PLANT ADAPTATION TO ANTHROPOGENIC FACTORS - 2017

PREFACE

The textbook reflects the Current state of knowledge on plant adaptation to anthropogenic factors, which constitutes a distinct branch of plant physiology—the science dedicated to plant Functions, the molecular foundations of physiological processes, and the mechanisms regulating and integrating them within The system of a whole Organism.

Today, environmental pollution and shifting ecological factors have significantly deteriorated the operating conditions for plants. Under such pressure, green spaces experience anthropogenic stress, become suppressed, lose their adaptive potential, and perish prematurely. Cultivated phytocenoses established in technogenic areas must fulfill several functions, primarily sanitary-hygienic and aesthetic, which is only achievable through the optimal Selection of plant species. A comprehensive approach to this challenge involves substantiating innovative design frameworks for creating plantings that are cost-effective and capable of forming resilient, highly decorative artificial phytocenoses under conditions of elevated environmental contamination.

Accordingly, the chapters of the textbook—such as "General characteristics of Adaptations. Core Concepts of Adaptation Development", "GENERALIZED SCHEME OF Plant Responses to External Stressors", "Environmental Pollution by Industrial Chemical Waste", "Effects of Ionizing Radiation on Plant Organisms", and "Functions of Green Spaces in an Anthropogenically Transformed Environment"—address a wide range of issues related to the functioning of plant organisms in altered ecological settings.

The authors substantiate specific types of plantings and evaluate the capacity of plants to form resilient, highly decorative artificial phytocenoses under conditions of elevated environmental contamination near industrial facilities with various types of production. Regardless of the specific technology implemented in any given case, the chosen assortment of plant species is of decisive importance for the future survival of green plantings. Special attention is paid to established principles of creating cultivated plant communities: ecological suitability, systematic approach, and aesthetic value.

The book is intended for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, faculty members of higher education institutions of levels I–IV of accreditation, and everyone interested in the inner workings of plant life.