The Origin, Expansion, and Demise of Plant Species

This book provides a thoughtful and original reassessment of our understanding of plant speciation and extinction, by one of the leading workers on plant evolution. It is suitable for use in seminars mostly in departments of botany or plant sciences, and shoudl also be read by workers interested in speciation mechanisms and ecological succession at the community and landscape levels.

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Each plant species has its own unique passage that is affected by its gene pool, dispersal ability, interactions with competitors and pests, and the habitats and climactic conditions to which it is exposed. This book will explore plant species as dynamic entities within this passage, following the four stages of plant species life that normally occur. Those four stages can be identified as birth, expansion, differentiation and loss of cohesion, and decline/extinction. Each chapter focuses on part of the speciation process and examines it closely in the light of exploring the species passage from birth to death.