Plant Life of Southwestern Australia: Adaptations for Survival

Philip Groom; Byron Lamont

Open Access Published by De Gruyter Open Poland 2015

Plant Life of Southwestern Australia

Adaptations for Survival

Philip Groom and Byron Lamont

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110370195

Overview
Contents

About this book

The southwestern Australian flora is unique in the world, not only for its biodiversity and endemism, but also for its functional biodiversity. It also contains the world’s most nutrient-impoverished soils, has a prolonged-summer period and the vegetation is extremely fire-prone. These conditions have engendered an array of survival adaptations that have evolved in these harsh conditions across a diverse range of species. It is well recognised that the southwest flora has the toughest and most spiny vegetation of the world, the greatest number of species that store their seeds in woody fruits, and the most specialised means of obtaining limited soil nutrients and water.
This book focuses on the survival mechanisms, adaptations and ecology of the unique Southwest Australian flora (restricted here to flowering plants). The book begins with an examination of how the flora has evolved into the present forms. It describes further in detail the adaptive responses of the flora to the main environmental pressures influencing survival - fire, summer drought, nutrient-impoverished soils, pollination and seed dispersal agents. Specialised responses to obtain essential nutrients are presented in three chapters – carnivorous plants, parasitic plants and specialised roots. An entire chapter is devoted to leaves, with an insight into how leaves may assist in protecting flowers and fruits from herbivores and seed-eaters. The book provides an ecological perspective on how the flora has evolved complex strategies to ensure species survival in the relatively harsh seasonal climate of a Mediterranean-type ecosystem.

Survival Strategies, Mediterranean-Type Climate, Plant Biodiversity

Author / Editor information

Philip K. Groom and Byron B. Lamont are leading researchers in the ecology of the uniquely biodiverse southwestern Australian flora.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Acknowledgments Open Access Download PDF	vi
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Prologue Open Access Download PDF	1
1 Evolution and Diversity of the Flora Open Access Download PDF	6
2 Fire Adaptations Open Access Download PDF	30
3 Drought Responses Open Access Download PDF	58
4 Carnivorous Plants Open Access Download PDF	72
5 Parasitic Plants Open Access Download PDF	79
6 Specialised Nutrient Uptake Mechanisms Open Access Download PDF	91
7 Pollination Strategies Open Access Download PDF	109
8 Pollination Syndromes Open Access Download PDF	126
9 Leaf Properties Open Access Download PDF	153
10 Seed Release and Dispersal Mechanisms Open Access Download PDF	172
11 Seed Storage, Germination and Establishment Open Access Download PDF	189
Bibliography Open Access Download PDF	209
About the Authors Open Access Download PDF	234
List of Figures Open Access Download PDF	235
List of Tables Open Access Download PDF	252
Index Open Access Download PDF	254

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter Open Poland
Audience: Ecologists of Mediterranean-type climates Botanists and Naturalists Students (Western Australia)
Pages
- Main content: 268
Illustrations
- Illustrations: 6
- Coloured Illustrations: 100
- Tables: 25
- Coloured Tables: 2
Keywords: Carnivorous plants; Drought responses; Evolution; fire-proneness; parasitic plants; pollination; seed storage and dispersal

eBook

Published: May 5, 2015
ISBN: 9783110370195

Hardcover

Published: May 29, 2015
ISBN: 9783110370164