rare plants gives novel insights into h a b i t a t maintenance, population biology, coadaptation a n d coevolution as well as ecosystem conservation. Effective conservation of plant populations needs geographical d a t a about t h e places of occurrence of rare plants. The authors impute special importance to the conservation of monotypic genera or subgenera which represent a significant component of the t o t a l generic diversity of world biota. The first section of the book includes an overview b y MORS~ et al. on geographical data organization in b o t a n y and p l a n t conservation. The authors examined the organization of obtaining information, especially t h a t on localities. P l a n t conservationists become great consumers of geographic data, now. However, earlier d a t a are often inadequate for present conservation needs (e.g. insufficiently identifiable localities; unfamiliarity w i t h t h e present population state). Local floristies has a n i m p o r t a n t role for plant conservation; unfortunately its professional level has substantially declined. Mapping (using the grid method} is a n i m p o r t a n t method of presentation of geographical d a t a ; the grid of squares of 100 krn 2 is r~commended; at the same t i m e the problems connected with this type of mapping are demonstrated. Papers in Section 2 discuss information needs and priorities. They discuss concepts of r a r i t y and various population t h r e a t s in plant conservation. The phenomenon of r a r i t y is connected w i t h the biology of species and ecology of t h e area. I t is necessary to distinguish natural and u n n a t u r a l decline of the species; conservation is justified in the latter ease only. I n t h e framework of the Natural L a n d m a r k Program, WAGGO~ER stresses the need to identify nationally significant. n a t u r a l areas representing all the major ecosystem types occurring in the USA. F u r t h e r informal tion on the project State N a t u r a l Heritage Program is also given (JENKr~s}, problems of eonserva~ tion work in national parks are mentioned (BRATTON} and various aspects of t h e transfer ~and accessibility} of information about endangered species between p r i m a r y sources and p l a n n i n g organizations are discussed. Section 3 includes papers on information sources. H e r b a r i u m labels ( B ~ a ~ Y } , literature, (a profound analysis b y CROVEL~O}, the role of volunteers (Sr~DALL} etc. are discussed here. Determination of h e r b a r i u m specimens are often erroneous and t h e d a t a on localities in labels m a y be very deficient. K ~ R ~ S Z proposed a new journal to organize the collection ~f information for purposes of p l a n t conservation; information from all t h e states of USA would b9 published h~re.

436

)'OLIA GEOBOTANICA ET PHYTOTAXO~'OMICA 21, 1986

Section 4 deals with representative projects which are carried out in various places of USA (Smithsonian Institution, New England Botanical Club, Flora Indiana 15reject, The California Native Plant Society etc.). Models of elaboration, information on the activity of organizations and references on business with pertinent information are given here. COL~'TRY~AN et al. emphasize need for tmiform explicitly defined criteria for classifying species in the List of endangered plants. POWET.Let al. try to solve problems of rarity both according to the number of individuals and the character and size of the distribution a r e a . REDFORD stresses the necessity to try to conserve the total diversity of a species in as broad a range of habitats as possible with the different climate in each province. In his opinion, sound conservation depends upon a classification of natural diversity and therefore he emphasizes the importance of the hierarchical component approach for a natural diversity classification and discusses very profoundly these problems. W~TSON and MASSEY treat the problem of the population status of threatened plants. Preservation should be founded upon biologically sound information on populations; the basis of the work is an evaluation of the biological status which is determined by characteristics for the four basic life cycles stages: reproduction, dispersion, establishment, maintenance. Special attention should he paid to species biology ( ~ ecobiology) to identify weak phases in the life cycle. The authors give ample information and a questionnaire for the ecobiologieal study of individual species. This section also contains a paper by the only foreign author -- A. V. HALL from South Africa; he demonstrated the uneven occurrence of endangered species in his country, where 65 o f endangered species are confined to 1 % of the total area of t h a t country. I n the Appendices, guidelines for the preparation of Status Reports on rare plant species are given; in accordance with these guidelines a text was elaborated for H u d s o n i a m o n t a n a (Cistaceae) containing 23 pages. This part offers good ideas for projects of ecobiological studies not only of endangered species. Some foundations for planning field work arc also added. The papers presented in the book under review indicate the diversity of approaches; this naturally follows from work on different species, in different geographical areas and through different persons, The symposium was meant to bring some improvement of coordination and communication; this goal was reached. One of the main deductions of the symposium is t h a t specific geographical information is essential to an informed conservation on plant populations. Some tasks also followed for future work, regarding taxonomy, bibliography, transfer of information and computerizing data on plant distribution. The symposium publication gives an ample basis for conservation of endangered plant e~eeies from the viewpoints of geographic information and ecobiology. The reviewer wants to emphasize especially the latter viewpoint not only with respect to plant conservation but also as a thematical basis for ecobiological research of plants in general. The book may be warmly recommended not only to plant conservationists, but also to persons working in phytogeography, ecology and taxonomy. I t was very well prepared for publishing and the individual papers (with valuable abstracts) arc accompanied by adequate complementary material. The volume describes rather a,~ organizational approach to Natur~ protection but plant conservationists will find it a very useful guide in this type of work. JOSEF HOLUB

INGRID ROTH STRATIFICATION STRUCTURE

OF TROPICAL

FORESTS

AS S E E N

IN LEAF

Dr. W. J u n k Publishers, The Hague, Boston, Lancaster, 1984, 521 pp., 99 Figs., Price 115 USS The complex structure of tropical rain forests is a permanent puzzle to many botanists and ecologists. Describing this complexity most authors refer to the high number of taxa, diversity o f life-forms and layering of the pertinent biota and their organs, both in the aboveground and underground space. Stratification of this biome is mostly expressed in terms of varying height o f trees and forbs, and by different levels occupied by branched shoot and/or root system. Leaves o f the plants were also frequently mentioned as a source of rain forest complexity, and particular features, such as drip tips, pulvini, leaf size and shape of the blade, were considered in descriptions of variomq types of tropical forests. A relatively high percentage of coriaceous foliage in

