Juliet C. Frankland - Böcker

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.

The disappearing rain forest and damage to other tropical and subtropical habitats has recently provoked considerable public awareness and response from governmental and scientific bodies. Tropical fungi have received little attention to date and this volume aims to correct this deficit. Based on a meeting of the British Mycological Society, the book addresses the challenge which the exceptional diversity of tropical fungi present to taxonomists, biochemists, molecular biologists, ecologists and pathologists alike. The significance of the many tropical species and ectomycorrhizal associations in nutrient cycling in rainforests, desert ecosystems and aquatic habitats is considered, together with an evaluation of the potential of such fungi in the production of commercially useful, novel metabolites.