R. Hunt – författare

This handbook is intended as an introductory guide to students at all levels on the principles and practice of plant growth analysis. Many have found this quantitative approach to be useful in the description and interpretation of the performance of whole plant systems grown under natural, semi-natural or controlled conditions. Most of the methods described require only simple experimental data and facilities. For the classical approach, GCSE biology and mathematics (or their equivalents) are the only theoretical backgrounds required. For the functional approach, a little calculus and statistical theory is needed. All of the topics regarding the quantitative basis of productivity recently introduced to the Biology A-level syllabus by the Joint Matriculation Board are covered. The booklet replaces my elementary Plant Growth Analysis (1978, London: Edward Arnold) which is now out of print. The presentation is very basic indeed; the opening pages give only essential outlines of the main issues. They are followed by brief, standardized accounts of each growth-analytical concept taken in turn. The illustrations deal more with the properties of well-grown material than with the effects of specific environmental changes, even though that is where much of the subject's interest lies. However, detailed references to the relevant parts of more com­ prehensive works appear throughout, and a later section on 'Inter­ relations' adds perspective. Some 'Questions and answers' may also help to show what topics will arise if the subject is pursued further.

This handbook is intended as an introductory guide to students at all levels on the principles and practice of plant growth analysis. Many have found this quantitative approach to be useful in the description and interpretation of the performance of whole plant systems grown under natural, semi-natural or controlled conditions. Most of the methods described require only simple experimental data and facilities. For the classical approach, GCSE biology and mathematics (or their equivalents) are the only theoretical backgrounds required. For the functional approach, a little calculus and statistical theory is needed. All of the topics regarding the quantitative basis of productivity recently introduced to the Biology A-level syllabus by the Joint Matriculation Board are covered. The booklet replaces my elementary Plant Growth Analysis (1978, London: Edward Arnold) which is now out of print. The presentation is very basic indeed; the opening pages give only essential outlines of the main issues. They are followed by brief, standardized accounts of each growth-analytical concept taken in turn. The illustrations deal more with the properties of well-grown material than with the effects of specific environmental changes, even though that is where much of the subject''s interest lies. However, detailed references to the relevant parts of more com­ prehensive works appear throughout, and a later section on ''Inter­ relations'' adds perspective. Some ''Questions and answers'' may also help to show what topics will arise if the subject is pursued further.

The 3Y2-inch floppy disk which accompanies this booklet is a standard DSIHD 1.44MB disk formatted by Microsoft® MS-DOSTM. The disk contains five files, all called ecpe (standing for Electronic Comparative Plant Ecology). All five have identical content but differ in file type. Only one of these files need be selected by the user, according to the software which will be used locally to examine the data. Filename Software ecpe.txt ascii text only, for MS-DOSTM ecpe.csv comma-delimited entries, ditto ecpe.xls for Microsoft® Excel 5.0 ecpe.wk3* for WK3 format in Lotusl-2-3® ecpe.csm comma-delimited for Macintosh® *this file is accompanied by the usual ecpe. fm3. The Electronic Comparative Plant Ecology 1 INTRODUCTION This publication consists of a collection of standardized autecological information for the more common vascular species of the British flora. It is an amalgamated, electronic copy of the data tables which concluded both of the printed works Comparative Plant Ecology (CPE) and The Abridged Comparative Plant Ecology (ACPE).