Drying without dying.

Abstract

AbstractThis introductory chapter summarizes some of the current answers to questions (how do plants survive desiccation? and how does surviving desiccation affect plant survival?) and lead into the more detailed reviews of questions and answers about desiccation and plant survival in the chapters that follow. It begins with some terms and techniques that provide concepts and methods for research on desiccation tolerance in plants, and a brief summary of the surprisingly lively history of research on desiccation tolerance. An overview is provided of the range and ecology of desiccation tolerance in plants, subjects that bear on how surviving desiccation affects plant survival. Lastly, the mechanisms of desiccation tolerance in plants are discussed, with keys to understanding how plants survive desiccation, and consider the potential for breeding crops that can dry without dying.