EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PLANT ECOLOGY: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS

Book info: EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PLANT ECOLOGY: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS (Hardcover, 184 pages) – World Scientific Publishing Company, 2007. Language: English.

The spatial aspects of epidemics have been a largely ignored feature of plant ecology, yet an understanding of the spatial dynamics of pathogens is essential to quantifying the impact of diseases on wild plants. Moreover, it may provide valuable information for the control of human diseases. This seminal work fulfills such a role by describing the basics of botanical epidemiology within the context of plant ecology. A variety of models are covered to estimate key parameters at both the individual plant and population levels, with emphasis on the value of spatial-temporal models in the evolutionary dynamics of pathogens. Practical methods are presented to validate these models, thus making this book accessible to theorists and empiricists alike. Editorial Reviews Review What makes the book so compelling is that it includes a thorough review of available experimental and empirical evidence for all the processes described. The author is also consistent in pointing out missing knowledge, and identifies numerous instances where experimentation is necessary to bridge the gaps between empiricism and theory. The examples, and the knowledge hiatuses, are an immense contribution, and will serve well as teaching aids and to stimulate, design, and implement further research. --South African Journal of Botany