This book was originally published in 1985. In the twenty years
preceding publication very considerable advances were made in our
understanding of the physiology and ecology of lichens and of the
functional nature of the symbiosis between the algal and fungal
partners. This book provides a critical and selective review of lichen
physiological ecology. The approach is a broad one, with consideration
given to all the major factors in the lichen's environment and to the
important processes of nitrogen fixation, photosynthesis and
respiration. The book will be of interest to students and research
workers in plant ecology, plant physiology and lichenology.