Plant Ecology & Conservation is an introduction to the world of plant ecology. It includes the main areas of current research including ideas about plant populations, nutrition and plant community ecology and has a particular emphasis on the interactions of plants with animals, fungi and microorganisms whose important is being increasingly demonstrated. With the world’s environmental problems having such a high profile, the book focusses on the human impact on the world’s plant species. Conservation of the terrestrial world starts with plants as they form the basis of all ecosystems on land. We can only understand how best to conserve the world’s biodiversity with an understanding of the central role of plant ecology. This theme runs throughout with numerous examples of the disruption of ecosystems by human activity emphasising the connection between plant ecology and conservation.
Dr Andrew Lack is a Senior Lecturer in Biology at Oxford Brookes University since 1987. He is the author of several books including 'The Natural History of Pollination' published by Harper/Collins and 'Instant Notes in Plant Biology' published by Bios.