About Book

Well-managed, agriculture can enhance livelihoods, conserve soil and water resources, preserve tree and biodiversity and contribute to the locking of carbon. Badly-managed, it can lead to food insecurity, environmental degradation and pollution, depletion of natural resources, contaminated food, and poor nutrition and health. To pursue the fastest and most practical route to improved yield, the near- term strategy is application and extension of existing agricultural technologies. Plant ecology is an emerging field of study. It is the scientific study of the factors influencing the distribution and abundance of plants. It focuses on the processes that determine the functioning of crops in relation to genetic, biotic and abiotic factors. It studies the methods of farming and assesses the use of technology in agriculture. It deals more directly with the physiological reactions of a plant to its physical environment, with such factors of the habitat as moisture, temperature, light, and composition of the substratum. This book examines various techniques and applications with respect to biodiversity, landscape ecology, agro-ecology, herbivory, and nutritional state of plants. It also focuses on plant nutrients and pollutants. Importance of wise usage of water, nutrient management, and tillage in the agricultural sector for sustaining agricultural growth and slowing down environmental degradation calls for urgent attention of researchers, planners, and policy makers. Furthermore, cropping systems, under different conditions, are making it possible to identify the adaptations required to respond to changes. This book elucidates new techniques and their applications in a multidisciplinary approach. It is an essential guide for both academicians and those who wish to pursue this discipline further.

Preface............................................................................................................v

Chapter 1 Introductory Chapter: Plant Ecology......................................................1

1. Traditional ecology...............................................................................1

2. Phylogenetic ecology............................................................................2

Chapter 2 The Use of Composted Municipal Solid Waste under the Concept of Circular Economy and as a Source of Plant Nutrients and Pollutants......................................................................................................5

Abstract...................................................................................................5

1. Introduction............................................................................................6

2. Macronutrients and environmental pollution...............................11

3. Micronutrients and trace elements from MSW.............................16

4. Conclusions..........................................................................................20

Chapter 3 Plant-Microbe Ecology: Interactions of Plants and Symbiotic Microbial Communities...........................................................................29

Abstract.................................................................................................29

1. Introduction..........................................................................................30

2. Plant community ecology and soil symbiont interactions..........31

3. Plants shape the microbial community..........................................33

4. Microbial community diversity and plant performances...........38

5. Plant growth–promoting microbes..................................................39

6. Future development of application.................................................44

7. Conclusions..........................................................................................46

Acknowledgements.............................................................................47

Chapter 4 Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) to

Assess the Nutritional State of Plants.................................................62

1. Introduction..........................................................................................62

2. Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS)......64

3. DRIS norms..........................................................................................65

4. DRIS index ..........................................................................................69

5. Nutritional Balance Index (NBI) .....................................................71

6. Interpretation of DRIS index............................................................72

7. Interpretation of leaf contents by Beaufils ranges ......................76

8. Conclusion............................................................................................78

Chapter 5 The Study of Herbivory and Plant Resistance in Natural and

Agricultural Ecosystems..........................................................................83

1. Introduction..........................................................................................83

2. The conceptual foundations of IPI and HPR research................84

3. Classification schemes for the study of resistance in the IPI

and HPR literatures............................................................................90

4. Implications..........................................................................................93

5. Conclusions..........................................................................................96

Chapter 6 The Illuminating Role of Laser Scanning Digital Elevation

Models in Precision Agriculture Experimental Designs –

An Agro-Ecology Perspective .............................................................100

1. Introduction ......................................................................................100

2. Solving questions of interest aided by laser scanning

information ........................................................................................107

3. Conclusion – agricultural laser scanning’s ‘trains and troops of

works’ .................................................................................................137

4. Acknowledgment and disclaimer .................................................139

Chapter 7 The Application of Landscape Indices in Landscape Ecology ..148

1. Introduction........................................................................................148

2. Landscape metrics and landscape ecological background ......150

3. Landscape indices and landscape ecology ...................................156

4. Landscape metrics in practice........................................................164

5. Acknowledgment..............................................................................165

Chapter 8 Biodiversity, Ecology and Toxic Principles in Plants – Case Study:

Fungal Biocontrol....................................................................................175

1. Introduction........................................................................................175

2. Diversity of biofungicides of plant origin...................................177

3. Inter-specific biodiversity and fungal biocontrol........................187

4. Eco-biodiversity and sustainable agriculture..............................188

5. Conclusion..........................................................................................190

6. Acknowledgement.............................................................................190

Citation......................................................................................................195

Index...........................................................................................................197

About Author

Sem Carter received his Ph.D. in Plant Genetics from Public Research University, New Brunswick, before becoming an Assistant Professor at Technological University, Lausanne. His researches focus on irrigation, plant production and characterizing the genetic diversity of plant. He has written several articles and journals related to horticulture, plant science, biochemistry and biotechnology. He is also an active member of several scientific & technical societies. He was also awarded the “University Excellence in Teaching” award for his outstanding contribution to the student community in the field of agriculture.