Plantago: A Multidisciplinary Study

The book provides a synthesis of population ecology, popula-tion genetics and plant physiology, applied to the question, which properties contribute to fitness of populations ofPlantago species. Five species, P. major, P. lanceolata, P. media, P. maritima and P. coronopus were investigated fordemographic and genetic structures. Ecophysiological datawere obtained in the laboratory and in the field. Togetherwith data on soils andmicrometeorologic characteristics ofthe sites, an analysis of factors, contributing to fitnesswas carried out. Moreover, complex interactions as mycorrhi-za, N-cycling in the rhizosphere and co-adaptation with pa-rasitic fungi and animals are included.