Fungi and microbes have predominant influence in our lives. They are directly or indirectly involved in generating the food we eat and drink, besides providing life saving pharmaceutical products, including the sources of enzymes. They play a vital role in recycling of organic matter and several ecological processes. Both fungi and microbes have contributed several billion dollars worth of technological products. For instance: yeast is used in brewing and bakery, Lactobacillus ferments milk to yoghurt and a number of edible mushrooms are rich in nutrients besides possessing many medicinal properties. Bacteria and fungi serve as key organisms in understanding life processes, genetic engineering and as experimental organisms. Therefore, it is necessary to study the biology and biotechnology of these organisms. It is a humble attempt of the authors to make the readers understand the biology and biotechnology of fungi and microbes in a simpler way and also to communicate the recent developments.
The present book spread in 19 chapters broadly deals with basic concepts, historical aspects, microscopy, diversity, cultivation and control of microorganisms, bacteria and viruses at length, nutrition and physiology of microbes, immunology, taxonomy, microbial genetics, and microbes in human welfare and other related aspects.
The rhizosphere is a very complex environment in which the effects of the plant on soil microorganisms and the effects of the microorganisms on the plant are interacting and are interdependent. Plant root exudates and breakdownproducts attract microbes and feed them and, in turn, the plants often bene?t from the microbes. Interactions among microorg- ismsandplantrootsareessentialfornutritionalrequirementsoftheplant. Plant growth, development and productivity are largely dependent on the soil environment in the root region rhizosphere. The new techniques of studying the rhizosphere enables us to get a much better understanding of the dynamics of the rhizosphere population, such rhizosphere studies beingofinteresttoagriculturists,soilbiologists,chemists,microbiologists andmolecularbiologists. The rhizosphere microbes in?uence the root environment in several ways. They may change the oxidation-reduction potential, in?uence the availabilityofmoistureandnutrients,producegrowthinhibitingorgrowth promoting substances in the form of exudates, provide competition and possiblyinducemanyothereffects.Mycorrhizalassociationsarebene?cial in mineral uptake and in increasing root surface area for effective ion absorption. Antagonism,competitionandsynergisminsoilandtherhizoplane(r- zosphere) are the most important microbial interactions to consider in the study of rhizosphere biology. With the growing information on the production of growth regulators, competitiveness of the microbes in the rhizosphere, microsymbionts, and other factors, their effect upon plant growth will become more evident. Experiments on the introduction of microbes or their products in the rhizosphere will help to improve our understandingofthebiologyoftherhizosphere.
UNIT-I 1 INTRODUCTION 2 ECOSYSTEMS 3 BIODIVERSITY AND ITS CONSERVATION UNIT-II 4 NATURAL RESOURCES 5 ENVIRONMENTAL VALUATION 6 ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS UNIT-III 7 ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION 8 ENVlRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN INDIA UNIT-IV 9 REGIONAL AND SECTORIAL ISSUES 10 HUMAN POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT UNIT-V 11 SOCIAL ISSUE AND THE ENVIRONMENT 12 SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT 13 INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNANCE: EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AND LAWS IN INDIA BIBLIOGRAPHY GLOSSARY QUESTIONS INDEX
A number of biotechnologically, industrially and environmentally important fungal organisms are found in the soil. Most studies on soil fungi deal with the quantification of fungi while only a few are available on their identification and description. In this handbook, the authors have provided an exhaustive account of the description of 317 species of soil fungi belonging to 122 genera All the species and genera are arranged alphabetically with related synonyms and special emphasis has been give to the keys to the species, genera, families, orders and related classification for easy identification. Handbook of Soil Fungi will be an important contribution to mycofloristics. It will serve as a guide to experts as well as beginners in the study of soil fungi and their enumeration and identification. The detailed laboratory methods dealing with isolation, cultivation, culture, media, preservation, slide preparation and ecological distribution of fungal species from various soils, and the glossary provided will serve as a complete manual. The morphological details of the fungal species, coupled with photomicrographs and camera lucida diagrams, are a special feature of this book. The present book is the first detailed monograph on soil fungi from the Indian subcontinent.
The book is intended to enthuse youngsters particularly students of Botany, Microbiology, Biotechnology and Agriculture studying Fungi. It is also helpful to the Plant Pathologists, Agriculturists, Pharmaceutists, Biotechnologists, Environmentalists and Entrepreneurs who intend to create self-employment.
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