The book is intended as a guide for molecular biology students, equipping them to successfully study plants. It pursues a holistic approach, viewing the whole plant as an integrated operating organism, and is written in a straightforward manner, making it appealing to anyone interested in plants. Further, it reflects the latest findings for scientists and students in the fields of plant sciences, biology, agriculture, forestry, ecology, vascular medicine and cancer, discussing e.g. how hormonal signals induce and regulate simple and complex patterns in plants vascular tissues, their adaptation and evolution.
• written by a world-renowned expert who has worked in the field for 50 years
• covers the field from the initial studies conducted more than a century ago up to recent studies with up-to-date explanations
• describes in details the structure, development, physiology and basic molecular biology of plants’ vascular tissues, their function, regeneration and environmental adaptation
• explores the controlling mechanisms of plant vascular differentiation by continuously moving hormonal signals and their precursors
• discusses the regulation of stem cells and cambium, control of gradients in vascular cell size along the plant, juvenile-adult transition and rejuvenation, grafting, mechanisms of recovery from bending by reaction wood, evolution of vessels and fibers from tracheids, regulation of ring-porous wood evolution, protecting mechanisms against insects and pathogens, parasitism, plant cancer, and more
• helps readers understand the scope and breadth of plant vascular systems in 20 detailed, high-quality chapters
• includes a wealth of outstanding original color photographs and illustrations documenting the formation of vascular tissues
• provides an in-depth understanding of plant biology by studying their vascular tissues
Dr. Roni Aloni completed his studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. He graduated in Biology (1968), obtained MSc in Plant Ecology (1970) and PhD in Plant sciences (1973). Became Lecturer in Biology at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology (1973-77). PostDoc as Visiting Fellow in Biology at Princeton University, USA (1974-76). In 1977 he moved to Botany at Tel Aviv University, Israel, became Professor in 1992 and Professor emeritus in 2013; He continues teaching and runs active research. He is an author of numerous scientific publications, including Springer’s book: “Vascular Differentiation and Plant Growth Regulators” by: LW Roberts, PB Gahan, R Aloni (1988). His research goal is to understand the hormonal mechanisms that induce and regulate plant vascular differentiation, adaptation and evolution in organized tissues, galls and tumors. Since 2005, he is a Member of Leopoldina, the German National Academy of Science; since 1991 a Fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science, on the Academy Board (2014-20). He served as the President of the Botanical Society of Israel (1996-98). Coordinated the working parties on “Biological control of wood quality” (5.01.01) and “Xylem physiology” (2.01.10) of the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) (1990-2012). He was an Adjunct Professor of Biology at the University of Waterloo, Canada (1989-99). Spent Sabbaticals at Harvard University, USA (1982-83), University of Waterloo, Canada (1989), University of Vermont, USA (1991), University of Reading, England (1995), University of California, Berkeley, USA (1999-2000), Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany (2004), Simon Fraser University, Canada (2009-10). Since 2008, he is an Editor of Planta, was Editor of Trees, Structure and Function (1990-2013), and was an Editor or on the Editorial Board of a few international plant science journals.
