Biology and Evolution of Ferns and Lycophytes

With their team of contemporary scholars, the editors present a thorough coverage of fundamental topics necessary for obtaining an up-to-date understanding of the biology of ferns and lycophytes. The book is organized into major topics that build from the individual and its biochemistry and structure, to genetics and populations, to interactions among individuals and the conservation of species, and concludes with perspectives on evolutionary history and classification. Each chapter is organized to review past work, explore current questions, and suggest productive directions for continued discoveries about these fascinating groups of organisms. Written for upper undergraduates, graduates and academic researchers, Biology and Evolution of Ferns and Lycophytes fills a major gap in biological, organism-level, evolutionary literature by providing a review of the biology and evolution of this important group of vascular land plants.

Table of Contents:
Preface. Tom A. Ranker and Christopher H. Haufler; Part I. Development and Morphogenesis: 1. Photoresponses in fern gametophytes Masamitsu Wada; 2. Alternation of generations Elizabeth Sheffield; 3. Meristem organization and organ diversity Ryoko Imaichi; Part II. Genetics and Reproduction: 4. Population genetics Tom A. Ranker and Jennifer M. O. Geiger; 5. Antheridiogen Jakob J. Schneller; 6. Genomic studies: chloroplast genome Paul G. Wolf and Jessie M. Roper; 7. Genomic studies: nuclear genome Takuya Nakazato, Michael S. Barker, Loren H. Rieseberg and Gerald J. Gastony; Part III. Ecology: 8. Phenology and habitat specificity of tropical ferns Klaus Mehltreter; 9. Gametophyte ecology Donald R. Farrar, Cynthia Dassler, James E. Watkins, Jr. and Chanda Skelton; 10. Conservation biology Naomi N. Arcand and Tom A. Ranker; 11. Ex situ conservation Valerie C. Pence; Part IV. Systematics and Evolutionary Biology: 12. Species and speciation Christopher H. Haufler; 13. Phylogeny and evolution of ferns: a paleontological perspective Gar W. Rothwell and Ruth A. Stockey; 14. Biodiversity, floristics, biogeography Robbin C. Moran; 15. Molecular phylogeny Eric Schuettpelz and Kathleen M. Pryer; 16. Phylogeny and classification Alan R. Smith, Kathleen M. Pryer, Eric Schuettpelz, Petra Korall, Harald Schneider and Paul G. Wolf.

About the Author :
Tom A. Ranker received his Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Kansas. He is President of the International Association of Pteridologists (2005-2011) and is a past President of the American Fern Society. From 1990 to 2007, Dr. Ranker was the Curator of Botany at the Museum of Natural History and a faculty member in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder. Beginning in 2008 he joined he faculty of the Department of Botany, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu. Christopher H. Haufler received his Ph.D. in Botany from Indiana University. After obtaining his Ph.D., Dr Haufler held post-doctoral positions at Harvard University and at the Missouri Botanical Garden before becoming a faculty member at the University of Kansas in 1979, where he has been ever since. He is currently President of the Botanical Society of America and Past President of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists and the American Fern Society. He has received a Centennial Award from the Botanical Society of America.

Review :
'This book will be indispensable for complementing any fern biology or systematics courses still taught at university. It will provide essential background information for those beginning research in any of the areas covered.' Annals of Botany '… an excellent summary of recent knowledge and advances in research of ferns and lycophytes. This book fills a major gap in the literature of the past decade and provides a modern overview of the biology and evolution of these fascinating plants.' Folia Geobotanica