Leaf structure is central to plant function, and the implications of this, both to the plant itself and at the ecosystem level, are now becoming fully realized. This book addresses variation in leaf structure in detail, with reviews and analyses on specific aspects, and encapsulates the state of current knowledge in this important area. Leaf structure is intimately connected with the rate at which the leaf fixes carbon dioxide, the rate at which the plant can grow and the efficiency with which the plant conserves nutrients. It is therefore related to plant performance in different habitats, and can be used to characterize species, to define functional groups and even to predict the response of species to varying environmental conditions. Up-to-date and authoritative, the various approaches to leaf structure discussed in this book provide a unique resource that identifies the key issues and challenges for future research.

Table of Contents:
1. Biotic and abiotic consequences of differences in leaf structure; 2. A mechanical perspective on foliage leaf form and function; 3. Modelling leaf expansion in a fluctuating environment: are changes in specific leaf area a consequence of changes in expansion rate?; 4. Specific leaf area in barley: individual leaves versus whole plants; 5. Leaf structure and specific leaf mass: the alpine desert plants of the Eastern Pamirs, Tadjikstan; 6. Contribution of carbohydrate pools to the variations in leaf mass per area of tomato leaves; 7. Leaf structure and chemical composition as affected by elevated CO2: genotypic responses of two perennial grasses; 8. The relationship between leaf composition and morphology at elevated CO2 concentrations; 9. Profiles of photosynthetic oxygen evolution within leaves of Spinacia oleracea; 10. Leaf anatomy enables more equal access to light and CO2 between chloroplasts; 11. Assessing leaf pigment content and activity with a reflectometer; 12. Relationships between photosynthesis, nitrogen and leaf structure in 14 grass species and their dependence on the basis of expression; 13. Low-light carbon balance and shade tolerance in the seedlings of woody plants: do winter deciduous and broad-leaved evergreen species differ?; 14. Specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content as alternative predictors of plant strategies; 15. A comparison of specific leaf area, chemical composition and leaf construction costs of field plants from 15 habitats differing in productivity; 16. Leaf life span and nutrient resorption as determinants of plant nutrient conservation in temperate-arctic regions; 17. Leaf structure and defence control litter decomposition rate across species and life forms in regional floras on two continents; 18. Carbon gain in a multispecies canopy: the role of specific leaf area and photosynthetic-nitrogen-use efficiency in the tragedy of the commons; 19. The functional significance of leaf structure: a search for generalizations.