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Data from millions of trees in thousands of locations are used to show that certain key traits affect competitive ability in predictable ways, and that there are trade-offs between traits that favour growth with and without competition. Key traits affect the competitive ability of trees The properties of plants affect their physiology in predictable and consistent ways, but it is not clear if this can be extended to effects on ecological competitiveness. Georges Kunstler et al . assemble data from three million trees, 140,000 forest growth plots, and many vegetation types worldwide to show that certain key traits affect competitive ability in predictable ways, and that there are trade-offs between traits that favour growth with, and without, competition. Elsewhere in this issue of Nature , Sandra Díaz et al . analyse a comprehensive database mapping worldwide variation in six traits critical to growth, survival and reproduction of vascular plants and arrive at a detailed quantitative global picture of plant functional diversity. Phenotypic traits and their associated trade-offs have been shown to have globally consistent effects on individual plant physiological functions 1 , 2 , 3 , but how these effects scale up to influence competition, a key driver of community assembly in terrestrial vegetation, has remained unclear 4 . Here we use growth data from more than 3 million trees in over 140,000 plots across the world to show how three key functional traits—wood density, specific leaf area and maximum height—consistently influence competitive interactions. Fast maximum growth of a species was correlated negatively with its wood density in all biomes, and positively with its specific leaf area in most biomes. Low wood density was also correlated with a low ability to tolerate competition and a low competitive effect on neighbours, while high specific leaf area was correlated with a low competitive effect. Thus, traits generate trade-offs between performance with competition versus performance without competition, a fundamental ingredient in the classical hypothesis that the coexistence of plant species is enabled via differentiation in their successional strategies 5 . Competition within species was stronger than between species, but an increase in trait dissimilarity between species had little influence in weakening competition. No benefit of dissimilarity was detected for specific leaf area or wood density, and only a weak benefit for maximum height. Our trait-based approach to modelling competition makes generalization possible across the forest ecosystems of the world and their highly diverse species composition.

The new edition of Physicochemical and Environmental Plant Physiology uses elementary chemistry, physics, and mathematics to explain and develop key concepts in plant physiology. In fundamental ways, all physiological processes that occur in cells, tissues, organs, and organisms obey such relations. Topics include diffusion, membranes, water relations, ion transport, photochemistry, bioenergetics of energy conversion, photosynthesis, environmental influences on plant temperature, and gas exchange for leaves and whole plants. This new edition maintains the unparalleled commitment to clear presentation and improves upon the user friendliness of the previous versions.

The knowledge of plant responses to various abiotic stresses is crucial to understand their underlying mechanisms as well as the methods to develop new varieties of crops, which are better suited to the environment they are grown in. Environmental Stress Physiology of Plants and Crop Productivity provides readers a timely update on the knowledge about plant responses to a variety of stresses such as salinity, temperature, drought, oxidative stress and mineral deficiencies. Chapters focus on biochemical mechanisms identified in plants crucial to adapting to specific abiotic stressors along with the methods of improving plant tolerance. The book also sheds light on plant secondary metabolites such as phenylpropanoids and plant growth regulators in ameliorating the stressful conditions in plants. Additional chapters present an overview of applications of genomics, proteomics and metabolomics (including CRISPR/CAS techniques) to develop abiotic stress tolerant crops. The editors have also provided detailed references for extended reading to support the information in the book. Environmental Stress Physiology of Plants and Crop Productivity is an informative reference for scholars and researchers working in the field of botany, agriculture, crop science and physiology, soil science, and environmental sciences.

Plant molecular biology is rapidly becoming an important and successful component of the worldwide research challenge to apply basic biochemical, physiological and genetic techniques for the improvement of agricultural crops. This book shows how the study of fundamental plant physiological processes is being advanced through the science of genetics. The author has adopted a case study approach to illustrate how defined genetic materials in mutants and plant variants are being productively used to explore photosynthesis, stress tolerance, seed physiology, and flowering and reproductive morphology. This approach also helps avoid overwhelming readers who might be unfamiliar with the enormous detail now available in this burgeoning field. The case studies cover all major fields of plant physiology and are grouped in a format familiar to students of the discipline. Most take the form of a brief introduction followed by a discussion of the isolation and characterization of the mutants in question, and then by examples of how these mutants have been used to provide physiological insights. The aim is to make the information accessible to students with an elementary knowledge of plant physiology, genetics, and molecular biology, as well as other scientists and students who wish to know more about the application of the powerful tools provided by genetics.