BOOKREVIEWS

437

humid tropical forests remained an unsolved problem both for plant a n a t o m y and for ecology. I n order to examine this question, an expert was needed who could combine knowledge of subtle tissues and cells with adequate ecological thinking. And here we are! II~GRID ROTH, a distinguished Venezuelan plant anatomist with long-term experience in tropical trees, undertook an extensive study of morphological pattern and anatomical structure of leaves collected in the course of an inventory of tree species in Venezuelan Guiana. A transect of about 67 km in length and 25 m in width was cut through a primeval forest, and I. RoT~ received samples of leaves belonging to 232 species and 48 families of tropical trees. The material investigated covered trees of strata, various sizes and age classes, thus enabling a n insight into the distribution of various leaf structures within the aboveground space. Measurements of external shape and examination of pertinent tissues b y optical and electron microscopes were summarized and classified in tables of the species studied, each of t h e m containing 50 parameters, such as blade thickness, several characteristics of the upper and lower epidermis, characters of the upper and lower hypedermis, features of palisade and spongy parenchyma, size and number of stomata, presence of hairs or glands, density and t y p e of vascular bundles, shape of sclereids, etc. The tabulated data fill the greater part of the book (p. 20 to 340) and are followed by generalized chapters describing the peculiarities of individual families, and exploiting the data with regard to ontogeny and phylogeny of trees, and in view of ecological relationships. One of the most valuable aspects of the book is the immense variation of leaf structures among the species studied and within specimens of the same species, the latter caused mainly b y the age of the tree and its position in the canopy or undergrowth. The author describes 'progressive transformation of the hygroscopic shade leaf into the xeromorphic sun leaf in the course of the growth of an individual tree. At t h e undergrowth level, the hygromorphic leaves are relatively large, often elongated in shape and possessing conspicuous drip tips; their blade is thin, cell walls delicate, the palisade layers frequently with funnel-shaped cells; the s t o m a t a are large, the epidermis contains large lens-shaped cells serving as 'light collectors', vascular bundles are weakly developed, and sclerenchyma is lacking. With the growth of the tree, m a n y new structures appear in the leaf, and tissues already present undergo basic transformation. The xeromorphic structure thus formed re~lects two kinds of adaptation: adjustments to reduced water loss, and adjustments of photosynthetic tissues to stronger insolation. The water economy is improved by waterstoring cells and tissues, the increasing illumination is counterbalanced b y long and slender palisade cells arranged in several layers, including those at the abaxial side, and by the presence of numerous but small chloroplasts. I n the assessment of *~hehygromorphie or xeromorphic pattern of leaves, the absolute size of the tissues may not be decisive, b u t the proportions can be m u c h more important. Consequently, various 'index values' expressing rattans between various parameters m a y produce more reliable distinctions. I n the opinion of II~GRID ROTH the leathery leaf structure in m a n y tropical trees is a product of water stress acting during even a short dry period t h a t affects the upper canopy of most of the 'evergreen' rain forests. Originally, the transformation of the leaf structure was induced by actual impacts of microclimate at different height above the ground and in different social position, however it became a genetically imprinted r h y t h m t h a t accompanies the individual development, sometimes even without direct influence by surrounding environmental changes. A nice diagram on p. 452 illustrates the progressive transformation of leaves b y the changing height of the tree. Students of plant a n a t o m y will realize t h a t I. ROTH'S monograph contains m a n y new details t h a t are not accounted for in the famous textbook b y K. ESAU. Students of ecology will appreciate the critical assessment of relationships between the foliage and environment in humid tropics. Only after detailed inspection of the book the reader will learn t h a t the title 'Stratification of Tropical Forests as Seen in Leaf Strucbure' is not exagerated.

J~

J~.~ix

438

FOLIA GEOBOTANIC). ET PHYTOTAX01~'01~ICA 21, 1986

H. WAGNER DIE

NAT~RLICHE

PFLANZENDECKE

0STERREICHS

Verlag der Osterreiehischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Kommission ffir Raumforsehung, :Beitr~ge zur Regionalforsehung, Wien, Bd. 6, 1985, 63 pp., I :Karte im Anhang Das kleine, aber inhaltsreiehe Bfichlein enth~It den Text zu der bereits 1971 verSffentliehten Vegetationskarte Osterreichs (Nattirliche Vegetation, Blatt IV/3 des "Atlasses der Republik Osterreich,,, hrsg. v. d. Kommission ftir Raumforschung der Osterreichischen Akad. d. Wiss., Freytag-Berndt und Artaria Verlag, 5. Lieferung," Wien 1971), die als Faltblatt auch in der Umschlagtasche beigeffigt ist. Der Verfasser unterscheidet zwei Hauptgruppen der Vegetation: (i) zonale und (2) azonale Vegetation. Unter der zonalen Vegetation werden welter die vertikale Abstufung (Niederungsund Hfigelstufe, Bergstufe, subalpine und alpine Stufe) und geographische bzw. 5kologlsche Abwandlungen charakterisiert. Im Rahmen der azonalen Vegetation sind Troekenstandcrte u n d F e u c h t b i o t o p e sowie ihre Gesellschaften unterschleden. Jede K a r t i e r u n g s e i n h e i t (insgesamt 31) ist d u r c h tiberwiegende natfirliche Pflanzengesellschaften oder A r t e n k o m b i n a t i o n e n , ]~egleitgesellschaften, wichtigste Umweltverh~iltnisse u n d die heutigen N u t z u n g s f o r m e n gekennzeichnet. Aufgrund r/iumlicher Zusamrnenh~nge der natfirlichen Vegetation schl~gt der Verfasser eine landschaftliche Gliederung 0sterreichs in 8 grobe Landschaftseinheiten vor. Die Erl~uterungen zur K a r t e der natiirlichen Vegetation 0 s t e r r e i c h s ermSglicht elne bessere A u s w e r t u n g der 5sterreichischen Vegetationsverh~iltnisse. W ~ h r e n d die V e g e t a t i o n s k a r t e tier Alpen (incl. Alpenvorland u n d 5sterreichisehes Terti~rhiigelland) m i t vielen D a t e n unterm a u e r t ist, erfordern die s t a r k k u l t i v i e r t e n 57ord- u n d Ostriinder der K a t i e eine weitere Pr~izisierung aufgrund der neueren Forschungen, auch in den Nachbarl~ndern. D a n k dem Autor b e k o m m t der Leser eine einheitliche ~ b e r s i c h t fiber die natfirliche Vegetat i o n 0sterreichs. Das Biichlein wird n l c h t n u t yon Spezialisten, sondern auch yon einem b r e i t e n Kreis yon Benutzern herzlich willkommen geheisst werden. ROBERT NEUH/~.USL

