Despite an upsurge in national and international debate on environmental issues since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, fungi, vital to the functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, are rarely mentioned. This volume helps redress this imbalance by considering fungi in the context of the impact of humankind's activity on their habitats. The presentation of experimental evidence is a major feature of the volume. Contributions on the effects of global warming, UV-B radiation, atmospheric and terrestrial pollutants, deforestation in the tropics, loss of biodiversity, genetic engineering and chaos theory ensure a topical and balanced coverage, with both ecological and physiological viewpoints being represented. This timely review will be of interest to all mycologists and those ecologists concerned with environmental change.
Preface; 1. Effects of climate change on fungal diseases of trees D. Lonsdale and J. N. Gibbs; 2. effects of climate change on Fusarium foot rot of winter wheat in the United Kingdom T. R. Pettitt and D. W. Parry; 3. Effects of UV-B radiation (280–320 nm) on foliar saprotrophs and pathogens T. S. Gunasekera, M. S. Rasanayagam and N. D. Paul; 4. Implications of global warming and rising sea-levels for macrofungi in UK dune systems M. Rotheroe; 5. Red Data Lists and decline in fruiting of macromycetes in relation to pollution and loss of habitat B. Ing; 6. Effects of dry-deposited SO2 and sulphite on saprotrophic fungi and decomposition of tree leaf litter L. Boddy, J. C. Frankland, S. Dursun, K. K. Newsham and P. Ineson; 7. Effects of atmospheric pollutants on phyllosphere and endophytic fungi N. Magan, M. K. Smith and I. A. Kirkwood; 8. Influences of acid mist and ozone on the fluorescein diacetate activity of leaf litter P. J. A. Shaw; 9. Mycorrhizas and environmental stress J. V. Colpaert and K. K. Van Tichelen; 10. Myccorhizas, succession, and the rehabilitation of deforested lands in the humid tropics D. P. Janos; 11. Potential effects on the soil mycroflora of changes in the UK agricultural policy for upland grasslands R. D. Bardgett; 12. Uptake and immobilization of caesium in UK grassland and forest soils by fungi, following the Chernobyl accident J. Dighton and G. Terry; 13. Effects of pollutants on aquatic hyphomycetes colonizing leaf material in freshwaters S. Bermingham; 14. Fungi and salt stress L. Adler; 15. Fungal sequestration, mobilization and transformation of metals and metalloids G. F. Morley, J. A. Sayer, S. C. Wilkinson, M. M. Gharieb and G. M. Gadd; 16. Urban, industrial and agricultural effects on lichens D. H. Brown; 17. Fungal interactions with metals and radionuclides for environmental bioremediation I. Singleton and J. M. Tobin; 18. Impact of genetically-modified microorganisms on the terrestrial microbiota including fungi J. M. Whipps, F. A. A. M. de Leij, J. M. Lynch and M. J. Bailey; 19. Has chaos theory a place in environmental mycology? A. D. M. Rayner; Index.
Reviews for Fungi and Environmental Change
' ... the book provides an interesting pot-pourri of contributions that range across a wide variety of interactions including the effects of global warming, UV-B radiation, both atmospheric and terrestrial pollutants, tropical deforestation and genetic engineering ... there is certainly plenty of interest in the book for both ecologists or mycologists.' Jeremy Burdon, Journal of Applied Ecology 'This timely review, which reminds us just how important fungi are in our world, will be of interest to mycologists, ecologists and others concerned with environmental change.' Martin Crawford, Agroforestry News ' ... provides valuable up-to-date information on numerous interactions between environmental change and fungi ... This book is recommendable to mycologists, plant biologists and plant physiologists.' Michael Fischer, Journal of Plant Physiology ' ... form a valuable introduction to a number of areas of new exploration and are a valuable source of data for those engaged in relating science and the environment to public policy. the book is very well edited, is easy to read (except where occasional, necessary, technical jargon supervenes) and is presented in an interesting fashion, with good graphic material.' N. F. Robertson, Annals of Botany
