Sulfur in Plants An Ecological Perspective [electronic resource] / edited by Malcolm J. Hawkesford, Luit J. Kok.

Sulfur and plant ecology: a central role of sulfate transporters in responses to sulfur availability -- Sulfur interactions in crop ecosystems -- Sulfur in forest ecosystems -- Sulfur in the marine environment -- Atmospheric sulfur -- Sulfur in plants as part of a metabolic network -- Sulfur in resistance to environmental stresses -- Molecular links between metals in the environment and plant sulfur metabolism -- Sulfur in biotic interactions of plants -- Selenium and its relationship with sulfur.

Combining an ecosystems approach with new insights at the molecular and biochemical level, this book presents the latest findings on how plants respond, physiologically, to sulphur in their environment. It explores key areas - such as biotic and abiotic interactions, adaptations to fluctuating supply, and sulphur's role in plant metabolic networks - to assess the functions and implications of this essential plant nutrient in a range of natural, semi-natural and anthropogenic environments. Leaders in the field, Hawkesford and de Kok, draw together an international group of experts in plant sulphur nutrition, to collate and integrate new information from molecular biology, ecology and physiology. The result is an important new reference on the relationships between plants and sulphur at all levels - including contributions arising from recent 'omic' approaches. With implications for issues such as agriculture, forestry, water management and ecosystem restoration, this book is relevant to a wide audience, from graduate level students and researchers, to policy makers and practitioners.