Conifer Reproductive Biology
This compendium on conifer reproductive biology is intended as a text supplement for plant biology courses. Such a volume seems timely because knowledge of model flowering plants is expanding so fast that each new plant biology text has less written on co
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Claire G. Williams
Conifer Reproductive Biology
Claire G. Williams USA
ISBN: 978-1-4020-9601-3 e-ISBN: 978-1-4020-9602-0 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4020-9602-0 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2009927085 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009 No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Cover Image: Snow and pendant cones on spruce tree (reproduced with permission of Photos.com). Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Foreword
When it comes to reproduction, gymnosperms are deeply weird. Cycads and conifers have drawn out reproduction: at least 13 genera take over a year from pollination to fertilization. Since they don’t apparently have any selection mechanism by which to discriminate among pollen tubes prior to fertilization, it is natural to wonder why such a delay in reproduction is necessary. Claire Williams’ book celebrates such oddities of conifer reproduction. She has written a book that turns the context of many of these reproductive quirks into deeper questions concerning evolution. The origins of some of these questions can be traced back Wilhelm Hofmeister’s 1851 book, which detailed the revolutionary idea of alternation of generations. This alternation between diploid and haploid generations was eventually to become one of the key unifying ideas in plant evolution. Dr. Williams points out that alternation of generations in conifers shows strong divergence in the evolution of male and female gametes, as well as in the synchronicity of male and female gamete development. How are these coordinated to achieve fertilization? Books on conifer reproduction are all too rare. The only major work in the last generation was Hardev Singh’s 1978 Embryology of Gymnosperms, a book that summarized the previous century’s work. Being a book primarily about embryology, it stopped short of putting conifer reproduction in a genetic or evolutionary context. There have also been reviews in particular orders and families, but these tend to be oriented towards orchard management problems and practical concerns of seed production. There are few works that are comprehensive and yet accessible to graduate students and researchers. Professor Williams’ book provides new avenues to explore in our thinking. The book also comes along at a opportune moment. The last 40 years have witnessed many advances in our understanding of conifer reproduction. These have proven of practical value to both experimentalists and seed orchard managers. Advanced breeding programs have developed in many countries to the benefit of the forest industry. Genetically improved trees are wide
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