ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book aims to provide an understanding of plant physiology that is informed by the development of terrestrial ecosystems and relevant to environmental challenges. It focuses on the interaction of multicellular terrestrial plants with their abiotic environment—that is, one facet of terrestrial ecosystems. The book describes the minimizing of human impact on the environment, along with the sustainable harvesting of food, forage, and other plant products, are used as key contexts for understanding plant-environment interactions. It provides an overview of how plants respond to variation in key environmental variables. The book also focuses on plant capture of resources, because of their importance for all inhabitants of terrestrial ecosystems, including humans. It draws on how plants deal with variation in environmental resources, stressors, and xenobiotics, including much variation that is caused by humans.