JUNE H. COOLEY and F. B. GOLLEY (eds.) TRENDS

IN :ECOLOGICAL

I~ESEARCH

FOR TIIE

1980s

Volume 7 of NATO Conference Series, Series I: Ecology, V I I q- 344 pp. P l e n u m Press, New York and L o n d o n 1984. Price US $ 52.50. The hook reviewed presents the results of a small meeting of ecoseientists from Western Europe a n d N o r t h America held in Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) and discussing the future of ecology. The following are titles of chapters: Progress and promise in p l a n t physiological ecology (H. A. MooNEY), Interaction and integration -- The role of microbiology in ecological research (T. RossWALL), Aquatic microbial e c o l o g y - Research questions a n d opportunities (W. J. WIEB]~). Some growth points in investigative plant ecology (P. J. GRUBB), Research questions in ecology r e l a t i n g t o community ecology, plant-herbivore interactions, 'and insect ecology in general (P. W. PRICE), Vegetation science in the 1980s (E. VAN DER MAXREL), Ecological research on Arthropods in Central Amazonian forest ecosystems with recommendations for study procedures (J. ADIS a n d H. O. R. SCHUBART). Considerations on some ecological principles (O. RAVELS}, Towards a landscape ecology of river valleys (H. D]~CAMPS), And now? Ecosystem research! (il. RE~MERT), N u t r i e n t immobilization in decaying litter: An example of carbon-nutrient interactions (J. M. M~LILLO and J. D. ABER), Stability and destabilization of Central E u r o p e a n forest ecosystems -A theoretical, data based approach (B. ULRICH), W h y m a t h e m a t i c a l models in evolutionary ecology? (N. Chr. STENSETIt}, A guideline for ecological research (M. GODROlV), Simple facts about life a n d the environment not to forget in preparing schoolbooks for our grandchildren (R. MARGALEF}. I t can be see t h a t most papers deal with plant and ecosystem studies. The book begins w i t h a n interesting Introduction b y F. B. GOLLEY. The author tried to evaluate ecology at present: t h e growing interest in it is expressed in the graph of the growing n u m b e r membership of the

B00XItF~VI~:WS

439

Ecological Society of America; the present state of ecology in different countries is expressed in the number of ecologists (defined as authors of ecological papers cited in Biological abstracts) in particular countries. I n the following text I mention some ideas presented in botanical papers. H. A. Moo~:Y is of the opinion that new research should be centered to the following fields: the mechanism b y which plants utilize nutrients; the plant-herbivore and plant-pollinator interactions should be. studied, and more studies on the mechanistic base of plant-plant interactions are needed. P. J. GRr:BBgives the following points as important in the progress of plant ecology: maintenance of species richness, problems connected with competition, and functional explanations of plant leave shapes. He stressed the need for long-term studies. E. VA~"PER MAAREL see the future main research areas of vegetation science in studies of world-wide vegetation typology based on different methods; the study of vegetation dynamics will be in the centre of interest, too. O. I~AVERAdiscusses in his contribution some general questions which are very o f ~ n discussed in botanical papers: the problem of ecosystem and community concepts, the problem of continuurn, ~md questions connected with diversity and stability. J. M. MELILLO and J. D. AB~'R identified carbon-nutrient interactions as an important topic for ecological research in the 1980s. The paper by B. ULRICH deals with the model of a forest ecosystem and it is oriented to changes in soil in connection with the acidification process. N. C. ST~NSET~ discusses the need for mathematical models in evolutionary ecology. He illustrates the paper with some generally discussed models and he is of the opinion t h a t ecology should use mathematics for its further development as a science and for precision of the language and results. In the Summary, {,he following main research areas are pointed out: The information transfer in ecosystems, element interactions, comparative ecology, human impact on the biosphere, models of ecosystems, examination of long lived phenomena, establishment of long term ecological study sites. These restdts should be used by people deciding about plant research, because (in my opinion) some research areas, mainly those long term ones, are often neglected, because they seem apparently inefficient and expensive. FRANTI~EK KRAHULEC

R. H. GROVES and W. D. L. RIDE (eds.) SPECIES

AT R I S K .

RESEARCtt

IN AUSTRALIA

Spring~,r Verlag; Berlin, Heidelberg, New York 1982; 216 p., 40 fig. Price 34.10 ILS. dol. This publication resulted from a symposium held in November 1981 in Canberra under the title "Biology of rare and endangered species in Australia". The literature on the preservation of plant species against extinction becomes continuously more ample, but the book under review will certainly retain its important position within this deluge of analogical publications for a longer time. This is ensured espeei~flly by the approach used to these, problems therein. A rather certain fact (at least for some areas) is tha~ while the present trend of affcet~ing .N'ature continues it will be not possible to conserve all endangered species as a whole. An important task is therefore to determine more appropriate criteria for" the selection of species for conservation from the set of candidates for extinction. An important aspect of the preservation of species is the application of principles of conservation genetics and a correct understanding of the phenomenon "rareness of species". The symposium publication containing together 15 papers is composed of three sections: Introductory papers, Case histories (devoted to conservation aspects of individual taxa) and Overviews (reviews of more general topics). In the intrr part MCMIC~.Er. tries to solve the question of which species should be preserved and this with regard to the fact t h a t no sufficient amount of environment will be accessible for the conservation of all endangered taxa. The author stresses the great negative influence of Europeans on the indigenous vegetation of Australia. LEmH et al. discuss various aspects of the "Conservation status" of Australian plants. They give very instructiw* surveys of endangered species in various geographic areas of Australia (with maps). Endangered species belong mostly to the following families: Mgrtaceae, Proteaceae

