Principles of Soil and Plant Water Relations

Principles of Soil and Plant Water Relations, Second Edition combines biology and physics to show how water moves through the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum.

M.B. Kirkham (Author)

9780124200227, Elsevier Science

Hardback, published 25 June 2014

598 pages, 224 illustrations
23.3 x 15.6 x 3.3 cm, 1.18 kg

Principles of Soil and Plant Water Relations, 2e describes the principles of water relations within soils, followed by the uptake of water and its subsequent movement throughout and from the plant body. This is presented as a progressive series of physical and biological interrelations, even though each topic is treated in detail on its own. The book also describes equipment used to measure water in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. At the end of each chapter is a biography of a scientist whose principles are discussed in the chapter. In addition to new information on the concept of celestial time, this new edition also includes new chapters on methods to determine sap flow in plants dual-probe heat-pulse technique to monitor water in the root zone.

1. Introduction
2. Definitions of Physical Units and the International System
3. Structure and Properties of Water
4. Soil-Water Terminology and Applications
5. Tensiometers
6. Static Water in Soil
7. Water Movement in Saturated Soil
8. Time Domain Reflectometry
9. Dual Thermal Probes
10. Field Capacity, Wilting Point, Available Water, and the Non-Limiting Water Range
11. Penetrometers
12. Oxygen Diffusion Rate
13. Infiltration
14. Pore Volume
15. Root Anatomy and Poiseuille’s Law for Water Flow in Roots
16. Gardner’s Equation for Water Movement to Plant Roots
17. Stem Anatomy and Pressure-Volume Curves
18. Thermocouple Psychrometers
19. Pressure Chambers
20. The Ascent of Water in Plants
21. Sap Flow
22. Electrical Analogues for Water Movement through the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum
23. Leaf Anatomy and Leaf Elasticity
24. Stomatal Anatomy and Stomatal Resistance
25. Solar Radiation, Black Bodies, Heat Budget, and Radiation Balance
26. Infrared Thermometers
27. Stress-Degree-Day Concept and Crop-Water-Stress Index
28. Potential Evapotranspiration
29. Water and Yield
30. Solar Time and Interception of Direct-Beam Solar Radiation

Subject Areas: Agronomy & crop production [TVK], Environmental management [RNF], Plant physiology [PSTD], Botany & plant sciences [PST]