Tropical Alpine Environments Plant Form and Function [Hardcover]

This book examines the unique form, function and physiology of tropical alpine plants.Plants growing above the tree-line in the tropics have evolved in distinct ways to cope with the hazards of cold, drought and fire. This book examines the unique form, physiology and function of these fascinating plants, and will appeal to all those with an interest in tropical vegetation and plant physiology.Plants growing above the tree-line in the tropics have evolved in distinct ways to cope with the hazards of cold, drought and fire. This book examines the unique form, physiology and function of these fascinating plants, and will appeal to all those with an interest in tropical vegetation and plant physiology.Tropical alpine environments (at altitudes above the closed canopy forest and below the limit of plant life) present an unusual set of complex stresses for plant species. Unlike temperate alpine environments, where there are distinct seasons of favorable and unfavorable conditions for growth, tropical alpine habitats present summer conditions every day and winter conditions every night. As a consequence, tropical alpine plant species have evolved unique forms for coping with such a hostile environment. Using examples from all over the tropics, this fascinating account reviews the unique form and functional relationships of tropical alpine plants, examining both their physiological ecology and population biology.List of contributors; Preface; 1. Introduction to tropical alpine vegetation A. P. Smith; 2. Tropical alpine climates P. W. Rundel; 3. P?ramo microclimate and leaf thermal balance of Andean giant rosette plants F. C. Meinzer, G. Goldstein and F. Rada; 4. Comparative water relations of tropical alpine plants F. C. Meinzer, G. Goldstein and P. W. Rundel; 5. Cold tolerance in tropical alpine plants E. Beck; 6. Anatomy of tropical alpine plants S. Carlquist; 7. Environmental biology of a tropical treeline species, polylepis sericea G. Goldstein, F. C. Meinzer and F. Rl“%