440

FOLIA GEOBOTAh'ICA :ET PHYTOTAXON0,-~fICA 21. 198g

Fabaceae, Orchidaceae and Mimosaceae. Till now 78 species are known as extinct in the Australian flora; the most endangered regional flora is t h a t of the south-western corner of the continent. Only 38 % of endangered species occur in Nature Reserves. The paper by the zoologists RIDE and W~SON on Australian mammals is important also for botanists with regard to authors' analysis of classificatory degrees of "Conservation status". The authors do not consider the scale of threatenedness used by the IUCN as useful for preservation practice in Australia. In the section "Case histories" problems of conservation are described on individual t a x a in eight papers (three of them being devoted to botanical subjects). I t follows from these papers t h a t no general model exists which could be used in the conservation of endangered species. This fact demonstrates the necessity to amplify research directed to individual species. HOOPER et al. studied Eucc~yplus caesia; a requirement of more profound ecobiological studies of rare st~cies resulted from their study. JAMES was concerned about the relation of genetic systems tL, the practise of conservation in Isotoma petraea. For the preservation of species it is necessary to have substantially more knowledge of the evolutionary processes of these species. The author stresses the importance of locally coadapted demes (corresponding to species with a limited distribution). Rare plants of the Victorian plains are dealt with by SC~J~ETT et PXRSONS. The indigenous flora in this area is commonly confined only to refuges; in this connection the authors emphasize the importance of the ,,railway reserves". They also concern themselves with the problems of the significance of burning vegetation for the preservation of certain rare species, as well as the danger to indigenous flora represented b y naturalization of newly introduced plants. The authors also give cases of some already developed conservation work which, however, has had to be stopped for lack of financial means. Sometimes a (superfluous) official conservation of organisms m a y reduce the possibility of obtaining scientific data for their future preservation. Of the closing reviews two papers have especially to be mentioned -- that by FRANKEL on the importance of conservation genetics for the conservation of rare species, and t h a t b y MAI.'~ on problems of rareness. The two papers may be designated as outstanding and can be recommended to everybody concerned with species conservation. Conservation genetics (as understood by FRA~KEL) tries to define genetic conditions for the survival, reproduction and continuing evolution of organisms or populations which are the objects of a certain form of conservation. I n conservation practice and literature nearly all theoretical ideas have arisen from the standpoint of ecology; preservation itself should, however, be based on the principles of population genetics. An especially important task is the solution of the question of minimum population size required for the maintenance of genetic variation. By emphasizing the significance of conservation genetic" principles, the importance of efforts to save natural ecosystems is not reduced. ~[AIN pays heed to the term "rare" in various systems and discusses the phenomenon "rareness" from various aspects -- mostly as a biological feature, with respect to the adaptability of rare species and t o the character of their distribution. From the viewpoint of the population genetics he emphasizes the necessity to understand how species now rare maintain their populations. The symposium publication under review gives many suggestions for preservation of endangered species and though it sets out from the study of what is for us a very distant area geographically, inhabited b y aspecial flora can, nevertheless offer many stimulations for work on the conservation of species richness in entirely different areas. The high information level of the publication is given not only by the concrete studies on individual taxa, but also by its essay papers and philosophically directed articles. I t is a p i t y t h a t no abstracts or summaries are added to individual papers in this publication. The book can bc recommended to all who are engaged in conservation of the flora from very various aspects. It may give them many.useful ideas for their work. JOSEF HOLUB K. W6ma~AN.~ and V. LOESCHCKE (eds.) POPULATION

BIOLOGY

AND EVOLUTION

Proceedings in Life Sciences, Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, Tokyo. Price 112 DM (approx. 40.80 $). The reviewed book contains papers read at the Symposium organized by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinsehaft in 1983. This meeting was stimulated by the great development of life history t h e o r y

BOOX~EWEWS

441

and evolutionary ecology, which is conceptually rather independent of the classical Nee-Darwinian synthesis. The meeting tried to find a common language for both approaches, whose separation has been succintly summarized by S. C. Stearns: 'Natural selection operates on the phenotype, but only genes record the history of selection'. The whole book contains 19 papers together with two discussion summaries, grouped into 7 sections. They vary very much in their scope and aims: there are reviews of individual fields or problems, theoretical studies, which model various processes in population biology, life history theory, etc. The theoretical studies addressing the connection between llfe history theory and genetics arc grouped into a separate section (LoEsCHCKE: The interplay between genetic composition, species number and population sizes under exploitative competition; JAYA~AR: Coevolution s t two trophic levels). Nevertheless, the greatest number of contributions are case studies of individual taxa or ecological groups, which exemplify different theoretical problems which may be included under the general heading of life history and population genetics. They cover e.g. the relation of isozyme polymorphism to ecological factors, the impact of clonal reproduction on population biology, genetics and selection of quantitative characters etc. Only three papers deal specifically with plants: apart from the interesting, but genetically oriented review of A. D. H. Baow~': Multilocus organization of plant populations, the SCl~_~AT. and LEV~RIC~'S Age-Specific fitness components in plants: genotype and phenotype demonstrate the possibility to use the theory developed mostly for animals to study plant population biology. Moreover, it addresses problems specific only for plants, mainly their great phenotypic plasticity. :I-I~rR~A'S Influence of population parameters on the genetic structure of Capsella populations demonstrates the great genetic variability in plant populations over short distances. As this book is being reviewed for a botanical journal, it could be stressed t h a t the botanical side of the problem is underrepresented. Though life history studies in animals were always ahead of botany, in the last decade a lot of published studies indicate concern for this type of thinking in plants ~ well (e.g. SOLBrm O. T. et al.: Topics in plant population biology, Columbia Univ. Press, 1981). Two chapters of summarizing discussions close the book; t h a t by S. C. ST~AaNS is particularly stimulating reading, pointing out the principal problems running through the book. ToM ~.w HERBEN

