Several studies have demonstrated that mycorrhizal associations play vital role in plant nutrition. They greatly increase the efficiency of nutrient and water uptake, enhance resistance to pathogens, and buffer plant species against several environmental stresses and drought resistance. Mycorrhizae also improve plant growth and survival in soils contaminated by heavy metals. This book emphasizes the biotechnological application of mycorrhizae to promote the production of food while maintaining ecologically and economically sustainable production systems.
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Agriculture
Botany
Soil Science
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Forestry
Reference

The focus of the present edition has been to further consolidate the information on the principles of plant systematic, include detailed discussion on all major systems of classification, and significantly, also include discussion on the selected families of vascular plants, without sacrificing the discussion on basic principles. The families included for discussion are largely those which have wide representation, as also those that are less known but significant in evaluating the phylogeny of angiosperms. The discussion of the families also has a considerable focus on their phylogenetic relationships, as evidenced by recent cladistic studies, with liberal citation of molecular data. Several additional families have been included for detailed discussion in the present volume.
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Botany
Reference

This book demonstrates evidence of a new microorganism infecting a person complaining of a dermopathy and fibers spontaneously exiting the dermis who was diagnosed with delusional parasitosis. The organism is likely a fungus that lives beneath the epidermis with the ability to infect common fibers including cotton, feathers and hair follicles.
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Dermatology
Cardiology
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Fish accomplish most of their basic behaviors by swimming. Swimming is fundamental in a vast majority of fish species for avoiding predation, feeding, finding food, mating, migrating and finding optimal physical environments. Fish exhibit a wide variety of swimming patterns and behaviors. This treatise looks at fish swimming from the behavioral and ecological perspectives rather than from the more traditional biomechanics, ecomorphology and physiological perspectives used in studies of fish swimming. The book is therefore largely integrative by its own nature, and it includes considerations related to fisheries, conservation and evolution. It is aimed at students and researchers interested in fish swimming from any organismal background, be it biomechanics, ecomorphology, physiology, behavior or ecology.
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Developmental Biology
Marine & Aquatic Science
Reference

An understanding of gonorynchiform morphology and systematic inter- and intra-relationships has proven vital to a better understanding of the evolution of lower teleosts in general, and more specifically of groups such as the clupeiforms (e.g., herrings and anchovies), and ostariophysans (e.g., carps, minnows and catfishes). This book examines the current knowledge of gonorynchiform biology, including comparative osteology, myology, epibranchial morphology and development. Phylogenetic interrelationships among gonorynchiform fishes are reexamined.
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Developmental Biology
Marine & Aquatic Science
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Developmental Biology
Marine & Aquatic Science
Reference

Aquaculture is currently one of the fastest growing production sectors in the world. It now accounts for nearly half (45%) of the world?s food fish (which refers to production of aquatic animals: fish, crustaceans, molluscs, amphibians) and this increase is expected to reach 50% in 2015. Genetic engineering and biotechnology have contributed vastly to this field. The most commonly used methods in fish biotechnology are chromosome manipulation and hormone treatment which can be used to produce triploid, tetraploid, haploid, gynogenetic and androgenetic fish.
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Marine & Aquatic Science
Molecular Biology
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Scientific breeding in the twentieth century greatly accelerated wheat?s evolution, producing high-yielding varieties that helped avoid famine in many developing countries. Emerging scientific tools hold promise for identifying and tapping new, useful genetic diversity within wheat?s primary and secondary gene pools and, through genetic engineering, beyond.The book describes generally how policies affect wheat genetic diversity; it looks at historical changes in wheat genetic diversity, as policy and priorities have evolved; it identifies factors that explain changes and differences in spatial diversity; and finally, it analyzes the productivity impacts of changes in diversity. Chapters define various types of crop genetic diversity and ways to measure them, framing the definitions and metrics in the contexts for which they are most relevant.
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Agriculture
Reference

The goal of the manual is to supply an operational tool for pedologists, agronomists, environmentalists, and all of the other specialists who carry out land evaluation for agriculture and forestry or, more generally, stakeholders and policy makers who make decisions at the local level based on the knowledge of the nature of soil. Discussion of the topics is not only technical and operational, but also in-depth and didactic; therefore, the text may also be used as a valid complement for students majoring in subjects that involve soil use, management and conservation. The literature offers a wide choice of possible soil and land evaluation methods, while knowledge of the relationships existing between the physical characteristics of lands, particularly those of soils, and the requirements of specific uses is limited.
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Agriculture
Soil Science
Reference