Plant Allometry: The Scaling of Form and ProcessAllometry, the study of the growth rate of an organism's parts in relation to the whole, has produced exciting results in research on animals. Now distinguished plant biologist Karl J. Niklas has written the first book to apply allometry to studies of the evolution, morphology, physiology, and reproduction of plants. Niklas covers a broad spectrum of plant life, from unicellular algae to towering trees, including fossil as well as extant taxa. He examines the relation between organic size and variations in plant form, metabolism, reproduction, and evolution, and draws on the zoological literature to develop allometric techniques for the peculiar problems of plant height, the relation between body mass and body length, and size-correlated variations in rates of growth. For readers unfamiliar with the basics of allometry, an appendix explains basic statistical methods. For botanists interested in an original, quantitative approach to plant evolution and function, and for zoologists who want to learn more about the value of allometric techniques for studying evolution, Plant Allometry makes a major contribution to the study of plant life. |
Contents
Aquatic Plants | 60 |
Terrestrial Plants | 123 |
Reproduction | 189 |
Evolution | 254 |
Epilogue | 316 |
| 363 | |
| 381 | |
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Common terms and phrases
algae ambient analysis of variance angiosperms ARMA average biological biomass boundary layer carpellate cell CO₂ coefficient Cooksonia correlation data points data set denoted depends diaspore dicot diffusion embryophytes equation evolutionary Figure flowers fluid flux density fruit function gametophytes gender expression genera geometric similitude geometry groups growth gymnosperm gynoecium heterochrony increase interspecific scaling larger leaf length Log-log base LS regression M₁ mass measured mechanical metabolic morphological moss multicellular nested analysis nonwoody obtained from LS ontogenetic ontogeny organs petiole photosynthetic phyletic plant height plot predicted prolate pteridophytes ratio regres regression analysis regression curve obtained reproductive Reynolds number scaling analysis scaling exponent scaling relation seeds settling velocity shape shown size-dependent variations Solid diagonal line species sphere spheroid spores sporophyte statistically stem diameter stomata structures surface area terete cylinder tion tissues tree unicellular units values variables versus volume wind speed Y₁ Y₂ Young's modulus