R. M. T. DA~X~ORE~~, H. T. CLtFrOUD and P. F. YEo THE FAMILIES

OF MONOCOTYLEDONS

Structure, Evolution and Taxonomy Springer-Voting, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York and Tokyo, 520 pp., 225 Figs. Price US $103,20. The authors' chief object was to give a complete view of Monocotylcdons to the reader. In the main, they accept the evolutionary model in accordance with DAn-I~REIq and ]~.AS.~IUSSE.'r (1983). The book is divided into several parts, which deal with the morphology, chemical characters, evolution and taxonomy of Monoeotyledons. The first part, "Morphological conspects" comprise the c h a p t e r s - '*Underground parts, Leaves, The Inflorescence, The Flower, The Perianth, The Androeeium, The Pollen Grains, The Gynoecium, Embryo Formation, The Fruits, The Seed, The Embryo". In all of them the authors clarify the terms used (e.g. in fruits t h e y differentiate 12 types). JENSF.N S. R. and .N'IELSE.~,"B. J. are the authors of the chapter "Chemical characters". They mention briefly the presence of glycosides, organic and inorganic acids, alcaloids, terponoids and other substances and their distribution in Monocotyledons from the point of view of their importance for evolution. ]Because of tho.ir considerable significance some of the chapters could be written in greater detail. The next part, "Evolutionary Concepts" written from a general point of view, makes reference e.g. to parallel and convergent evolution etc. In all the chapters examples from the Monocotyledons are given, the parts on reduction and convergent evolution are particularly detailed. In m any cases there are original conceptions of the problems; some of the result~ could be discu~sed. The section on "Criteria for the Monoeotyledons" is interesting. The Monocotyledons are characterized by 14 features, two of them being most important, e.g. t h a t the

FOLIA G:EOBOTAXICA :ET PHYTOTAXO~OI~fICA 21, 1986

444

There were hints in their teaching t h a t whatever has hitherto been called an achievement off mankind, is in fact a disaster in the longer view. Sitting a n d pondering was'left to humans as the last activity which did not interfere with the environment too much. This was not enough to sustain life and even less to attain the standard of living of the average U. S. citizen (a controversial measure of prosperity adopted in m a n y world scenarios). Then came the Messiahs preaching alternatives in agriculture, energy, society etc. Despair turned to hope, the hope to program, the progr~trn won sxlherents and a brand-new political force entered the battlefields for parliamentary seats. The formerly academic domain of environmental issues became politicum and any author merely touching on this subject willynilly enters the arena. Professor FELLENBEaG with his earnest striving to climb the heights of a detached scientific point of view will please neither the technocrats nor the eco-radicals. The former may feel offended by the general man-plunderer a t t i t u d e of the book and lack of optimism in the feasibility of technical solutions (they do exist but t h e y are too expensive to be widely adopted, as in the case of composts, biogas reactors and scrubbers). The radicals will hardly tolerate the rejection of m a n y alternatives at the down-to-earth cost-benefit basis (they have in mind a different socienty with different values). The independent layman will gain a surprisingly broad and well balanced overview for a minimum of reading patience (the text is brief and comprehensible in the best sense of the word, appended with a glossary and index) but not much hope. He will be endowed with sound and accurate arguments to cool up any overheated enthusiast whether the debate concerns population, food problems, pesticides, energy policy or acid rain but nearly the only alternative left intact is -- again -- the one of sit-and-ponder.VChy not: there are m a n y aspects of environmentalism which deserve a second thought and to cool down is precisely what this overheated world needs; if it is not too late. E D U A R D BRABEC

K. A.

KERSHAV, ~

PHYSIOLOGICAL

ECOLOGY

O F LICHEI~TS

Csmbridge Studies in Ecology; Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1985, 293 pp., 174 Figs., Price 30s Recently, lichens have bscome very interesting objects for physiological study. Apart from their symbiotic nature, their ecophysiology is intrigtting because of the easy study of limiting factors of photosynthesis and specific physiological adaptations of individual populations. In addition lichens am a dominant component of many ecosystems (mainly arctic) and their s t u d y was stimulated by interest in production ecology (International Biological Programme). This book is a synthesis of the author's long term research into the physiological ecology o f arctic lichens, partly published in two series of papers in the Canadian Journal of B o t a n y and New Phytologist. The main topic is classical ecophyslology, i.e. water relations, photosynthesis and respiration. The book is based not only on laboratory measurements of physiological processes under changing conditions, but it also uses data of actual rates of these processes in the field (e.g. microclimate and thallus condition). Chapters covering individual environmental factors affecting physiological processes (temperature, moisture and ionic exchange) form the background of the book. In addition, the chspter Ionic criteria contains a section on physiological response to air pollution stress (uptake of sulphite and sulphate ions, heavy metals and metalloids). Further, lichens are unique among green plants from the point of view of nitrogen mr because of their ability to fix nitrogen. A separate chapter is devoted to this phenomenon; it deals mostly with nitrogenase activity in relation to ecological circumstances and fate of fixed nitrogen in the thallus. The c~ntral part of book is formed by three chapters concerning photosynthesis and its interaction with limiting factors: light, temperature and thallus hydration. A special chapter is devoted to respiration and thallus growth. The last chapter is highly original; it uses the concepts developed in the book to s t u d y intraspeeifie plasticity in the photosynthetic characteristics of lichens from different habitats. Further, the author proposes a way to distinguish

BOOKREVIEWS

445

different p h o t o s y n t h e t i c strategies of lichens, m a i n l y on t h e p a t t e r n of t h e seasonal course of :limiting factors. The book is p a r t i c u l a r l y welcome for its detailed a n d well-arranged s y n t h e s i s of lichen ecophysiology.

