The island of New Guinea has a high diversity of species and a high level of endemism, containing more than 5 percent of earth’s biodiversity in just over one half of a percent of the land on the earth. New Guinea supports the largest area of mature tropical moist forest in the Asia/Pacific region. Papua New Guinea consists of the eastern part of the island of New Guinea, plus the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago, Buka, and Bougainville. There are between fifteen thousand and twenty thousand species of vascular plants in Papua New Guinea, with at least two thousand species of trees. The most important challenge for Papua New Guinea is the protection of biological diversity against the pressures resulting from global climate change, inappropriate destructive conversion of natural communities, unsustainable exploitation of forests, national economic development and societal demands, including a fair sharing of the nation’s wealth, and law and order issues. There are very few resources available to natural resource managers, environmental scientists, nongovernment agencies, and various extractive industries, most importantly, the timber industry that will assist in the identification of major tree species within Papua New Guinea. It is hoped that the publication of these three volumes will enable those who are responsible for natural resource management to improve their knowledge of the trees in these forests so that they can fully appreciate the richness of these biologically diverse forests. The forests of Papua New Guinea need to be managed sensitively and sustainably based on advanced evidence-based knowledge. The Trees of Papua New Guinea publication provides a comprehensive treatment of 668 species of trees (Volume 1: 257 species; Vol. 2: 246 species; Vol. 3: 165 species) that will assist in the identification of the trees of Papua New Guinea.

With contributions by numerous experts

The Biology and Agronomy of Stylosanthes covers the proceedings of the 1982 International Symposium on The Biology and Agronomy of Stylosanthes, held in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The symposium aims to present the developments in the research of the economically important genus, Stylosanthes. Comprised of three parts encompassing 31 chapters, the book discusses Stylosanthes taxonomy, genetic resources, plant-environment interaction, and agronomy. The opening part discusses the taxonomic problems, evolution, and cytogenetic studies of Stylosanthes species. This part also considers the natural variation and distribution, Brazilian species, and existing collection of the genus. The second part of the book presents available data on the occurrence of water shortage in plant tissue and how plants react to it. This part also deals with other environmental constraints to growth and survival, the mineral nutrition, reproductive physiology, and diseases and pest problems of Stylosanthes. A discussion on the influence of mycorrhiza and rhizobium in the genus is also included. The concluding part examines the effect of seed biology on initial pasture establishment and the population dynamics of established pastures. Considerable chapters in this part are devoted to the agronomical aspects of the genus, including nitrogen inputs; chemical composition and nutritive value; and animal and seed production. The book further presents data on global ventures in Stylosanthes, including agricultural projects, research and development, breeding programs, and productivity programs in various regions. This book is an ideal source of information for biologists, agronomists, scientists, and researchers.

Traditionally, pueraria has been utilized by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners to treat hangovers, allergies, indigestion, diabetes and angina, as well as neck and shoulder pain, thirst, and fever. A more recent study showed that both daidzin and daidzein may be useful in reducing the urge for alcohol and treating alcoholism. This comprehe

Set includes revised editions of some issues.

Two major challenges to continued global food security are the ever increasing demand for food products, and the unprecedented abiotic stresses that crops face due to climate change.Wild relatives of domesticated crops serve as a reservoir of genetic material, with the potential to be used to develop new, improved varieties of crops. Crop Wild Relative and Climate Change integrates crop evolution, breeding technologies and biotechnologies, improved practices and sustainable approaches while exploring the role wild relatives could play in increasing agricultural output. Crop Wild Relative and Climate Change begins with overviews of the impacts of climate change on growing environments and the challenges that agricultural production face in coming years and decades. Chapters then explore crop evolution and the potential for crop wild relatives to contribute novel genetic resources to the breeding of more resilient and productive crops. Breeding technologies and biotechnological advances that are being used to incorporate key genetic traits of wild relatives into crop varieties are also covered. There is also a valuable discussion on the importance of conserving genetic resources to ensure continued successful crop production. A timely resource, Crop Wild Relative and Climate Change will be an invaluable resource for the crop science community for years to come.