O.L. LANGE, P.S. NOBEL, C.B. OSMOND, and H. ZIEGLER Growth, development
and reproductive success of individual plants depend on the interaction,
within tolerance limits, of the factors in the physical, chemical and
biological environment. The first two volumes of this series addressed
fea- tures of the physical environment (Vol. 12A) and the special
responses of land plants as they relate to water use and carbon dioxide
assimilation (Vol. 12B). In this volume we consider specific aspects of
the chemical and biological envi- ronment, and whereas the previous
volumes were primarily concerned with the atmospheric interactions, our
emphasis here shifts very much to the soil. This complex medium for
plant growth was briefly reviewed in Chapter 17, Volume 12A. Since it is
difficult to determine the precise physical and chemical interactions in
the soil, it is even more difficult to determine the important
biological interactions among organisms. Nevertheless there is growing
aware- ness of the significance of these interactions and their effects
on physiological processes in the individual plant.