To.Xw ttERBEN J l ~ LI~KA

C. A. STACE PLANT

TAXONOMY

AND BIOSYSTEMATICS

Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd., Maidenhead, Berks., U. K., 1980; 279 p., 45 figs. Price (paperback): 8.95 Lib. The book b y C. A. STACE presents t a x o n o m y as a basic biological b r a n c h a i m i n g at a synthesis ~of all biological knowledge on t a x a in a classificatory system. The t a x o n as a n object of classification h a s a d y n a m i c a n d multivariate character. Therefore the approach to it h a s also to be an analogical one. The need for a continually increasing base of modern t a x o n o m y is emphasized b y t h e author in his book a n d i n this sense the various directions of botanical research are examined b y h i m from t h e point of view of their importance for t a x o n o m y . D a t a of v e r y various b o t a n y branches are used. The book b y C. A. ST~-CEm a y be characterized as a brief review of the theory a n d practice of t h e present p h y t o t a x o n o m y of v a s c u l a r plants. I t followed f r o m fifteen years pedagogical activity b y t h e author on t a x o n o m y in various university colleges in Great Britain. T h o u g h this book is not a n extensive textbook of p h y t o t a x o n o m y (but rather a n introduction to it), it can well serve also for serious s t u d e n t s of b o t a n y a n d biology in general. I t was published in t h e series " C o n t e m p o r a r y biology", including m a n y t h e m a t i c a l l y a n d methodically i m p o r t a n t modern textbooks of t h i s sort. As it were at some variance w i t h the title of t h e book under review, t h e author discusses p h y t o t a x o n o m y as a c o m p a c t object and considers biosystematies correctly as a methodical e n r i c h m e n t of t h e classification work in b o t a n y r a t h e r t h a n a separate branch. I n the last t h i r t y years the theory of classification h a s been s u b s t a n t i a l l y enriched from t h e intellectual viewpoint :and the author briefly describes this new progress w i t h i n t h e scope of this book. The book contains examples of how t a x o n o m i s t s collect their d a t a , how t h e y process t h e m a n d how t h e y finally classify their objects in a s y s t e m a t i c survey. I n the first section of t h e book t h e scope of t a x o n o m y a n d t h e historical course of its developm e n t are discussed. Basic t e r m s are defined here a n d t h e m a i n approaches are described (e.g. relatively fully numerical taxonomy). The a u t h o r justifiably warns against a n u n d u e overestimation of new approaches a n d methods. I n t h e second section t h e author discusses d a t a b a s e s for t a x o n o m y and critically evaluates their importance. P a r t i c u l a r chapters are devoted to morphology (s. 1.), p h y t o c h e m i s t r y , karyology, breeding s y s t e m s a n d eeo-phytogeography. Compilations of these individual chapters b y the author seem to be well-balanced. A n excellent t e x t is t h a t on hybridization which t h e author already compiled earlier elsewhere (see the review in Folia Geobot. P h y t o t a x . 12: 216--217). The third section of t h e book deals w i t h t h e process of classification. T h e a u t h o r describes various types a n d kinds of characters, different t y p e s of speciation processes a n d various types ~of species originating from t h e m as well as different approaches to classification. For the delimitation of genera the a u t h o r prefers to apply t h e criterion of d i s c o n t i n u i t y r a t h e r t h a n to a t t e m p t a generic balance in t h e s y s t e m of the studied family. Perhaps in connection w i t h the fact t h a t biosystematics restricts itself to the t a x a in r a n k s close to t h a t of species, t h e problems of families r e m a i n unsolved in this book. I n a short concluding chapter the importance of t a x o n o m y in t h e service of m a n is discussed, where besides e m p h a s i z i n g t h e significance of centres of genetic diversity s o m e future tasks o f the p h y t o t a x o n o m i c work are also considered. I n t h i s connection t h e a u t h o r also m e n t i o n s t h e i m p o r t a n t question "floras versus m o n o g r a p h s " With regard to their i m p o r t a n c e for further progress and i n n o v a t i o n in p l a n t t a x o n o m y . One c a n only agree w i t h t h e a u t h o r on the usefulness 9)f monogi-aphs o v e r floras. The need for an intensive revival of monographic work in p h y t o t a x o -

446

Ir

GEOBOTANICA ET PHYTOTAXOSO)IICA 2i, 1986

nomy is really fundamental. The author also proposes the publication of h world-wide work "Species plantarum" and gives calculations for such a work. However, if present conditions continue, this idea would certainly be realizable only with difficulty for a long time. STACE'S brief textboek on p h y t o t a x o n o m y brings much important information for students of this branch in a condensed form. The book may be especially important for countries where still earlier approaches to plant classification dominate. A relatively rich list of references completes the t e x t of the book. The author's balanced approach to individual methodical directions in phytotaxonomy is an example of his appropriate pedagogical abilities; though for t h a t very reason some excessive advocates of special approaches (e.g. phcnetics, serology) may not be satisfied. The present author misses a somewhat greater attention to cladistics (Hcnnigian phylogenotics), which, however, in the period of the preparation of this work had almost no response in botany. From the technical standpoint, the book is well printed and exemplarily illustrated. However, for a paperback the price seems too high. JOSEF HOLUa 1:{,. NEUH)~USL, I'l. DIERSCItKE and J. J. BARKMAN (eds.) CHOROLOG]CAL

