Mycorrhizas: Novel Dimensions in the Changing World

The book provides basic knowledge in mycorrhizal ecology, knitted with novel conceptual frameworks and contemporary perspectives, especially in the context of global change. In a fast changing world wherein anthropogenic climate change, biological invasions, deforestation, desertification, and frequent droughts have become routine hard realities, the contents of this book urge readers to rethink basic notions of setting and accomplishing objectives in mycorrhizal research to make sense vis-à-vis contemporary challenges. In this book, a global perspective of mycorrhizal diversity and distribution is provided, followed by some insights into the impact of various global change elements such as climate change, plant invasion, and extreme environmental conditions on mycorrhizas and the role of these mutualists in turn to help their host plants to withstand such novel selection pressures. Special attention here is given to the interesting, but largely neglected, topics such as the role of mycorrhizas in ecological restoration of degraded environments and mycorrhizal status of aquatic plants. The basic idea is to unify various topical areas in mycorrhizal science in an integrated framework. This book can be used by the undergraduate and graduate level students studying mycorrhizal symbioses in the context of current ecological applications. The materials in this book will benefit biological scientists actively involved in research on mycorrhizal ecology and global environmental change. Besides, the contents of the book could be of special interest to restoration ecologists and biodiversity managers.

Dr. Manzoor A. Shah holds master's degree in Botany from the University of Kashmir and worked for his Ph.D. jointly in the University Laval, Quebec, Canada and University of Kashmir. He currently teaches at the Department of Botany, University of Kashmir and is also a faculty affiliate in the University of Montana, USA. His basic research interests include plant-soil microbial feedback interactions with a major focus on the biogeography and molecular ecology of plant invasions. He has published more than 40 high impact research papers and book chapters, in recognition of which he has been awarded several national and international fellowships and prestigious awards, such as the Paryavaran Mitra Award, Gold Medal from Indian Academy of Environmental Sciences, the DBT-CREST Award-2012, the Canadian Commonwealth Exchange Fellowship (Asia-Pacific) - 2010, Doctoral Internship Award by the Canadian Bureau of International Education (CBIE) in 2008, and Young Scientist Grant Award -2009 by Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS) etc. Dr. Shah is on the editorial board of some prestigious journals and has been an invited speaker at various scientific meetings/conferences within India and abroad. He is currently a part of many national network projects on ecological niche modeling, biological invasions, species conservation and mycorrhizal symbioses.