The Preface to the first edition of this book explained the reasons for the publication of a comprehensive text on the rumen and rumen microbes in 1988. The microbes of the ruminant's forestomach and those in related organs in other animals and birds provide the means by which herbivorous animals can digest and obtain nutriment from vegetation. In turn, humans have relied, and still do rely, on herbivores for much of their food, clothing and motive power. Herbivores also form the food of carnivorous animals and birds in the wild. The importance of the rumen microorganisms is thus apparent. But, while a knowledge of rumen organisms is not strictly neces sary for the normal, practical feeding of farm animals, in recent years there has been much more emphasis on increasing the productivity of domesti cated animals and in rearing farm animals on unusual feedstuffs. Here, a knowledge of the reactions of the rumen flora, and the limits to these reactions, can be invaluable. In addition, anaerobic rumen-type microor ganisms are found in the intestines of omnivores, including humans, and can be implicated in diseases of humans and animals. They are also found in soils and natural waters, where they playa part in causing pollution and also in reducing it, while the same organisms confined in artificial systems are essential for the purification of sewage and other polluting and toxic wastes.

The first edition of this book. Published in 1993, was very well received as providing a comprehensive review of the digestion and metabolism of ruminant animals. Since its publication, much new research has been conducted in the subject and knowledge has increased. This new edition includes Dr. Dijkstra as an additional editor and four completely new chapters. These cover: the gas production technique in feed evaluation; the relationship between pasture characteristics and animal performance; calorimetry; and feed processing. Other chapters have been expanded or updated as appropriate.

Ruminants were domesticated in the Middle East about 10,000 years ago and have since become an inseparable part of human diet, society, and culture. Ruminants can transform inedible plant fiber and non-protein nitrogen into meat, milk, wool and traction, thus allowing human utilization of non-tillable land and industrial by-products. The nutritional flexibility of ruminants is conferred by the rumen´s complex microbial community. Driven by rising income and population growth in emergent economies, the global demand for livestock products, including milk and meat from ruminants, has been increasingly growing, and is predicted to continue growing in the next few decades. The increase in production necessary to satisfy this rising demand is putting much pressure on already dwindling natural resources. There are also concerns about the emissions of methane and nitrous oxide, potent greenhouse gases associated to ruminant production. The need to make ruminant production more efficient in the use of natural resources poses a big challenge to ruminant science, and within it, rumen microbiology. Recent years have seen important advances in basic and applied rumen microbiology and biochemistry. The knowledge generated has significant implications for the efficiency and sustainability of ruminant production and the quality of ruminant products for human health. The present compilation is an update of recent advances in rumen microbiology and ruminant digestion and fermentation, including original research, reviews, and hypothesis and theory articles. We hope that the experimental results, discussion, models and ideas presented herein are useful to foster future research contributing to sustainable ruminant production.

The Prokaryotes is a comprehensive, multi-authored, peer reviewed reference work on Bacteria and Achaea. This fourth edition of The Prokaryotes is organized to cover all taxonomic diversity, using the family level to delineate chapters. Different from other resources, this new Springer product includes not only taxonomy, but also prokaryotic biology and technology of taxa in a broad context. Technological aspects highlight the usefulness of prokaryotes in processes and products, including biocontrol agents and as genetics tools. The content of the expanded fourth edition is divided into two parts: Part 1 contains review chapters dealing with the most important general concepts in molecular, applied and general prokaryote biology; Part 2 describes the known properties of specific taxonomic groups. Two completely new sections have been added to Part 1: bacterial communities and human bacteriology. The bacterial communities section reflects the growing realization that studies on pure cultures of bacteria have led to an incomplete picture of the microbial world for two fundamental reasons: the vast majority of bacteria in soil, water and associated with biological tissues are currently not culturable, and that an understanding of microbial ecology requires knowledge on how different bacterial species interact with each other in their natural environment. The new section on human microbiology deals with bacteria associated with healthy humans and bacterial pathogenesis. Each of the major human diseases caused by bacteria is reviewed, from identifying the pathogens by classical clinical and non-culturing techniques to the biochemical mechanisms of the disease process. The 4th edition of The Prokaryotes is the most complete resource on the biology of prokaryotes. The following volumes are published consecutively within the 4th Edition: Prokaryotic Biology and Symbiotic Associations Prokaryotic Communities and Ecophysiology Prokaryotic Physiology and Biochemistry Applied Bacteriology and Biotechnology Human Microbiology Actinobacteria Firmicutes Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria Gammaproteobacteria Deltaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobacteria Other Major Lineages of Bacteria and the Archaea

The International Symposium on Ruminant Physiology (ISRP) is the premier forum for presentation and discussion of advances in knowledge of the physiology of ruminant animals. This book brings together edited versions of the keynote review papers presented at the symposium.

This book brings together the data of lastest international research and was conceived as the result of a summer school held at the INRA Centre of Clermont-Ferrand/Theix from 24 September to 4 Octobre 1990. The subject is the rumen as a fermentor and the means by which rumen functioning can be optimized for the maximum benefit ot the ruminant.

The Rumen and Its Microbes is a contribution to the ecology of this important microbial habitat. Relatively few microbial habitats have been subjected to a thorough quantitative ecological analysis. The rumen fermentation is peculiarly suitable because of its relatively constant and continuous nature and because of the very rapid rates of conversion of organic matter. Although analysis of the ruminant-microbe symbiosis is still far from complete, knowledge is sufficient for formulation of principles and for identification and measurement of important parameters. The first eight chapters of the book include a description of the rumen and its microbes, their activities, and the extent of these activities. This basic biology provides a framework in which applications to agriculture can be evaluated. These applications are discussed in the last four chapters: host metabolism, variation in the rumen, possible practical applications, and abnormalities in rumen function.