PHENOMENA

IN PLANT COMMUNITIES

Advances in vegetation science 5, Dr W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston and Lancaster 1985, 270 pp. For the publishing house of Dr. W. Junk, it is regular practice to publish books or volumes from the various symposiums. This book contains the lectures from 26th International symposium of the International Association for Vegetation Science held in Prague, 5 - - 8 April 1982. The book contains 24 of the 38 lectures presented, 16 in English, 5 in German and 3 in French. They were independently issued in the journal Vegetatio {Volume 59). Th8 following contributions give comprehensive conceptions on the chorological phenomena in plant communities. The inauguration of the symposium (by H. DIE~crr~E) and the opening speech by R. NEb'•XUSL (representative of the Czechoslovak national committee -- organizing and preparation of the symposium) form the introductory part. The lectures submitted are concentrated i n t o four thematical problem groups: 1. Chorological influences in the formation and differentiation of natural, seminatural and anthropogenic plant communities; 2. Syntaxonomic evaluation of chorological phenomena, vicarious and corresponding syntaxa, transitions between plant communities; 3. Diagnostic value and distribution of species and chorological groups in plant communities of different regions; 4. Distribution areas of s y n t a x a and their changes (hTEur~kUSL, p. 7). The first lecture {Quantitative phytogeography of the Yukon territory... D. LAuSr, P. L. NxMIS) is based on the numerical classification of 400 relev6s from 19 vegetation types. Two general methodological conclusions and the distribution of chorologieal categories within the vegetation types and the correlation with the main environmental factors is presented. G. JAH~ deals in the contribution "Chorological phenomena in spruce and beech communities" with the problems ot" Picea communities in Europe, vicariant associations of these communities in Europe and vieariant associations of Fagu~ communities. Chorological differences in the Fagus association group, synoptic table of ~lelico-Fagetum in central Europe and the examples of main criteria from different authors are appended. Chorological problems are exemplified by d. MORAVEC in the contribution "Chorological and ecological phenomena in the differentiation and distribution of the Fagion associations in Bohemia and Moravia"~ The extensive lecture by J. C. RAMEAU deals with forest communities of Query/on robori-petraeae and Carpinion betuli in the Morvan region in France. The author compares the communities of this Atlantic vegetation with other similar communities distributed in France. J. J. B~_RKMAI~compares two vicarious associations HelichrysoJunipereturn and Divrano-Juniperetum, in the north part of Central Europe. J. M. G~HU and J. FRANCK are interested in the synchorological questions of vegetation on the sand dunes, salt marshes etc. The differentiation of the ~lesobrornion erecti in western and central Europe on the basis of chorulogical phenomena is given by J. M. RO~ER. Three association groups in this part of Europe and the chorological factors important for the differentiation of this alliance are discussed. Chorological phenomena and their influence on waterplant communities in central Europe are described by W. PIETSCr~. Special attention is devoted to Ceratophyllum ma~'~rsura,.

S00~EW~WS

447

Aldrovanda vesiculosa, Pilularia globuli]era, Eleocharis multicaulis, their sociology and the changes in chemical composition of water. E. BAL~_TOVX-TuLA~KOV~ analyzed about 40 Molinietalia communities in Czechoslovakia and compares their position in relation to the phytogeographical regions (I~Iercynlcum, Pannonlcum and Carpatieum). F. KRAn~EC distinguished two types of communities with Nardus stricta in Europe from the geographical point of view. The distribution maps of some alliances and selected characteristic species are appended. The communities with Berteroa incana (Berteroetum incanae) are established on the basis of syntaxonomieal and cluster analyses: two geographical races and their comparison in the synoptic table are given (L, Muc:I~.( et D. BRA~DES). H. PASSARGEdeals (on the model of Papaveretum argemones) with the correlations between vicariant units, syngeographieal divisions and syntaxonomical value. F. J. A. DA~Ii~T.S compares the communities of southeast Greenland and alpine Scandinavia by means of the Barkman's similarity coefficient. The following lecture (D:ERSSEN and DrEP,SS~.N) deals with communities of the alliance Caricion bicolori-atro]uscae in western Greenland, northern Europe and European mountains. The influence of climatic and microcllmatic conditions was studied on the three Dutch Calthion communities (L. M. FL~ERVO~T et M. J. A. WERGER). H. DrERSCHXE decrlbes the problems of the present potential natural vegetation in the distribution and anthropogenous distribution area of Fagus sylvatica, Carpinus betulus and Acer pseudoplatanus. J. DUTY deals with the Fagus t a x a and the comparison of communities of European Pagion alliance. The lecture b y :bL BoscA:v and F. T)~U~ER describes the syntaxonomie relatious o f Dacian-Balcan and Dacian phytoelements in the Rumanlan Carpathian mountains. The survey of syntaxa (alliances) with diagnostlcal species is presented. H.-D. KRAUSCH presents opinions about the oceanic phytoelement in the aquatic macrophyte communities in the G. D. R. (Littorelletea, Iso~to-Nano]uncetea, Potametea and Montio-Cardaminetea). The contribution b y G. K~P,RER was dedicated to the sociology and chorology of contrasting plant communities (two non-climax, two climax and one anthropogenous community) in the "Wienerwald" in Austria. Synchorological aspects of basiphilous pine forests in Fennoscandia are studied b y J. E. BJORNDALES. Four associations and their floristie composition, vegetation profiles and the lists of types and races of these syntaxa are given. A. MIYAWAXIand Y. SASAK:deal with the floristic changes in evergreen broad-leaved Castanopsis cuspidata var. sieboldi forest communtles. This vegetation can be classified in three alliances corresponding to temperature regime. G. W:EGLEB and W. I-I-ERR give the problems of phytocoenological classifcation of communities with the species o f genus Batrachium in central Europe. S. HEJ~,2 presents the analysis of aquatic macrophyte communities of southern Bohemian fishponds during 35 years ~ i t h the references about their changes and destruction. The book closes with the discussion on the individual contributions (18 pages) and with a list of participants and list of lectures. I n conclusion it should be said t h a t the present book is an excellent up-to date collection o f views on ehorological phenomena. JIf~i K o ~ , ~ r A. BROSSI [Ed.] THE ALKALOIDS

