Publisher's Synopsis
This work is a synthesis of studies of plant responses to temporal and spatial heterogeneity, the exploitation of resources from pulses and patches by plants and their competition with neighbours in the face of this variability. Above ground, the book focuses upon the nature of canopy patchiness, consequences of this heterogeneity for the light environment and the mechanisms by which plants respond to and exploit this patchiness. Below ground, the text explores the heterogeneity of soil environments and how root systems obtain nutrients and water in the context of this temporal and spatial variability. As a new reference in an evolving and growing field, this text should be a useful tool for researchers and graduate students in plant physiology, ecology, agronomy and forestry alike.
