TopPlant, Cell & Environment Virtual Special Issue Library

Welcome to the Virtual Special Issue (VSI) library from Blackwell Publishing and Plant, Cell and Environment. Each of the VSIs listed below centers on a topic that is central to the scope of Plant, Cell and Environment and consists of articles that have been published recently in the journal. These issues are intended as an alternate route for accessing the content of Plant, Cell and Environment, and the table of contents for each issue is linked to online content through Blackwell Synergy.

Keith Mott,
Editor-in-Chief

About Plant, Cell & Environment

Adjustment of photosynthetic processes of plants and cells to the light environment

Introduction:  Plants require light for photosynthesis, but light in excess of what can be used by photosynthesis must be dissipated without damage. This collection of papers describes how plants and algae optimize light usage while minimizing damage.

Tom Sharkey,
Editor

Fundamentals of water transport through xylem

Introduction:  Although the basic mechanisms for water transport through the xylem were first worked out over 100 years ago, new insights into the underlying physics and physiology of the xylem continue to enlarge our understanding of what it takes to support photosynthesis on land. Encompassing topics from ion effects on hydraulic resistance to issues of vascular design, the articles in this VSI represent the vanguard of recent work on the long-distance transport of water in plants.

N. Michele Holbrook,
Editor

The role of xylem water transport in plant water balance

Introduction:  Water loss through stomata must be replaced by water transport through the xylem of roots and stems. The articles in this Virtual Special Issue address the coordination between xylem water transport properties and stomatal control of transpiration.

Keith Mott,
Editor