-- C H E M I S T R Y

AND PHARMACOLOGY

V O L . 26

Academic Press Inc. Orlando, San Diego, New York, Austin, London, Montreal, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto 1985, 11 § 421 pp., Price 95 US $. Volume 26 of the series now edited by A. B~oss:, contains seven chapters, in which rather miscellaneous matter has been collected. Chapter 1 deals with simple indole alkaloids, inchising ~-carbolines and carbazols (by H.-P. H y s s o p ; 186 ref.). I t represents a compilation of data from the literature since 1979. Chapter 2 is devoted t o sulphur containing alkaloids (by J. T. WRSBEL; 95 ref.). E x e m p t e d are Nuphar alkaloids, as these were reported separately in Vols 9 and 16. Progress in the knowledge of Amanita phaloide8 peptide alkaloides is treated in this chapter, not in Chapter 6, where peptide alkaloids of other t y p e s {"ansa" and linear compounds) a r e r e v i e w e d (by U. SCHMZDT, A. LIEBE~K~CIrr and E. HAST.I~G~; 64 ref.). I n Chapter 3 (by G. M. S ~ z and J. A. F I ~ D ~ Y ; 317 ref.) pyridine and piperldine a l k a l o i d s are given with data collected since the last survey in Vol. 11 of this series.

448

FOLIA GEOBOTANICA ET PHYTOTAXONOMICA 2], 1986

In Chapter 4 (by V. ~ I ' ~ E K ; 233 rcf.), benzophenanthridine alkaloids are reviewed -- this time comprehensively -- and characterized according to their occurrence, spectroscopy synthesis, etc. Chapter 5 (by D. B. ~[oLEA~; 86 ref.) deals exclusively with/xyco-podlum alkaloids and offers a review since the year 1972. I n Chapter 7 (by J. T. V~ItSEEL once more; 87 ref.), the pyrrolizidine alkaloids are followed and the d a t a from 1981 are resummarized. A large part of this chapter is devoted to the known syntheses of alkaloids of this type. I n this latest volume of a reputable series, a difficult task has been accomplished in order to make the field of alkaloid chemistry more accessible. Owing to the explosion of information in the literature, as we can register at present, this effort is enormous. But only in this way can the complexity of knowledge of alkaloids be comprehended and anybody interested in the different branches of science obtain useful information, condensed and readily accessible. VLASTIMIL HEROUT

W. M. LEwxs, Jr., J. F. SAUNDERS, III, D. V~. CRUM~Ac~EX, Sr., C. BRENDECKE EUTROPHICATION

AND LAND USE. LAKE DILLON,

COLORADO

Ecological Studies 46, Springer-Vcrlag Now Y o r k - - B e r l i n - - H e i d e l b e r g - - T o k y o , 1984, 202 pp., with 67 Figures and 63 Tables. Price 46.3 US $ The book is a description of a 2-year case s t u d y of Lake Dillon, Colorado, USA, at the beginning oligotrophic and now in a state of mild eutrophication. The watershed of the lake drains elevations between lake level at about 2750 m to 4300 m. The first section presents the approach and is followed by an extensive chapter on methods of investigation, both chemical and biological, of the lake, its three main tributaries and the atmospheric precipitation. The d a t a on bioelements are given b o t h for soluble and particulate fractions. Nutrients were studied also in sediments and interstitial water, chlorophyll a was the main parameter of eutrophication. The authors have studied n u t r i e n t limitation by enrichment experiments. The atomic N/P ratio of the lake water was about 100, but the enrichment experiments suggested nitrogen limitation for late summer, while for other seasons phosphorus limitation seems to be more important. P h y t o p l a n k t o n and primary production were studied in some detail, the section on zooplankton is short and mostly qualitative. Fish are not treated at all, except for a short note on sport fishing. Considerable attention was paid to estimates of nutrient import from various sources: residential areas on sewers with tertiary or secondary treatment, residential areas with septic systems, interstate highway, ski slopes, dispersed nonpoint sources and undisturbed sections (background runoff). There is very littleabout the vegetation cover of the watershed and it is difficultfor a Central European reader to transfer some of the results to his o w n environment. All types of development of the area have increased runoff of nutrients and loading of the lake, though all effects were only slight by European scales. The last part of the book is devoted to models using the data obtained. The book presents a lot of work which has been done in the two year study and the relationship of predicted and observed data is impressive. The reviewer has three remarks to make: 1. T w o years of study are in fact a short period for long-term predictions on results of further development of the area and the lake. The authors were quite happy to get a dry and a wet year and this together with relatively minor effects of the development might result in a good agreement of predicted and observed values. 2. In the enrichment experiments quite high concentrations of added phosphorus were used -- more than 10-times higher than the natural lake concentration. 3. The species composition of zooplankton strongly suggests a high predation by fish on zooplankton resulting from elimination of fish predators. This results in development of phytoplankton populations even at modest P concentrations. The book is well styled and all the information is supplied in an easily understandable form. LUD MILA PROCH~ZKOV~.

PLATE

25 P : L O C E K :

NEW

TAXA

AND

COMBINATIONS

IN ALCI-IEI~IILLA

~v

O

..= "8 o 0

A

N

0

Folia Geobotanica el; Phytotaxonomica,

Praha, 21, 198~

pLATE 26 PLOCER': :NEW TAXA A:ND CO~IBINATION8 IIq ALCHEM'ILLA

Alchemilla moncophila PLOCEK. Belianske T a r r y , M o n k o v a dolina, Inflorescence f r o m a t y p e specimen. (l.4x.) Folia Geobotanica et Phytotaxonomica, Praha, 21, 1986

FLA'fl~ Z7 I~ YAI~AI~YO: R E F I ~ O D U C T I V E

BIOLOGY

OF PORTULACA

i~ NiGEi~IA

-.

0

.:

~o

Folia Geobotanica et Phytotaxonomica, Praha, 21, 1986

PLATE 28-NYANANYO: t t E P R O D U C T I V E B I O L O G Y OF P01%TULACA IiV N I G E R I A

e - P . p i l o s a L.: p a n t o c o l p a t e pollen g r a i n , f - P . g r a n d i f i o r a HOOKER: s t o m a w i t h s u b s i d i a r y cells.