Adaptation and evolution of terrestrial plants depend, to a large
extent, on their ability to acquire nutrients. This is a modern and
integrative treatment of the mechanisms controlling plant nutrient
uptake and how plants respond to changes in the environment. The
following key topics are covered: soil nutrient bioavailability; root
responses to variations in nutrient supply; nitrogen fixation;
regulation of nutrient uptake by internal plant demand; root
characteristics; kinetics of nutrient uptake; root architecture; life
span; mycorrhizae; responses to climate change. This integrated view
helps us to understand the mechanisms that govern present-day plant
communities and is indispensable in models designed to predict the
response of plants to a changing climate.