Plant Stem

Fritz Hans SchweingruberAfter studies at the University of Bern, Switzerland and postdocs by Hal Fritts in Tucson, Arizona he was teaching during 26 years wood anatomy and dendrochronology at the University of Basel. At the same time he was leader of the Research Group Tree Rings and Environment at the Swiss Federal Institute of Forest, Snow and Landscape in Birmensdorf, Switzerland where he constructed the Northern hemispheric dendroclimatological densitometric network and wood anatomical books from Europe, Russia and the Sahara. 1986 he founded the International dendroecological field week and 2001 the International dendroanatomical weeks. Annett BörnerShe is a geo-ecologist with a special interest plant ecology. She has worked for more than 15 years as an editor and designer in the field of scientific publications, in print and web media. She specialises in science communication, and her clients include a number of major research institutes in Europe and Australia. She lives in Adelaide, Australia.

• Introduction.- Preparation techniques - Making anatomical structures visible.- Morphology of the plant body.- Cellular composition of the plant bodies.- Structure of cell walls and cell contents.- Primary, secondary and tertiary meristem.- Stem anatomical structures of major taxonomic units.- Evolution of stems.- Anatomical adaptions to permanent changed environmental conditions.- Anatomical adaptions to temporarily changed environmental conditions.- Coexistence of algae, fungi and vascular plants.- Wood decay.- Fossilization, permineralization, coalification, carbonization and wetwood conservation.- Technically altered wood products.