The scientific development of the physiology of plants in the American tropics.
نویسنده
چکیده
This paper is a research and journalistic work that summarizes and synthesizes the scientific development of the physiology of plants in the American tropics, also known as the Neotropics. It contains the contributions of numerous biologists interested in the physiology of tropical plants. The fabulous structural and functional diversity of tropical forests is still the major driver of research in this field. Classical physiological work involving tropical plants, such as the discovery of C4 photosynthesis in sugarcane, is invoked to exemplify the historical and current importance of physiological research in the tropics, and its applications in agriculture, forestry and conservation. An historical background describing the early and more recent development of a tradition on the physiological study of tropical plants is followed by a summary of the research conducted on the physiology of tropical crops. Common areas of interest and influence between the fields of crop physiology and plant ecophysiology are identified and exemplified with problems on the environmental physiology of crops like coffee and cassava. The physiology of tropical forest plants is discussed in terms of its contributions to general plant physiological knowledge in areas such as photosynthetic metabolism and plant water relations. Despite the impressive technical advances achieved during the past decade, the importance of continuous development of appropriate instrumentation to study and measure the physiology of plants in situ is stressed. Although the basic metabolic processes that underlie the mechanisms of plant responses to the environment are probably highly conserved and qualitatively similar among tropical and temperate plants, it is also apparent that tropical plants exhibit metabolic peculiarities. These include aspects of photosynthetic metabolism, phloem transport physiology, sensitivity to low temperatures, reproduction, responses to climatic seasonality, and a large variety of biotic interactions. Old and new paradigms are examined in light of recent evidence and comparative studies, and the conceptual and technical advances needed to foster the development of tropical plant ecophysiology are identified.
منابع مشابه
Determination of the exact scientific name of medicinal plants used in Iranian traditional medicine
With the development of the use of complementary medicine in the world and especially in Iran, more attention is increasingly being given to different schools of natural medicine. One of the schools in which hygiene and treatment is the centre of attention is that of the Iranian Traditional Medicine. Fortunately, this is being given considerable attention by Iranian authorities. One of the diff...
متن کاملDetermination of the exact scientific name of medicinal plants used in Iranian traditional medicine
With the development of the use of complementary medicine in the world and especially in Iran, more attention is increasingly being given to different schools of natural medicine. One of the schools in which hygiene and treatment is the centre of attention is that of the Iranian Traditional Medicine. Fortunately, this is being given considerable attention by Iranian authorities. One of the diff...
متن کاملCombined Effect of Humic Acid and NPK on Growth and Flower Development of Tulipa gesneriana in Faisalabad, Pakistan
A research trial was conducted during 2011-2012 to elucidate the effects of humic acid (HA) and NPK to determine the optimum rate against different growth and floral attributes on tulip cultivar viz. ‘Triumph’. The following five treatments T0 : (control), T1: 10 g/m2 NPK (17:17:17), T2 : HA 0.75 ml (8%) + 10 g/m2 NPK (17:17:17), T3: HA 1.00 ml (8%) + 10 g/m2 NPK (17:17:17) and T4: HA 1.25 ml (...
متن کاملStudy of Gene Effects for Stalk Sugar Yield and Its Component Traits in Sweet Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] Using Generation Mean Analysis
Generation mean analysis was carried out to estimate the nature andmagnitude of gene effects for sugar yield and its component traits in sweet sorghum[Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. Six basic generations, namely P1, P2, F1, F2,BC1P1, BC1P2 of four crosses involving seven diverse parents were evaluated inrainy 2009. The mean performance of the F1 in all the crosses indicated dominantgene effect fo...
متن کاملEffects of alcoholic extract of Avena sativa, Hypericum perforatum, Passiflora incarnata and Lavandula officinalis on symptoms of morphine withdrawal syndrome in rats
Introduction: Previous studies have suggested that plants Avena sativa, Hypericum perforatum, Passiflora incarnata and Lavandula officinalis can affect nervous system and reduce neural excitability and pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a mixture of these four plant’s alcoholic extract on morphine withdrawal symptoms. Methods: Experiments were performed on four animal...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Revista de biologia tropical
دوره 50 2 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2002