ABSTRACT
Environment of the plant is characterized by various components which regulate its habitat as well as biotic factors such as effects induced by other co-occurring species. Ecophysiology is a well-designed study of the actions of plants in their environment and attempts to understand the physiological mechanisms that describe interactions of plant communities with their biological, chemical, physical and other environmental factors. Understanding ecophysiological patterns and mechanisms aids in knowledge of the evolutionary history and functional importance of particular plant features. Comprehension of different plants phenomena, viz., photosynthesis, respiration, plant water relations and plant responses to both abiotic and biotic stresses from acute to evolutionary timescales, has substantially progressed because of ecophysiological approaches. Various ecophysiological techniques have been used in plant studies like infrared thermography and infrared thermometry to study the physiological responses of plants, hybridization for the development of invasiveness in plants, microscopic and isotopic techniques for plant and soil studies and remote sensing for detecting and analyzing objects. Hence, the emerging techniques in ecophysiological research is an important tool these days to explore evolutionary changes that are occurring due to changes in climatic conditions and other man-made activities. Considering this, the current chapter focuses on the utilization of emerging techniques in ecophysiological research.
