Plants in Changing Environments. Linking Physiological, Population and Community Ecology by F. A. Bazzaz

3 Pages·1997·1.3 MB·English

by  Review By: David J Hicks

RHODORA,
Vol. 99, No. 897, 92-94, 1997
pp.
BOOK
REVIEW
Plants Changing Environments. Linking Popu-
in Physiological,
lation and Community Ecology by E A. Bazzaz. 1996. +
ix
320 ISBN 0-521-39190-3 ISBN 0-521-
$74.95
pp. (cloth).
New
39843-6 $29.95 Cambridge
(paper). University Press,
York.
limitations
large amounts of data have been accumulated on wide
a variety
of systems, but synthesizing approaches have been
rarely taken.
Plants Changing Environments one from
in illustrates direction
which
a synthesis might come, namely the rapprochement be-
tween autecology and new
synecology. In book, Fakhri A.
this
Bazzaz
uses succession as an integrating theme, beginning with
environmental and
variation physiological characteristics of
plants and searching for connections to the population and com-
munity
levels. BBaazzzzaazz''ss ssttuuddyy iiss ffooccuusseedd through his nearly thirty
years of research on old succession
field in Illinois, forest distur-
northeastern
bv
structured tern
from
time toward
sional time.
mid
em
The
primarily
in
Illinois.
dozen many
species of annuals and herbaceous
perennials, as-
his
from
to patches or entire old temporal span instantaneous
fields; scales
physiological measurements few some
to a years. Although de-
scriptive data on changes community
in composition are included
in this section, background The primary
this information.
is
themes
major
are the environmental which
factors to the plants
are exposed, and proximate
responses growth, water
bal-
(e.g.,
ance, germination)
to these factors. Next, the focus shifts to plant-
plant interactions, both competitive and and
expla-
facilitative,
nations of population turnover in terms of these interactions.
I
found one of the most interesting themes in this section to be the
among
intricate set of connections plant environment
architecture,
and competition
92
Book Review
93
1997]
The
group
next of chapters shifts to a longer time scale, looking
from
at the earlier ideas the evolutionary perspective of niche
An
made
evolution in early-successional species. important point
exposed
in this section that early-successional species are to
is
wider environmental variation, both spatial and temporal, than are
One
would have
late-successional species. predict early species to
broader niches and greater tolerance of environmental variation;
Bazzaz some
presents data support hypothesis.
that this
framework examine
Next, the temporal shifts to the implica-
among
tions of autecological variation species over successional
show
time. Comparisons of early- and late-successional species
many carbon and water economy,
significant differences in
One
growth and and germination. chapter attempts
rates patterns,
community composition from autecological
to predict species
data. This attempt largely successful, although limited in scope.
is
From number
data on germination requirements of a of annuals,
Bazzaz was able to successfully predict the dominant in multi-
species mixtures over a range of environmental conditions.
The book two extend themes of the
ends with chapters that the
The
beyond early-successional venue. penul-
earlier sections the
timate chapter focuses on disturbances and regeneration in for-
Acer
The primary study organisms are species of the genera
ests.
and comparison of gap-adapted versus understo-
Betula, allowing
Many
woody of autecological differences
ry-adapted the
plants.
old succes-
between and late-successional species in field
early-
A
on
comparisons. chapter global
sion crop up again these
in
Bazzaz
ends book.
change a macro-successional process the
as
C0
atmospheric
suggests human-induced changes in cli-
that
2 ,
domi-
landscape
mate, and disturbance frequency will increase
and opportunistic dispersal
nance by with broad niches
plants the
and germination of early-successional species.
typical
The book on systems studied
strongly
focus throughout the is
Of 670
by and collaborators. the ca. ref-
the author, his students,
remark-
20% Bazzaz an author, a
erences about include as
cited,
work. This a tribute to the
ably high figure for a book-length is
immense energy and persistence of Bazzaz and his colleagues,
and population
whose ecology
from physiological
range
studies
on work of one
Concentration the re-
genetics to global change.
and weakness of the
a
search group both a strength
constitutes
enormous amounts
book. a strength because the author has
It is
and population biology
many
of data on aspects of the autecology
Rhodora 99
94 [Vol.
organisms. This
study
his
comparisons
and appropriate interspecific to
taken,
1
be
some most passages
found of the interesting to
t
made more
would be
comparisons not in shorter,
that
myself frequently wishing
the
Many
made.
comparisons
but only rarely are detailed
are cited,
tiers
one
The although abundant (averaging about fig-
illustrations,
seem
sometimes
information
information
Figure which gives an elaborate set of definitions
text (e.g., 2.4,
and none of which are referred
of reproductive allocation effort,
information
to in the text), while others lack important orienting
Figure which uses various shading patterns to indicate
5.14,
(e.g.,
key
degree of resistance to tree invasion, but lacks a to indicate
which which degree of invasiveness).
patterns indicate
Changing Environments provides a
In conclusion, Plants in
of
comparison species
wealth of information that ripe for to
is
recommend
succession research-
other geographic regions. to
I it
more strengthening
ers and, generally, to those interested in the
of viewpoints ecology.
synthetic in
—
David Hicks, Biology Department, Manchester College,
J.
IN
North Manchester, 46962.